Are you interested in turning your passion for travel into a rewarding career? Becoming a travel agent in Illinois allows you to build a fulfilling business and flexible income by booking travel. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to becoming a travel agent in Illinois, from getting started to building a successful business.
First things first. What is a travel agent?
Travel agents earn money by planning trips. They work with clients to understand their vacation needs and handle all the travel arrangements, including planning activities and booking accommodations.
What are the requirements to become a travel agent in Illinois?
Legal requirements for travel advisors
The main legal requirement to become a travel agent in Illinois is that you will need an IATA number, a unique identifier that allows a travel agency to conduct business. Most travel advisors choose a host agency (a business that provides support and resources to independent travel agents or small travel agencies). If you’re working with a host agency such as Fora, the host agency provides access to the IATA number.
Certification & education
Becoming a travel agent in Illinois does not require a formal travel agent certification or accreditation from a certificate program (such as Certified Travel Associates). Nor is a bachelor’s degree or high school diploma required. However, travel agent certification is highly encouraged (Fora offers this as part of its travel agent training program — more on that below).
How to become a travel agent in Illinois
1) Understand the role: As a travel agent in Illinois, you plan & book travel for clients, from booking flights and accommodations to organizing activities and excursions. You can book trips of all types, to destinations all over the world. You can also leverage your local knowledge to plan trips to your home state — foodie tours of Chicago, boating on the lake — using your insider intel on travel to Illinois. Once you understand the basics of the role and are ready to dive in, you’ll want to get the right support and training. Learn more about how to become a travel agent.
2) Find the right host agency: In most cases, an independent travel agent in Illinois will work with a host agency. A host agency provides resources to travel agents, including access to booking systems & partner programs, marketing support and training. A host agency also provides agents with an IATA number, allowing them to earn commission on the travel they book. Fora is a host agency and offers a one-stop shop with everything you need to get started with your travel advisor business.
3) Participate in a training program: Once you choose a host agency, you’ll want to take a training course. Fora offers a comprehensive training program that includes seminars with all of the foundational topics to run your travel advisor business (ranging from customer service sessions to the nitty gritty of how to book). Our initial certification program offers 40+ hours of live, small-group training as well as access to recordings. We also offer ongoing training programs, including an advanced certification as well as regular partner and destination trainings.
How do I earn money as a travel agent in Illinois?
As a travel agent in Illinois, partners (like hotels and cruise lines) pay agents commissions for travel bookings. Commission rates vary depending on the partner. Travel agents are eligible to earn commission on any type of travel experiences, though many agents focus on 3-star or higher hotels, along with villas, cruises and tour operators. You can also earn money through planning fees. Learn more about how travel agents get paid.
As an independent travel advisor, you’ll have a flexible schedule for earning. Whether you’re home-based or traveling, or if you’re working full-time or part-time, you can set your travel agent job schedule to whatever aligns best with your lifestyle.
How do I grow my business as a travel agent in Illinois?
Build your client base: As a travel agent, this is where creativity and customer service skills come in. Clients can be found via your personal network, often starting with your friends and family. You may decide to leverage email marketing and social media to showcase your services and attract clients. At Fora, we offer marketing training as part of our program. Fora Advisors also have access to a suite of marketing tools, including a Fora profile that functions as a website, social media and email templates and more. Learn more about how we help travel advisors build their book of business.
Network: You can also attend travel industry events, trade shows and conferences to network with other travel professionals to level up your knowledge and build your travel advisor business. We offer both online and in-person networking events through Fora, including Live Forum, our annual conference. We’ve also launched local chapters in select cities throughout the United States (with more to come). One of our local chapters is in Chicago, Illinois. Fora Chapters offer local advisors the chance to connect, network, visit hotels and talk all things travel.
How to become a travel agent in Illinois
The first step to become an independent travel agent is to join a host agency. Through Fora, you will get all the training, tools & community you need to succeed as a travel agent. Apply to join today to turn your skills into a fulfilling and flexible career.
More FAQs about becoming a travel agent in Illinois
Where do travel agents work? How can I become a travel agent from home?
Some travel agents in the tourism industry work in an office, but Fora Advisors can work from anywhere. To get started, all you need is a passion for travel, a WiFi connection and a can-do attitude — and a few potential clients in your network doesn’t hurt either. As part of joining Fora, you will be an independent contractor, which means that you can set up your own business the way you want to.
What types of travel can I book as a Fora Advisor?
When starting your travel business, some Fora Advisors focus solely on booking hotels, while others offer full itinerary planning for domestic and international travel, including on-the-ground experiences (tours, activities, transportation…). In addition to hotels, advisors can book villas, cruises, yacht charters, vacation packages, all-inclusives, car rentals, travel insurance, private aviation and room blocks (for example, a destination wedding room block). Learn more about the types of bookings you can make as a Fora Advisor.
Where do travel advisors book trips to?
All over! You name it, they book it. Fora Advisors book travel to Italy (a community favorite), Costa Rica, Montana, all around the Caribbean, Australia and beyond. No destination is off-limits (yes, Fora Advisors even book travel to Antarctica). Our training programs cover different types of travel planning at length — from cruise lines to international travel and luxury travel, as well as deep dives on different destinations.
What kinds of travel partnerships does Fora have?
Throughout our decades-long relationships in the tourism industry, Fora has partnered with more than 6,000 hotels, meaning our advisors have access to exclusive upgrades & perks at top properties around the world (and they can book over 125,500 hotels via our integrated booking platform). Our preferred partnerships include prestigious collections including Virtuoso, Four Seasons, Rosewood and more. We work with both high-end luxury partners as well as lifestyle boutique partners in the travel industry.
How do Fora Advisors get paid?
Fora travel advisors get paid by earning commissions from their clients' trips — usually from hotel and travel bookings. Travel partners typically pay the agent 10 to 15 percent of the total cost, but sometimes more (depending on the brand and type of partner). You can also earn money by charging a planning fee.
Unlike at other agencies in the travel industry (where travel advisors frequently have to chase their own commission), we're proud to offer a full-service, backend commission-management department. The process is seamless, but don't just take our word for it: hear directly from Fora Advisor Amna Ismail in this article from TravelAge West.
What resources are available to me as a travel agent in Illinois?
Fora offers a one-stop shop for everything you need to launch your business as a travel advisor: community, training, partnerships, marketing tools, technology and payments. Online, you have access to our community app, Forum, to stay on top of travel trends and get answers to your questions about travel services, tour operators, partnerships, marketing strategies and more. If you’re based in Chicago, you can connect with our local Chicago chapter to network with other advisors and travel professionals. (We have chapters coming in more U.S.-based cities soon).
How much does Fora's subscription plan cost?
We charge advisors a monthly ($49) or annual ($299) subscription fee, which includes the cost of Fora’s technology platforms, certified training, admin support and our community app. We’ll set you up with everything you need to succeed, from your first booking to 1,000th and beyond.
How do I get started?
Sign up! Enter your email on this page and you’ll be prompted to complete a detailed survey on your travel style and experience. We’ll be in touch with next steps from there.
From training to tech, community and more, Fora is a one-stop shop to build your business as a travel advisor. Learn more and become a Fora Advisor today.
