The Travel Institute is again offering its dedicated TRIPKITSM Scholarship Fund, providing tuition assistance on the education leader’s award-winning new agent training program.
First launched in January 2024 in celebration of the non-profit educator’s 60th anniversary, the TRIPKIT scholarship is available during October while funds last. The Travel Institute’s 2023 Changing Face of Travel Agents survey signaled early a potential lack of educated agents, reporting 36% of travel agencies lost experienced staff during the pandemic and that 66% of advisors may soon “age out.” With new agent education now a critical industry imperative, TravelSavers1 recently reported 69% of agencies plan to hire this year but only 7% believe qualified candidates are easy to find.
“TRIPKIT fills the knowledge gap and delivers capable, confident and job-ready new agents throughout the industry,” asserted Guida Botelho, CTIE, senior director of education for The Travel Institute. “Long recognized as the industry’s gold standard, there is no doubt TRIPKIT continues to help new agents hit the ground running with the industry knowledge AND business skills they need for a successful career in travel,” Botelho continued, citing continued growing enrollment in 2024 after more than doubling average new agent enrollment in 2023.
A 2023 Magellan Award winner for agent education, TRIPKIT is an online, self-guided course supporting individuals studying independently, agency owners and managers training new staff, and post-secondary vocational institutions teaching travel-related curriculum. With an emphasis on real-world experiences, TRIPKIT provides a comprehensive overview of air, ground transportation, accommodations, cruises, tours and packages, while also showcasing other nuances in travel planning such as technology, economics, geography, cultural events, and more for both U.S.- and Canadian-based agents. In addition, along with customer service, sales, marketing, and business skills, the course also addresses travel career development, destination knowledge, and how to establish and run a home-based agency. Packing the equivalent of one college semester into a 19-lesson, self-paced timeline, TRIPKIT is an affordable, 60- to 80-hour online program vetted by college professors while also including three online textbooks and workbooks and 13 hours of expert wisdom and practical advice from industry leaders.
Lori Speers, CTC, is CEO and founder of Levarté Travel and leads a host agency that has subsidized its home-based agents’ training with TRIPKIT since 2021. “Ultimately, TRIPKIT gives you a competitive advantage in a complex and ever-changing travel industry,” Speers asserted. “We utilize TRIPKIT for our agents because it covers everything an agent needs to know about booking travel while also ensuring they have the business skills they need,” she continued.
In an industry without mandated agent education, Botelho explains, The Travel Institute’s simple but critical mission is to develop true travel professionals, enabling careers that also benefit travelers and the industry broadly through affordable, high-quality education. She encourages potential new agents to take responsibility and “read the fine print” before enrolling in any course as a new agent. “It is critical that new agents get the right training, not just training,” Botelho cautions. “There are no shortcuts to quality education for industry newcomers—they’re the future of our industry, and, if they do their homework starting out, they’ll set themselves up for industry success long-term.” Recent graduates, many of which go on to earn their Certified Travel Associate, or CTA®, agree:
- “Highly recommended! Not only did TRIPKIT provide education on the travel industry, it also provided great information on how to start a career.” –Timothy Davis, TAP graduate
- “TRIPKIT’s curriculum is well written and includes a variety of learning methods. It was extremely thorough and gave me what I needed.” –Lea Anne Ellison, TAP graduate
- “I had a fabulous experience with TRIPKIT. As someone new to the industry, it gave me a great base of knowledge to build upon.” —David Lagerblade, CTA, previous TAP graduate
- “The TRIPKIT material was fantastic. It was really in depth and prepared me for my next steps in the travel industry.” —Amy Lee, CTA, previous TAP graduate
- “TRIPKIT dips your toes into every aspect of the travel industry… It was insightful and I loved diving in!” —Karen Smith, TAP graduate
As the industry’s benchmark for newcomer training, TRIPKIT is utilized by organizations both as a standalone product and as integrated with internal, proprietary training. A turn-key, affordable and flexible educational tool, TRIPKIT uses an interactive learning platform with best-practice learning modules to help create an agent career path. TRIPKIT students finish the course with the Travel Agent Proficiency Exam, or TAP®, which evaluates mastery of industry basics and is often the first step in travel professional recognition. Recent TAP graduates are recognized on The Travel Institute website, and those looking for employment or a host are identified with a “Hire Me” link. Those exploring a career in travel or seeking a new agent training solution for their team can visit TRIPKIT to learn more. Applications for the TRIPKITSM Scholarship Fund are now being accepted; interested agents can also attend a new-to-the-industry webinar to learn more.
The Travel Institute relies on individuals and organizations to support its work to create relevant, meaningful, rigorous and affordable coursework for agents at all career stages. Donate or contact us to learn more about sponsorships in support of agent, traveler, and industry success.
