Does Certification Matter?
Does Certification Matter?
For the past few weeks, we have been discussing the CTA Program and the skills you will acquire by immersing yourself in it. So, now let us ask the question you should be asking yourself: Will earning my travel industry certification by the Travel Agent Institute directly help ME?
"This course has helped increase my awareness in all areas of the travel industry and has given me so much confidence when selling that I doubled my bookings!
- Linda Ann Luizza, CTA Treasures in Travel
Highlighting and adding flavor
Let’s start with the facts: Recently we conducted an independent survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. travel agents, and these topics were included among the questions asked. The results answered our question with a resounding YES!
Certification = More Sales!
Survey findings from The Changing Face of Travel Agents, published in 2018, clearly indicate that higher sales and income are by-products of certification, especially the Certified Travel Associate (CTA®), Certified Travel Counselor (CTC®), and Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE®) designations earned through The Travel Institute. Looking at certification and specialist graduates, the average sales at the time of the survey, ranked highest to lowest, looked like this: does.
Clients Do Care!
Clients DO Care!
Recently, there has been a significant uptick in consumer media articles that spotlight the value of a Certified Travel Professional, such as in this recent Washington Post article, titled How to Find a Travel Advisor Amid the Pandemic, advising consumers to look for The Travel Institute’s Certified Travel Associate or Certified Travel Counselor designation, which is like having a college degree in travel.
Furthermore, our own statistics prove it:
More than 72,000 times consumers and travel industry colleagues have clicked to view and validate a certified graduate’s digital credential
More than 3,500 certified professionals are being found by consumers and industry partners in the consumer-facing directory.
Adding flavor
As you can see, there are many facts to answer the question: Does certification matter in our industry? Yes it does, and, at the end of the day, it’s entirely up to you to appreciate and see the value in education and certification.
We understand how challenging your life has been and continues to be. Our advice is to focus on YOU. Travel is personal and, as a result, emotional. You have a unique purpose in this industry. You are creating life experiences for clients every day. Focus on being a better version of you. And know that you have an organization that supports YOU.
The Travel Agent Institute is focused on one thing: your education. We promise to keep content relevant, affordable, and accessible. YOU are our focus in 2022 and beyond.
