Travel agency managers oversee the day-to-day running of retail travel outlets, promoting and selling a range of holidays and travel services and products
As a travel agency manager, you may manage a small independent business or part of a large chain. Some agencies specialise in business travel or offer a detailed knowledge of specific locations or travel products.
Responsibilities usually include the daily operational management of the travel agency, sales targets and development, staffing and financial management.
You'll need to ensure the agency delivers specialist, professional travel advice and offers a good range of competitive travel products to meet the demands of the customer. This will usually include an online booking service and tailor-made trips.
Working as a travel agency manager
As a travel agency manager, you'll undertake a range of activities in several areas of the business, including:
Office and team management
You'll need to:
- oversee the smooth and efficient day-to-day running of the travel agency, including administration, operations and budget management
- measure the financial performance and productivity of your staff and identify areas for improvement
- oversee the recruitment, development and retention of staff, as well as payroll matters, staff training and disciplinary matters
- organise incentives, bonus schemes and competitions
- meet regularly with team leaders to share sales figures and plan work, and meet company directors to discuss strategy, local issues and future trends.
Sales and targets
You'll typically be expected to:
- sell travel products and tour packages, providing a personalised service to customers face-to-face, online and over the phone to encourage repeat business
- understand your customers' travel needs and provide tailored holiday recommendations and advice, keeping up to date with the latest travel and holiday trends
- source products and destinations to meet consumer demands for bespoke travel and sustainable tourism, taking part in familiarisation visits to new destinations to gather information on local facilities and services
- liaise with travel partners, including airlines, hotels, cruise liners and tour operators, to manage bookings and schedules, often a year in advance
- lead and motivate the sales team to achieve and exceed their sales targets and ensure company profitability, providing sales reports to head office and implementing sales strategies to maximise profitability.
Marketing and promotion
You will also need to:
- promote and market the business, sometimes to new or niche markets, implementing new and innovative ideas for attracting business
- develop local marketing initiatives and campaigns to increase sales
- develop relationships with customers and suppliers
- attend events and conferences.
How much does a travel agency manager earn?
- Full-time, entry-level base salaries for travel agency managers are typically £25,000 to £30,000, depending on the size and type of agency, location and market.
- Experienced travel agency managers can expect to earn base salaries of between £30,000 and £40,000.
- Senior managers can earn base salaries of £40,000 to £60,000 or more, particularly in London-based agencies or larger travel chains.
Salaries vary between agencies, with larger chains often paying more. Commission, performance bonuses and other incentives can increase overall earnings, and travel discounts or concessions are also common.
Income figures are intended as a guide only.
How many hours does a travel agency manager work?
Working hours usually include a Saturday, which is classed as a normal working day. You'll typically have to coordinate cover over seven days a week, on a five-day day rota system. Part-time work is often an option.
You may occasionally need to work evenings when attending promotions and conferences.
If you're working at a contact centre, shift work will usually be required.
What qualifications does a travel agency manager need?
Although you don't need a degree, HND or foundation degree to become a travel agency manager, subjects that include travel, business and management modules can be beneficial, particularly if they include a practical work placement.
The following subjects may increase your chances:
- business, marketing and financial management
- business with languages
- human geography
- social, economic or business studies
- travel, tourism and leisure studies.
Employers look for relevant managerial and travel-related experience. It's usual to start in a junior role, such as travel agency clerk or travel consultant, before moving into a management role.
Some large travel companies offer graduate training programmes. As part of the programme, you may spend time working in a retail travel agency, but your permanent role is likely to be in a specialist business function, often based at head office or another company location, including overseas.
Hays Travel offers a New to Travel training scheme for people with targeted sales and management experience from any sector, who want to move into travel agency management.
Entry into a retail travel agency without a higher education qualification is possible. You'll usually need GCSEs in maths and English, as well as experience in travel and tourism.
It's also possible to take a Level 3 Travel Consultant apprenticeship. Travel apprenticeships are typically offered by large companies such as TUI Group and Hays Travel, combining paid work with part-time study and on-the-job training.
Find out more about travel and tourism courses.
Travel Weekly, in partnership with ABTA (the trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry), have produced a useful guide to careers in the travel and tourism industry. Find out more at Take off in Travel.
Key skills for a travel agency manager
You'll need to have:
- communication, interpersonal and customer service skills to understand customers' needs, give clear travel advice and build strong relationships
- sales, negotiation and commercial skills to meet sales targets, negotiate with suppliers and maximise the agency's profitability
- leadership and people management skills to motivate, develop and manage staff and support the performance of your team
- organisation and attention to detail to manage bookings, schedules, budgets and customer information accurately
- problem-solving and decision-making skills to deal with customer queries and concerns, booking issues and unexpected changes to travel arrangements
- travel industry knowledge to keep up to date with destination information, products and trends, including developments such as sustainable tourism.
Travel agency management work experience
Some relevant degree courses include a placement year option. This provides the opportunity to gain practical experience, increase your skills and develop a network of contacts. There may also be options to undertake shorter placements during your course.
Vacation or part-time work in a sales and/or customer service role is valuable. Experience of foreign travel (for example, as part of a gap year or summer placement) can also enhance your application. Foreign language skills are useful for communicating with international customers and overseas businesses.
Relevant management experience in other areas of the leisure or tourism industry, such as hotels or airlines, is likely to increase your chances.
Experience in a marketing, retail or IT role is also beneficial.
Student membership of the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT) is available for students on a recognised travel and tourism course and provides good networking opportunities.
Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.
Who employs travel agency managers?
Most brand-name travel agents are owned by a small number of large groups, some of which have grown through mergers in recent years.
However, there are also independent and specialist agencies, ranging from small businesses to companies with branches across the UK. These may focus on particular destinations or types of holidays, such as golf or sailing. Check the list of members on the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) website to get an idea of typical employers.
Online travel bookings play a significant role in the industry, creating opportunities across different areas of online travel management. You can search for members of ABTA.
Self-employment is also possible, particularly if you specialise in tailored or niche travel services. Online platforms have also created more opportunities for independent travel businesses.
Travel television channels and shopping platforms may also offer employment opportunities.
Look for job vacancies at:
You can also check websites of travel agencies, companies and tour operators.
Specialist recruitment agencies such as C&M Travel Recruitment and Travel Trade Recruitment also handle vacancies.
Vacancies are also advertised on LinkedIn.
If you're interested in home-based or self-employed travel career opportunities, the TTG Homeworking Hub provides information on homeworking agencies and business models.
Where can a career as a travel agency manager lead?
You may start as a sales or travel consultant, before progressing after a few years to senior consultant or team leader, and then into branch or travel agency management. In larger companies, you may move into regional management, or into other areas of the business such as operations, sales or marketing. You may need to change employer or location to progress.
Training usually takes place on the job, although larger employers may offer structured training programmes. You may also undertake training in areas such as digital marketing, customer service, coaching and mentoring. ABTA and the Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT) encourage continuing professional development (CPD) via training from their travel industry partners, as well as a range of travel-related events and conferences.
Professional qualifications are available from organisations such as the Confederation of Tourism & Hospitality (CTH) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA). You can also undertake postgraduate study in areas such as international tourism and hospitality management. Search postgraduate courses in tourism
Experience in travel agency management can also lead to opportunities elsewhere in the wider travel and tourism industry, including with airlines, cruise companies, hotels and leisure organisations. You may also have the opportunity to work abroad, specialise in a particular type of travel or become self-employed.