TORONTO — Travel agency owners and managers already strapped for staff don’t just need employees.

They need trained agents who can hit the ground running and sell product knowledgeably, and effectively.

It’s a tall order, stemming from a labour shortage that travel retailers have been grappling with for years, exacerbated by the retirement of more and more senior travel advisors (as well as the ramp-up in travel demand post-pandemic).

The need for new travel advisors coming into the industry has never been greater.

And increasingly retailers are taking matters into their own hands, developing training programs for new-to-industry agents.

Some programs have been around for years. Training newcomers is one of many tasks for Rhonda Stanley, who’s led the New Agent Program at The Travel Agent Next Door as VP, Talent Development for a decade now.

Other programs are brand new.

Just last week, the CAA Club Group of Companies (CCG) announced it will launch the CCG Travel Academy this spring, to help bridge the skills gap.

Also last week, TRAVELSAVERS Canada announced it is introducing its KORE educational program to the Canadian market.

IMPACT ON TRAVEL AGENCY GROWTH

ACTA President Wendy Paradis tells Travelweek that although the retail travel industry’s labour shortage has improved over the past years, the feedback Paradis hears from ACTA members is that “the lack of skilled labour is still one of the most critical issues impacting travel agency growth.”

ACTA President Wendy Paradis

Years ago, travel and tourism programs at local colleges aimed specifically at travel agent training were plentiful. That’s no longer the case, says Paradis.

“ACTA collaborates with many colleges across Canada. Over the past decade we have seen a dramatic shift from specific travel advisor programs to more generalized travel and tourism programs. Some community colleges still offer a few ‘travel agent’-related subjects within their curriculum. With colleges and universities now predominantly offering generalized travel and tourism courses, there is a notable gap in specific training for travel agents,” she says.

In 2019, ACTA developed its own educational program. In consultation with members, ACTA updated the national occupational standards for the travel advisor profession and developed an online course called Travel Agent Essentials.

Available in both English and French, the course offers step-by-step training tailored specifically for new entrants to the industry. ACTA also developed an employment and independent travel advisor matching program for graduates of the Travel Agent Essentials program.

Many ACTA members, travel agencies and host agencies are tapping into ACTA’s Travel Advisor Essentials Program to train new travel agencies or have developed their own training program specific to their needs, says Paradis.

She adds: “Our members are also telling us that they are seeing great interest from individuals interested in becoming a travel advisor part-time or as a second career.”

“IT IS CHALLENGING TO MEET EXPECTATIONS”

Travelweek also reached out to CAA and TRAVELSAVERS Canada, to find out more about their new educational programs.

CAA’s CCG Travel Academy is a paid two-month program that will run twice in 2024 and then quarterly in 2025 onward, and includes a mix of classroom education and on-the-job training. New hires will automatically join the Academy that is scheduled closest to their hire date.

Catherine Sieniewicz, VP, Travel and Retail, CAA Club Group of Companies, says the company’s top priority is always to deliver exceptional service to CAA members. “While our Associates have been working diligently to deliver on that, it is challenging to meet expectations when you have a shortage of people. We hope that this plan will really help build the bench strength we  need to maintain the level of care and service that we are known for.”

Asked about the goals for CAA’s new program, Sieniewicz said the company is hoping to recruit and train close to 20 new Associates in the Academy during the first year.

“This is a completely new approach for us at CAA Club Group of Companies,” she adds. “We are a leader in Associate training and development, delivering hundreds of in-house courses every year. What makes this different is that we aren’t only training on our approach, processes and systems but also industry knowledge so that someone with zero experience can learn from the ground up.”

Catherine Sieniewicz, VP, Travel and Retail, CAA Club Group of Companies

“THE ART OF SELLING”

Jane Clementino, SVP and General Manager of TRAVELSAVERS Canada, tells Travelweek that agency owners talking not just about getting new entrants into the industry, but also ensuring those entrants are trained in a way that addresses the specific needs of the Canadian market, especially as consumer demand for travel professionals has increased post-pandemic.

“We hear two different reasons for labour requirements,” Clementino tells Travelweek. “First is the need to replace advisor positions that are vacant due to the changes that occurred during the pandemic. The second need is the desire to have their business grow.”

Demand continues to be strong and resources are limited, “so the work-life juggle continues,” she adds. “That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce KORE, in hopes that this valuable education tool can fill this gap in the travel trade industry.”

KORE connects unaffiliated students with personal mentors who are agency owners and managers. It even offers post-graduation job placement. KORE launched in the U.S. in 2021 and is now coming to Canada.

Clementino likes that KORE is a fully digital college-level platform with a self-paced curriculum. “Whether you’re new to the industry, an individual looking for a career change, or an agency owner looking to brush up on important skills or train new staff – KORE is a valuable educational tool that can be used across the board in the travel trade,” she says.

KORE participants get access to a personal mentor “who’s a well-versed travel expert,” a certificate of completion and material that’s been fine-tuned by industry professionals for the needs of the Canadian market.

She also likes the time-efficiency aspect of the program. KORE takes about 135 hours to complete.

Existing TRAVELSAVERS affiliate agencies can enlist not only new recruits to complete the KORE program, but also any staff who might be interested in brushing up on their skills in the evolving industry of travel, says Clementino. “We’ve also seen a great interest in agency owners looking to be a part of the mentorship program in Canada,” she adds.

Travelweek asked both Clementino and Sieniewicz for their take on the three most important skills for a travel advisor, at any level.

“The art of selling, geography, and learning and adopting new technologies, inclusive of AI,” says Clementino.

An affinity for technology is on Sieniewicz’s list too. “Exceptional customer service skills, an ability to leverage and navigate technology, and problem-solving skills,” she says.

Jane Clementino, Senior VP and GM of TRAVELSAVERS Canada

This story appears in the April 11, 2024 issue of Travelweek; click here.