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Studies & Degrees in Travel Agency

Travel agency studies prepare people to plan, sell and manage trips for others. A travel agent advises clients on destinations, puts together itineraries, books transport and accommodation, calculates fares and deals with changes and complaints. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) sums the job up as selling transportation, lodging and entertainment activities to individuals and groups planning trips.

Courses combine knowledge of the tourism sector with practical skills. Students learn about air, rail, road and sea transport, accommodation, package holidays, the rules that apply to travel agencies, sales techniques and customer service. They also practise with reservation systems such as Amadeus. Longer programmes add event organisation, marketing, foreign languages and the management of an agency.

Qualifications and levels

  • Vocational training (FP) in Spain. The official qualification is the Técnico Superior en Agencias de Viajes y Gestión de Eventos, a higher-level cycle of 2,000 hours in the Hostelería y Turismo family. Students learn to plan and offer package holidays, to organise services for congresses, conventions and fairs, and to reserve tourism services, calculate fares and issue vouchers. C.E.S. Santa María de los Ángeles in Málaga, for example, teaches it over two academic years in dual mode, with part of the training in companies. Access requires the Bachiller, a related intermediate cycle or an entrance test.
  • University degrees. Travel agency work is also one of the outlets of a bachelor's degree in tourism. In Spain an official bachelor's degree (grado) has 240 ECTS credits. In Barcelona, the Escola Universitària de Turisme i Direcció Hotelera, attached to the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, offers degrees in tourism, tourism in English and hotel management, and EU Mediterrani offers a Grado en Turismo & Tecnologías Digitales.
  • Short and online courses. Private training centres run shorter courses that end with the centre's own certificate. Edisur Multimedia in Granada has a travel agency course of about 600 hours, taught on site or online, in which students work with the Amadeus system. Innovtur offers online courses for travel agencies, including Amadeus training. Before enrolling, ask the school what recognition its certificate has.
  • United Kingdom. According to the National Careers Service, people enter the job through a college course in travel and tourism, through a Travel Consultant Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, which takes around one year, or by starting as a trainee travel agent with on-the-job training.

Where to study it

The SpainExchange directory lists 20 schools for this subject: 16 in Spain, two in the United Kingdom, one in the United States and one in Argentina. In Spain they include vocational schools such as C.E.S. Santa María de los Ángeles in Málaga and IES Puerto de la Cruz – Telesforo Bravo in Tenerife, university schools of tourism in Barcelona, and private centres in Madrid, Granada, Vigo, San Sebastián, Almería and Valencia. Cornwall College is one of the British entries and the Universidad de Belgrano in Buenos Aires is the Argentine one.

Spanish schools teach in Spanish, and foreign languages are part of the curriculum because agents deal with suppliers and clients abroad. The official cycle includes professional English and a second foreign language. Students who want to study in English can look at the British schools or at tourism degrees taught in English.

Careers

Spain's vocational training portal TodoFP lists these jobs for the higher-level cycle: travel agency office manager, head of department in a travel agency, travel agent, travel consultant, event organiser and reservations clerk. Graduates work in retail and wholesale travel agencies and in agencies that specialise in incoming tourism and events.

Agents often specialise. The BLS distinguishes leisure travel agents, who sell holidays to the public and may focus on one region or type of trip, from corporate travel agents, who make travel arrangements for businesses. It notes that most travel agents work for travel agencies and that many are self-employed.

For the United States, the BLS projects little or no change in the employment of travel agents from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,900 openings each year, most of them to replace workers who leave the occupation. These figures describe the US market only.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree to become a travel agent?

Not necessarily. In the United States a high school diploma is typically required, although the BLS says employers may prefer candidates with sales experience or relevant certification or education. In Spain the specific official qualification is a vocational one, the Técnico Superior en Agencias de Viajes y Gestión de Eventos.

How long does it take to study travel agency in Spain?

The official higher-level cycle lasts 2,000 hours, taught over two academic years. Private courses are shorter, for example about 600 hours at Edisur Multimedia.

What is the difference between the official cycle and a private course?

The cycle leads to an official vocational qualification. A private course ends with the school's own certificate, sometimes together with a certificate from a reservation system such as Amadeus. Ask each school what recognition its qualification has.

Can I study travel agency online?

Yes. Several private centres teach it online, such as Innovtur and Edisur Multimedia. The official cycle includes training in companies.