Travel Advisors Discuss Their Jobs Being Named One of the Fastest Growing Careers

The rapid pace of change across the workplace in recent years has been daunting for workers.

A series of recent reports from LinkedIn News revealed that not only do 64% of workers feel overwhelmed by the onslaught of workplace shifts, but worker confidence surrounding the ability to hold onto a job has reached historic lows.

Meanwhile, some industries and professions are experiencing tremendous growth at the moment, or something of a renaissance, in some cases. And as it turns out, the travel advisor profession is among them.

According to LinkedIn’s research, the travel advisor profession is the fifth fastest growing line of work among 25 of the quickest growing jobs in the United States.

Landing on the list (and among the top five, no less) puts travel advisors in the same company as rapidly growing fields like artificial intelligence engineer, artificial intelligence consultant, physical therapist, and workforce development manager — lines of work that ranked in slots one through four, respectively.

While the LinkedIn article doesn’t delve into what makes travel advisor jobs such a hot commodity right now, it does identify some of the tasks that come with the profession (in case you’re considering a career change), noting that “Travel advisors help plan and book travel arrangements — including transportation, accommodations and activities — based on clients’ preferences and budgets.”

The most common skills required to be a travel advisor, according to LinkedIn, include: travel planning, travel writing, and social media marketing. And the most common industries where travel advisors are employed include travel arrangements, hospitality, and insurance.

LinkedIn research also reveals that most travel advisor jobs can be found in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. The travel advisor field is also dominated by women: It’s currently 80 percent female and 20 percent male.

These LinkedIn insights merely scratch the surface, however, when it comes to the travel advisor profession and its powerful growth. The bigger question inspired by the ranking, perhaps, is what makes travel advisor such an appealing career at this moment in time? What is attracting people to the job in droves? And beyond that, what do individuals who are already in the field think about the ranking? To answer some of those additional questions, we reached out to travel advisors across the country.

A travel advisor working on her computer. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/M-Production)

Travel Advisor: A Ramp off the Corporate Ladder and a Second-Act Career

Three-and-a-half years ago, Winnie Atterbury O’Keefe established Whimsie Luxury Travel, a New Jersey-based company, as a second career after leaving her job as a publicist to have children. The company she founded focuses on creating personalized travel experiences — everything from girls' getaways to multi-generational adventures and luxury African safaris. 

Now a few years into her endeavor, Atterbury O’Keefe says she's truly grown to love being an advisor, a transition she says was a natural fit thanks to her background in client relations and her keen eye for detail.

Atterbury O’Keefe also has plenty of thoughts about why so many are drawn to the job.


“I think the travel industry is a very attractive ‘second career’ for those of us who hopped off the corporate ladder to raise kids and want to hop back into the workforce,” says Atterbury O’Keefe.

“The fact that I can work from my laptop anywhere in the world and have a thriving business is very attractive to me — and many others,” adds Atterbury O’Keefe.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the realities the deadly virus laid bare, may also be playing a role in the immense popularity of the travel advisor career choice.

“I think the pandemic made many of us realize how fragile life can be -- hence the incredible demand for travel post pandemic,” adds Atterbury O’Keefe.

Atterbury O’Keefe’s second-act career as a travel advisor is hardly unique. Many of the travel advisors interviewed for this story entered the profession after working in other industries. Jeff Powell, a pastor for 45 years in the Mississippi and Georgia region, is among them.

Powell retired at 63-years-old from religious service and founded Smoky Mountains Ventures Custom Travel Planning.

“I'm not surprised at the rising number of travel advisors. Many people find themselves exhausted and frustrated by corporate America,” says Powell. “They are seeking a life that offers freedom, adventure, and fun. And they genuinely want to help people. The travel industry provides all those things.”

Powell also echoes Atterbury O’Keefe’s sentiments regarding the perks and benefits of the job.

“There are a lot of advantages to pursuing a career as a travel advisor,” he continues. “I get to be my own boss and work from home in the mountains while sitting in front of a roaring fire with my dogs. My hours are flexible and I'm doing something I am passionate about.”

Autonomy, Autonomy, Autonomy…

In 2012, Adam Duckworth took a leap of faith. He left the agency where he'd been working, driven by feelings that the agency's processes and approach were outdated. Duckworth went on to launch the national travel agency Travelmation, a business of his own that was decidedly more innovative.

“I saw it as an opportunity to build something new that embraced the digital age,” Duckworth told TravelPulse. “We focused on social media and put together a team of advisors who could help transform the business away from brick and mortar and into our home computers.”

Today, Duckworth watches with pride as new advisors continue to join Travelmation, a company that provides each new advisor with the tools to learn the travel world and to market themselves to prospective clients. After that, the sky's the limit.

Like others, Duckworth is hardly surprised by the growth of the profession. An increasing number of people are realizing the value of becoming a travel advisor — people who want to control their lives and their careers, explains Duckworth. Working as a travel advisor is one of the few professions where that can happen.

“Being a travel advisor gives you complete autonomy,” says Duckworth. “Travel advisors are free to run their own business and have the power to decide where, when and how often they want to work. What other profession allows you that flexibility?”

In the case of Travelmation, for instance, advisors work completely remotely, which allows them to operate from anywhere they choose. At the same time, advisors can travel for pleasure or for business whenever they want, and continue working along the way if they're so inclined.

“I often see photos of our advisors laying by the pool in a beautiful location and booking trips. This is truly a business unlike any other,” he says.

An Industry Renaissance

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the travel advisor industry. After the rise of the internet decades ago, OTAs like Expedia, Travelocity, HotelPlanner and more began eating away at travel agency business. And for several years, travel advisors became less relevant or necessary.

“The travel advisor industry hit a major decline with the insurgence of the internet. Destinations that were once extremely difficult to research suddenly became available at the click of a button. Travelers realized that they didn't need a professional when they had the information at their fingertips,” says Mary Helen Law, founder and luxury travel specialist with Law Luxury Travel.

But more recently, that development has come full circle. There’s so much information available online these days, it’s downright overwhelming. And few consumers want to spend the time sorting through it all.

“Twenty years later, the internet is now inundated with information, and in many ways, it's oversaturated. Consumers have to search through hundreds of thousands of web pages and reviews in order to gather information to put together a trip,” says Law. “Lack of time and interest in spending hours combing through the internet has consumers reverting to travel professionals for trusted travel advice. This, in turn, has led to a growth in the industry.”

Add to that the global coronavirus pandemic, which made traveling to various destinations more complex as new entry rules and regulations emerged, and suddenly, travel advisors were once again a hot commodity. That demand continues full steam ahead.

Delivering Joy in an Increasingly Complex World

Autonomy, flexibility, and the oversaturation of information online are some of the primary reasons why the travel advisor profession is flourishing. But Jason Block, CEO of WorldVia Travel Group, a company that employs more than 2,000 travel advisors, adds one last suggestion to the mix when it comes to the current growth trajectory: Changing world dynamics.

“In an increasingly complex and divided world, travel provides an escape and an opportunity to experience joy, enlightenment, and connection,” suggests Block. “Being part of an industry that delivers these transformative experiences is naturally appealing to many.”

And in a complex world, being a part of the travel advisor community is rewarding in its own way for the advisors themselves. “This career fosters meaningful connections with like-minded individuals, creating a supportive and inspiring network that adds even more value to the profession,” says Block.

Don't miss part two in this special series: Becoming a Travel Advisor: Tips And Misconceptions

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