How To Select A Gay Travel Agency - Part I

How to Select A Gay Travel Agency Part I
What Makes A Good Travel Agent?

With so much riding on making your vacation successful it's important to choose a travel agency that is the right match for your travel needs. Just like with any specialists there are niches that each agency excels in. Today's Travel Agents have an expertise in World Travel and Tourism. Many have professional certificates issued through trade schools and colleges that offer courses specializing in the Travel Industry. Many Agents have been certified by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) where they earn accreditation as a Certified Travel Counselors (CTC). It’s important to find a Travel Agency that is an accredited member of the ASTA.

When selecting a cruise, it’s important to work with a Travel Agency that is an expert in the Cruise Industry. One way to tell whether an Agency is a qualified Cruise Representative is to see if they belong to the CLIA (Cruise Line International Association) www.cruising.org, the industry association that specializes in the training of Cruise Specialists. CLIA offers course work toTravel Agents to certify them as CLIA Accredited Cruise Counselors. Cruise Lines also offer Travel Agents training in their product, helping them to better qualify which cruise will be the perfect fit for your personality and needs.

To be accredited by these associations Agents have spent years of education attending classes and seminars, familiarizing themselves with cruise ships by visiting ships while they are in port and cruising with a variety of cruise lines to best acquaint themselves with the products that they are promoting to you.

The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Agency (IGLTA), www.iglta.org, represents the Gay Travel and Tourism Industry. They are the watchdogs for LGBT traveler. If you want to work with the best Gay Travel Agency it’s important to select one that is a member or is an affiliate of of the IGLTA. The IGLTA rates Airlines, Accommodations, Cruise Lines and Rental Cars Agencies on their support of the LGBT community.

The HRC, www.hrc.org, also provides LGBT Travelers with a list of HRC endorsed travel partners, partners whom the HRC has deemed friends of our community.