Welcome to our selection of the best travel agent schools in Iowa.
Travel agents find and arrange the best trip options for their clients by sorting through vast amounts of information.
They may also visit destinations to get firsthand experience with the destinations they recommend to clients.
If you want to turn your passion for travel into a rewarding profession, you should consider becoming a travel agent.
This profession is projected to grow 2 percent across the nation over the next decade.
Salaries in this line of work vary depending on a wide range of factors, including experience and the region of employment.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, travel agents in Iowa earned $48,250 on average per year.
Although you don’t need a formal state license, college degree, or government certification to work as a travel agent in Iowa, professional credits can help you build industry credibility.
Training programs are available in-person as well as online.
Your training will typically prepare you for tasks such as:
- Arranging travel for business and vacations
- Determining clients’ schedules and budgets
- Finding fare and schedule information
- Booking reservations
- Giving details on required documents
- And more
Most programs can be completed in less than a year.
We encourage you to read our list of the best travel agent schools in Iowa.
#1Des Moines Area Community College
About the School
Des Moines Area Community College offers Travel Agent training that covers essential industry knowledge, including travel foundations and geography.
The curriculum also includes air travel, technology tools, and professional skills.
The 100-hour program can be completed fully online and costs $2,299.
The cost covers the exam fee.
Students are also introduced to Travefy and receive a 12-month subscription to the platform.
The program gives them the opportunity to review all international and domestic travel destinations that are most likely to be recommended and sold to clients.
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- Introduction to the Travel Industry
- Professional Skills
- Basic Geography
- International Travel
- Transportation, Accommodations and Vacations
- Career Development
- Sales and Marketing
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1111 East Army Post Road, Suite 2004, Des Moines, IA 50315
- Phone: 855.520.6806
- Website: https://careertraining.dmacc.edu
#2The Travel Institute
About the School
The Travel Institute offers a Certified Travel Associate program that is available completely online.
The program can be completed by students at their own pace.
The certification is designed for working travel advisors who want to build credibility, improve client relationships, strengthen sales skills, and grow their business.
Students gain foundational cruise knowledge to help advisors understand cruise categories, itineraries, destinations, client matching, and positioning strategies.
The program explores new approaches to positioning and recommending today’s all-inclusive vacation experiences.
The institute also offers a North America: A Destination Specialist Course that costs $89.
This course covers the depth and variety of attractions and experiences in the United States and Canada.
The curriculum includes the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the South, the Great Lakes, the Great Plains, Hawaii, Alaska, and Western Canada, and more.
Courses Offered
The Certified Travel Associate curriculum includes:
- Business ethics
- Business writing skills
- Customer service
- The art of listening and communications
- Time management
- Understanding customer needs
- Planning itineraries
- Selling cruises
- Touring the world
- Selling special interest travel
- Travel insurance
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 945 Concord St, Framingham, MA 01701
- Phone: 800.542.4282
- Website: https://www.thetravelinstitute.com
#3Iowa Western
About the School
Iowa Western offers Travel Agent training that covers essential industry knowledge, including travel foundations and geography, air travel, technology tools, and professional skills.
The 100-hour program can be completed fully online and costs $2,255.
The cost covers the exam fee.
During their training, students are also introduced to Travefy and receive a 12-month subscription to the platform.
The program gives them the opportunity to review all international and domestic travel destinations that are most likely to be recommended and sold to clients.
Graduates become prepared with everything they need to know about the travel industry, including airline and ground transportation, hotels and resorts, cruises, tours, specialty travel, and more.
By course completion, students gain a deep understanding of both travel and tourism to help clients research, plan, and book their trips.
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- Introduction to the Travel Industry
- Professional Skills
- Basic Geography
- International Travel
- Transportation, Accommodations and Vacations
- Career Development
- Sales and Marketing
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 2700 College Road, Council Bluffs, IA 51503
- Phone: 855.520.6806
- Website: https://careertraining.iwcc.edu
#4University of Northern Iowa
About the School
The University of Northern Iowa offers a Tourism Certificate that gives students the opportunity to explore the tourism industry and how they can be a part of it.
The certificate gives students insights into the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.
It includes a broad knowledge of its history and development and the role of marketing, planning, and management within it.
Courses Offered
The certificate requires 12 semester hours of coursework and has various options to choose from.
Students might take courses such as:
- Foundations in Tourism
- Marketing in Recreation, Tourism and Nonprofit Leadership
- Special Events Management
- Community-Based Tourism
- Foundations of the Nonprofit Sector
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1227 W 27th St, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614
- Phone: 319-273-2311
- Website: https://coe.uni.edu
#5Kirkwood Community College
About the School
Kirkwood Community College offers a Hospitality Management program that helps students develop leadership skills in the hospitality industry.
The course prepares students for careers in different sectors of service, including tourism, hotel operations, food and beverage management, event planning, sales and marketing, and more.
Courses Offered
Students learn:
- How to manage and coordinate staff and operations in various hotel departments
- Coaching techniques to successfully train various line-level positions in rooms and food and beverage divisions
- Calculate and interpret fundamental hospitality cost bases
- Assess forecasting and revenue generation data
- Demonstrate appropriate sanitation and safety knowledge
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404
- Phone: 319-398-5411
- Website: https://www.kirkwood.edu
#6Iowa State University
About the School
Iowa State University offers a Hospitality Management program that prepares students for a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in hospitality management.
The program is the only four-year hospitality program in the State of Iowa and prepares undergraduate students with essential principles of managing a variety of hospitality organizations.
Students also develop expertise in:
- Food/beverage management
- Lodging management
- Senior living management
- Tourism and attractions
Students participate in internships locally, nationally, and internationally with a range of hotels, restaurants, caterers, theme parks, sports facilities, and more.
Students are required to have a total of at least 800 hours of relevant work experience prior to graduation.
Of the 800 hours, 200 hours are required before completing one year of the program.
Contact Information
- Address: 2433 Union Drive, Ames, IA 50011-2042
- Phone: 515-294-5836
- Website: https://www.iastate.edu
#7Iowa Travel Industry Partners
About the School
Iowa Travel Industry Partners is Iowa’s statewide association dedicated to connecting, supporting, and advocating for the tourism and hospitality industry.
ITIP brings together tourism professionals from across the state to connect, learn, advocate, and grow stronger together.
Courses Offered
Participants have the opportunity to learn, collaborate, and engage with Iowa’s tourism industry.
These include:
- Webinar: Translating Tourism Metrics Into What Matters to a Local Teacher
- Advocacy 101: Legislative Training Day
- iDiscover: Learn, Grow, Connect
Contact Information
- Address: PO Box 1173, Burlington, Iowa 52601
- Phone: 515-207-0009
- Website: https://iowatravelindustry.org
#8Liberty University
About the School
Liberty University provides a Travel Agent training course designed to equip students with basic skills needed to become travel agents and prepare for the Travel Agent Proficiency exam.
Students gain a comprehensive overview of the travel industry and develop key professional skills, study basic, international, and destination geography, as well as the fundamentals of international and air travel.
This course introduces students to Travefy, a leading platform for travel advisors.
Students receive a 12-month subscription to the platform and learn how to begin creating and managing itineraries, proposals, and client communications effectively.
The course also covers current technologies and AI tools while guiding students through core transportation concepts, career development strategies, and sales and marketing principles.
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- Introduction to the Travel Industry
- Professional Skills
- Basic/International Geography
- Destination Geography
- Introduction to Air Travel
- Career Development
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 1971 University Blvd, Lynchburg, VA 24515
- Phone: (434) 582-2000
- Website: https://www.liberty.edu
#9The Knowledge Academy
About the School
The Knowledge Academy offers an online Travel Agent training program.
The academy has more than 10 years of experience in quality, instructor-led training and prepares students for the roles, responsibilities, and skills needed to succeed in the travel industry.
The curriculum covers itinerary planning, booking systems, customer service, travel regulations, destination knowledge, and professional travel planning practices.
Students learn strategies to provide exceptional customer service.
They acquire proficiency in using booking systems for efficient planning.
The program covers training in travel destinations, products, and services.
The following training options are available:
- Online Instructor-Led Learning
- Online Self-Paced Learning
- Onsite Learning
Courses Offered
Course outline includes:
- Travel Industry
- International Travel
- Domestic Air Travel
- Destination Geography
- Ground Transportation
- How to Market Yourself as a Travel Professional
- Offering Travel Agent Services
- Professional Skills
- Customer Service Skills
Contact Information
- Phone: 720.445.4674
- Website: https://www.theknowledgeacademy.com
#10Travel Agent Academy
About the School
The Travel Agent Academy offers training designed to help students learn and retain information in fun and interactive ways.
Students earn Travel Institute CEU Credits.
The courses are compatible with an iOS tablet and allow students to learn from anywhere, on their own time, at their own pace.
Courses Offered
The course catalog includes classes such as:
- AAT Kings A-Listers Program & Agent Academy
- Le Programme Spécialiste Air France et Film
- Become a Houston Travel Pro
- Oasis Hotels and Resorts Essentials Expert Program
- Lopesan Specialist Program
- Greece Specialist Program
- Visit Florida Rewards Program
- Air France and KLM Specialist Program
- Baja California Specialist Program
- Choice Hotels’ Masterclass
- Costa Rica Specialist Program
- Dominican Republic Specialist
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070
- Website: https://www.travelagentacademy.com
Schools Summary Table
Travel Agent Average Salary in Iowa
Estimated Earnings Range:| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
|
$30K
|
|
|
$48K
|
|
|
$74K
|
Travel Agent Salary by Metro Area in Iowa
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 60 | $48,120 | $23.13 | $69,370 | $29,760 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 130 | $51,560 | $24.79 | $85,870 | $30,750 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
Final Thoughts
If you want to start a career as a travel agent in Iowa, the schools included in our list can help you earn the professional credits that will provide you with more credibility as an entry-level worker in this profession.
Before deciding what program works best for you, we encourage you to complete thorough research and choose the program that best suits your lifestyle.
