If you want to turn your passion for travel into a rewarding profession and you also have good communication and organizational skills, becoming a travel agent may be the right fit for you.
There are no mandatory educational requirements to become a travel agent in Ohio.
However, you can improve your credibility and chances of getting a job in the field by completing a flexible community college program or an online training program.
Although the ability to use online resources to research vacations may limit the need for travel agents, people are expected to continue relying on their services.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, travel agents in Ohio earned $43,590 on average per year, but salaries vary depending on experience, credibility, and a variety of other factors.
A post-secondary certificate or degree program may be a good way to improve your employment and earning prospects.
Program duration varies, but 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 travel documents
- And more
We encourage you to read our list and find out more about the best travel agent schools in Ohio.
#1Ohio Travel Association
About the School
Ohio Travel Association provides the Tourism Leadership Academy that aims to offer education, resources, and networks needed to develop travel professionals for Ohio.
Tuition is $950 for OTA members and $1,055 for non-members, and it includes the full cost of materials, supplementary data, and all meals during sessions and program administration.
Courses Offered
The 2027 sessions include:
- Travel economy
- Community & Consensus Building
- Advocacy
- Niche Marketing
- Placemaking
- Empowered to lead
Students have access to mentoring and an instant network of professionals who want to succeed.
Contact Information
- Address: P.O. Box #189, Pickerington, OH 43147
- Phone: 800.896.4682
- Website: https://www.ohiotravel.org
#2Baldwin Wallace University
About the School
Baldwin Wallace University offers a hospitality, tourism and event management major.
This versatile program prepares students to become leaders in a variety of experience-oriented careers in hotels, restaurants, event venues, and destination attractions.
Courses Offered
Featured courses in this program include:
- Customer experience management in hospitality & tourism
- Facility & event management
- Hospitality & tourism lodging and operations
- Hospitality & tourism marketing and sales
- Tourism in recreation and leisure
A capstone internship is a requirement of this major and provides student with hands-on experience.
Contact Information
- Address: 275 Eastland Rd. Berea, OH 44017
- Phone: (440) 826-2900
- Website: https://www.bw.edu
#3Ohio University
About the School
Ohio University offers an Ecotourism certificate program.
This interdisciplinary program focuses on promoting sustainable tourism development through a combination of environmental, economic, and sociocultural aspects of nature-based tourism.
This certificate is intended to complement other areas of study at the university and is especially relevant to students in outdoor recreation and education, restaurant, hotel, and tourism.
Courses Offered
Program courses include:
- Principles of Tourism
- Principles of ecoturism
- Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
- The Politics of Sustainability
- Introduction to entrepreneurship
- Marketing for Hospitality and Tourism
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 100 East Union St., Athens, OH 45701-2979
- Phone: 740.593.4400
- Website: https://www.ohio.edu
#4Cuyahoga Community College
About the School
Cuyahoga Community College offers a Hotel, Destination and Event Management program designed to prepare ambitious students who enjoy working with people for a career in the hospitality field.
The program offers small class sizes and individual attention from instructors.
Students learn from instructors with advanced degrees and extensive professional experience.
The following professional certificates are available:
- Lodging Room Division
- Event Planning
Students take classes such as:
- Introduction to the Hospitality Industry
- Sanitation and Safety
- Customer Service
- Event Planning Essentials
- Dimensions of Tourism
- Front Office Operations
- Independent Study in Hospitality Management
- Lodging/Tourism Field Experience
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 700 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
- Phone: 216-987-6000
- Website: https://www.tri-c.edu
#5Columbus State Community College
About the School
Columbus State Community College offers more than 250 programs.
Students can get a two-year associate degree to enter the workforce quickly.
Among many other career paths, the college offers a Hotel, Tourism, and Event Management major.
This program is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of positions in one of the largest and rapidly growing industries.
The Hotel, Tourism, and Event Management curriculum includes:
- Customer service
- Travel and tourism operations
- Lodging operations
- Meeting planning and catering services
- Computer systems
- Casino management
- Human relations
- And more
The major is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration, recognized as a quality-certified accrediting institution by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
Contact Information
- Address: 550 East Spring St., Columbus, OH 43215
- Phone: (614) 287-5353
- Website: https://www.cscc.edu
#6Monte Ahuja College of Business
About the School
Monte Ahuja College of Business offers online travel agent certification training.
The course can be completed in six months and prepares students with the essential industry knowledge to help them become fully prepared for a career in travel planning with an industry-recognized credential.
Students have six months of access to the 100 course hours.
They get a 12-month subscription to Travefy when they enroll in the program.
They become eligible for the Travel Agent Proficiency test, offered by the Travel Institute.
The program also teaches how to use Travefy’s itinerary builder and CRM software with hands-on activities.
This program costs $2,643.
Courses Offered
The syllabus includes:
- Introduction to the Travel Industry
- Professional Skills
- Basic Geography
- International Travel
- Exploring the World
- Types of Air Travel
- Career Development
- Sales and Marketing
- Technology Used in the Travel Industry
Contact Information
- Address: 2121 Euclid Avenue, BU216, Cleveland, OH 44115 US
- Phone: 855.477.9802
- Website: https://careertraining.csuohio.edu
#7The Knowledge Academy
About the School
The Knowledge Academy offers online Travel Agent training in Cincinnati.
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
#8Penn Foster
About the School
Penn Foster offers a Travel Agent training program that can be completed online in eight months.
Classes are flexible and teach students how to become a successful travel agent at their own pace.
This program costs $799.
Students prepare for entry-level jobs as travel agents in a variety of settings, including travel agencies and tour companies.
The training covers essential topics such as:
- How to arrange all modes of transportation for travel
- How to book hotels and resorts
- How to recommend popular tourist destinations
- And more
As part of the program, students sit for the Travel Agent Proficiency certification exam.
The course includes 12 courses and 21 exams.
Contact Information
- Address: 200 Hickory Street, Scranton, PA 18505
- Phone: 800-275-4410
- Website: https://www.pennfoster.edu
#9Liberty University
About the School
Liberty University offers a Travel Agent training program.
This course is 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 also introduces students to Travefy, a leading platform for travel advisors.
Learners receive a 12-month subscription and prepare 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 topics such as:
- Introduction to the Travel Industry
- Professional Skills
- Basic/International Geography
- Destination Geography
- Introduction to Air Travel
- Career Development
Contact Information
- Address: 1971 University Blvd, Lynchburg, VA 24515
- Phone: (434) 582-2000
- Website: https://www.liberty.edu
#10The Travel Institute
About the School
The Travel Institute offers a Certified Travel Associate program.
The coursework can be completed by students at their own pace, completely online.
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 covers the peaceful beaches of the Gulf to the rugged coast of the Canadian Maritime provinces and the soaring mountains and stunning national parks in the western part of the continent.
Courses Offered
The 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
Schools Summary Table
Travel Agent Average Salary in Ohio
Estimated Earnings Range:| Item | Percent |
|---|---|
|
$34K
|
|
|
$49K
|
|
|
$63K
|
Travel Agent Salary by Metro Area in Ohio
| Metro Area | Employed | Avg. Annual | Avg. Hourly | Top 10% | Bottom 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron, OH | 40 | $48,850 | $23.49 | $61,760 | $36,150 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 160 | $54,250 | $26.08 | $79,110 | $36,200 |
| Cleveland, OH | 240 | $49,750 | $23.92 | $64,990 | $26,360 |
| Columbus, OH | 160 | $49,540 | $23.82 | $62,860 | $36,150 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 60 | $53,180 | $25.57 | $62,460 | $39,120 |
| Toledo, OH | 50 | $45,930 | $22.08 | $60,040 | $34,580 |
* Employment opportunities may differ based on your location.
Final Thoughts
By working as a travel agent, you have the opportunity to turn your passion for traveling into a profitable business.
Now that you have read our selection of the best travel agent schools in Ohio, it’s time to continue your research and apply to the program that best meets your learning style and career aspirations.
