People who love to travel, visit exotic locales, foreign lands, dazzling beaches, for them the job of a travel agent is the best suited. They would prefer it infinitely more than any old desk job, however lucrative that may be.

Nowadays many consider that the internet has lessened the viability of the lucrative and interesting job of any tour agent. The internet has made it easy for an individual to make his own plans, his own reservations, and buy his own tickets, instead of rushing to the travel agent every time.

This is the reason why financial analysts feel that the travel agents role being redundant, their wages are also facing a fall. Around the year 2002 the median annual salary of any agent would have been $26,630. The most popular agents in the US were reported to earn as high as $41,660 or even more.

But the current trend has been $20,800 to $33,580 as seen by the Department of Labor in the US.

The fact is that the travel agents are not making much of an earning. The only perks they receive are the special privileges and discounts while touring.

But the funny part of the picture is that most agents do not even avail these because given the salary they receive, it is a luxury for them to travel far and wide!

But in spite of all these facts there are people who still desire of travel agency as an earning avenue. The following are some tips for them, about how to go about it.

1. For those who are keen on becoming a travel agent, knowing a second language is a must. This is because they have to deal with people from diverse speech communities and knowing another language comes handy.

2. A training of minimum 6-12 weeks is necessary for any aspiring travel operator. From this they come to know about the basic tenets of the job.

3. A functional knowledge of the computers is also needed to handle the transactions and invoices and the reports that are done through computer.

4. The travel agents must always be up-to-date regarding the current trends in the field of functioning. They must also know about the best and the most popular places of tourist’s interest.

5. A certification from the Certified Travel Counselor adds to the value of an agent.

It depends entirely on a persons own ability and aptitude, the quality of his work as an agent. As long as the agent derives full satisfaction from his work, the salary should not be a reason for his/her qualms.

Eco-tourism has greatly benefited many nations and people globally. It is estimated that over 600million people travel internationally each year. Hundreds of millions more journey within their home country, doing so for both work and pleasure. The tourism industry which includes hotels, resorts, airlines, travel agencies, parks and forest reserve services, and other business that cater for the needs of travelers, has become a major employer of labour.

Today, tourism is important to the economy of over 125 countries. Globally, tourism generates about four trillion dollars every year. A big one you would agree with me. It is therefore a strong factor in global financial issues.

Since it involves movement of people, eco-tourism is also a strong social and cultural integration. It fosters better understanding between people of different tribes and ethnic groups. This makes eco-tourism a potential tool for world peace if well harnessed. It can raise environmental cultural and social awareness.

In many countries, eco-tourism has developed over the years into the largest foreign exchange earner. Countries such as Kenya and Tanzania make great fortunes from eco-tourism. In Kenya, a lion is worth about $7,000 per year in income from tourist and a herd of elephant is valued at over $610,000. Hawaii’s coral reefs generate about $300million each year from nature-based tourism.

Eco-tourism has greatly increased environmental awareness and therefore has contributed to nature conservation. In order to sustain the financial and other benefits of eco-tourism, governments implement conservation programs and policies to protect the plants and animals. This has greatly reduced human threats to the continuous existence of many flora and fauna species.