While the travel industry is attracting interest from new entrants, expectations for recruits have evolved amid a rapidly changing environment, to focus more on adaptability, problem-solving and digital capability.
Jean Morudu, Recruitment Business Leader at Flight Centre Travel Group South Africa, said many career-changers from sectors such as sales, hospitality, customer service and marketing were entering the travel trade.
“These people are attracted to the relationship-driven nature of the role, the opportunity to work in a dynamic global industry and the ability to write their own pay cheque,” said Morudu.
New requirements
Despite the range of transferable skills new entrants bring, the baseline requirements for travel consultants have increased as the operating environment becomes more complex.
“A travel qualification or GDS certificate alone is no longer enough to succeed,” explained Joan Swanepoel, Head of XL Evolve, XL Travel’s new dedicated training department.
“Today, we need people with strong digital confidence and real‑world skills. Problem‑solving, resilience, emotional intelligence and adaptability have never been more important, particularly in a constantly changing environment like the travel industry.”
Morudu added that Flight Centre’s entry requirements were increasingly sales-focused.
“We typically look for candidates with a minimum of three years’ experience in a customer-facing, target-driven sales role, with a proven track record of meeting or exceeding targets and upselling products or services.”
She also highlighted the importance of strong communication skills and confidence selling both in-person and over the phone.
Both Morudu and Swanepoel emphasised the growing importance of technological skill as agents work across multiple booking and supplier systems.
“Digital skills matter because modern travel is built on technology. Travel agents work across multiple booking systems, supplier platforms and other online tools every day,” said Swanepoel. “In today’s environment, technology isn’t optional – it’s central to delivering reliable, professional service.”
Adaptability and problem-solving have also become essential, particularly amid geopolitical tensions, schedule changes and real-time disruptions.
“Because the environment is fast-paced and demanding, problem-solving ability, resilience, and emotional intelligence are key to delivering excellent customer experiences while successfully converting enquiries into bookings,” said Morudu.
Swanepoel added that agents needed to be able to navigate systems confidently, interpret information quickly and adapt to new tools and processes.
The evolution of agent training
As the travel trade environment grows more complex, agencies are having to adapt and improve their training resources to include sales and customer service, technology and systems training. However, training is not only for the new entrants to the profession but also to upskill experienced agents.
“XL Travel recently launched a dedicated training department called XL Evolve, and at present it focuses on upskilling and educating existing XL members and consultants,” said Swanepoel.
One of XL Evolve’s primary focuses is teaching agents to embrace the digital technology already available to them, as well as building confidence and capability in using newer AI tools more effectively.
“XL Evolve is not yet open to new entrants to the travel industry. There are, however, ambitious plans for growth and expansion. These include formal accreditation and the launch of an online training platform, with accredited certification in the longer term,” said Swanepoel.
On the other hand, Flight Centre’s comprehensive training and development for its new travel consultants combined formal learning through its Travel Professional Qualification Programme, with practical, industry-based training, explained Roxy Gonsalves, People and Culture Leader at Flight Centre Travel Group South Africa.
“New consultants complete an initial month of intensive training, covering core areas such as sales, customer service, travel products, systems, and destination knowledge,” said Gonsalves. “The programme encompasses business and marketing fundamentals, the travel consulting process, product and destination expertise, reservation systems and an understanding of business performance and KPIs.”
