Working on the retail
side of travel really
only pays off when
you have about 15 years of
experience.
That’s the point where
people in retail start earning
more than their colleagues
in wholesale.
In the recent TNW survey
in which 981 people in the
trade participated, the basic
pay gap increases to 20%
in favour of retail for those
with 20 or more years’
experience. On top of this,
38% of consultants also
earn commission.
Another subsector of
the travel industry is
independent travel
consultants. This sector
has seen the most change
in the last few years as
more consortia offer it
as an option within their
group and ITC specialists
like eTravel and Travel
Counsellors continue to
grow. Seventeen percent of
the 772 respondents that
were involved in consulting
worked as an ITC. Over
75% of ITCs have at least
ten years’ experience and
over 40% have more than
20 years’ experience.
ITCs enjoy the best
earnings growth between
five to 15 years’
experience. The time they
see their peak earnings is
at 15 years’ experience.
