Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Leisure Travel Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

A Leisure Travel Consultant is a client‑focused travel professional responsible for designing, planning, booking, and managing customized leisure travel experiences. This role engages with clients to understand needs, provide expert destination advice, coordinate complex itineraries, handle documentation, resolve travel issues, and deliver exceptional service while promoting travel products, maximizing revenue, and developing long‑term customer relationships. Leisure Travel Consultants work with airlines, hotels, tour operators, and ground services to ensure seamless travel arrangements for individual and group clients.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Travel Consultant Assistant
Customer Service Representative – Travel
Tour Coordinator

Advancement To:

Senior Travel Consultant
Travel Sales Manager
Travel Operations Supervisor

Lateral Moves:

Travel Coordinator
Destination Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Consult with clients to assess their leisure travel preferences, budgets, timeframes, and desired experiences.
Research, plan and design customized travel itineraries, including transportation, lodging, excursions, cruises, tours and activities.
Provide expert guidance on destinations, culture, weather, local attractions, travel advisories and seasonal events.
Book flights, hotel accommodations, car rentals, travel insurance, cruises and integrated travel packages accurately and efficiently.
Manage all documentation and processes related to passports, visas, foreign currency, insurance requirements and travel permits.
Handle payment processing, invoice issuance, ticketing and reservation confirmations in compliance with company policies.
Build and maintain relationships with travel suppliers, tour operators, hotels and service partners to secure competitive rates and value‑added amenities.
Proactively upsell travel services, add‑ons, enhanced excursions and premium packages to increase revenue and client satisfaction.
Coordinate group travel arrangements, managing seat blocks, group pricing and special requests.
Ensure compliance with industry regulations, ATOL package rules or applicable travel directives.
Handle client inquiries, modifications, cancellations, and any booking changes swiftly and professionally.
Resolve travel disruptions or emergencies during client travel with calm decision‑making and expedient support.
Maintain detailed itineraries, travel notes, client profiles and historical booking information in CRM or travel systems.
Provide ongoing follow‑up with clients to collect feedback, refine services and nurture loyalty.
Monitor industry trends, destination updates, pricing fluctuations and supplier promotions to inform client recommendations.
Participate in travel trade shows, webinars and supplier training to expand destination knowledge and professional network.
Promote travel offerings through email campaigns, seasonal promotions and client outreach initiatives.
Achieve individual and team sales targets while maintaining high service quality standards.
Collaborate with colleagues to share best practices, travel insights and support peak business periods.
Maintain ethical conduct, protect customer privacy and uphold company and industry regulatory requirements at all times.

Secondary Functions

Support ad‑hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to enhance travel offerings and service improvements.
Contribute to the organization’s data strategy and roadmap by identifying trends in client preferences and travel behaviors.
Collaborate with business units to translate travel insights into marketing campaigns and product enhancements.
Participate in cross‑functional planning, including sales forecasting and customer engagement initiatives.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficiency with global distribution systems (GDS) including Amadeus, Sabre or Galileo.
Expertise in booking and ticketing processes for flights, hotels, packages and ancillary travel services.
Deep knowledge of international travel regulations, visa/passport requirements, foreign exchange, and insurance.
Advanced itinerary planning, multi‑stop routing and logistics coordination.
CRM and reservation systems proficiency for managing client data and bookings.
Skilled in travel cost analysis, budgeting and price comparison for optimal client solutions.
Familiarity with industry trends, tourism data and destination marketing.
Ability to handle and process payments securely, including invoicing and refund reconciliation.
Experience with group travel planning and special interest holiday coordination.
Knowledge of travel insurance products and risk mitigation strategies for travelers.

Soft Skills

Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to engage with diverse client profiles.
Outstanding customer service orientation and ability to cultivate lasting client relationships.
Strong organizational and time management abilities to juggle multiple itineraries simultaneously.
Attention to detail to ensure accuracy of bookings, documentation, and travel plans.
Proven sales and negotiation skills to secure favorable terms and upsell effectively.
Problem‑solving aptitude for addressing travel disruptions with calm professionalism.
Cultural awareness and sensitivity in recommending destinations and travel experiences.
Adaptability to changing client needs, travel trends and industry conditions.
Professional phone etiquette and clear communication across digital channels.
Collaborative mindset to support team goals and share travel expertise.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:
High school diploma or equivalent; coursework or certification in travel, tourism, hospitality or related field preferred.

Preferred Education:
Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Travel & Tourism, Hospitality Management, Business Administration or similar field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Travel and Tourism
Hospitality & Service Management
Business or Marketing
International Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
2–5 years experience in leisure travel consulting, travel sales or tourism operations.

Preferred:
Experience in luxury travel planning, high‑end client service roles or specialized destination expertise.