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Course Name
Tour Operator Certificate - Instructor Led

Contact Hours: 210
Course Description
The Tour Operator Certificate Program consists of seven individual courses (see course list below). Each course includes instruction, student-instructor interaction through email and message boards, assignments and a final exam. Courses require 20- 30 contact hours for completion and are self paced but individual courses must be completed within 90 days of your start date and all courses must be completed within one year of the start of the first course.
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:
  1. Hotels and Lodging
  2. Developing Vacations Packages
  3. Ground Transportation
  4. Air Reservations
  5. Air Fares
FAQ
How long will it take me to complete the course?
Each course will take you between 20 - 30 hours a piece to complete. All courses are completely internet delivered and allow you to study at your own pace but must be completed within one year of the date you begin. The average student takes three to four months to complete all of the training.
How quickly can I begin?
Upon registration you will receive your personal user name and password and directions on how to begin your course work within 24 hours of registration. You will have access to all course materials, student-instructor interaction, assignments and exams.
What is the Job Board and how do I gain access to it?
The Job Board gives you access to resume, cover letter and interview information with instruction specific to the travel and tourism industry. In addition, the Job Board provides access to comprehensive and frequently updated national databases of tourism jobs sponsored by industry leading organizations such as ASTA and ISTTE.

Benefits of Tour Operator Certificate Program:
  • Take the course at your own pace - so long as the course is completed within 90 days of registration.
  • Do the lessons at any hour of the day or night. Send or retrieve information 24/7.
  • No need to purchase additional textbooks or materials
  • As you approach completion, access the Job Board for assistance in finding career opportunities currently available in your area.
  • Use entire program as a newcomer and upon completion be ready to work in the travel and tourism industry.
      • Individual Course Descriptions
      Travel Sales and Trends - Instructor Led
      Air Fares - U.S. Domestic - Instructor Led
      ARC Documents - Instructor Led
      Hotels and Lodging - Instructor Led
      Selling Vacation Packages and Tours - Instructor Led
      Ground Transportation - Instructor Led
      Air Reservations - U.S. Domestic - Instructor Led
      Outcome
      As a result of taking the Tour Operator Certificate Program you will qualified to work in the following careers:
      • Tour Operator
      Assessment
      Evaluation of student performance will be based on the following:
      1. Completion of assignments.
      2. Exam grades

      Successful completion of each course requires passing the exam with an 80% average or greater. The exam can  be taken up t0 3 times. There is a charge of $49.00 per exam retake.

      Each course must be completed within 90 days of registration but may be completed sooner. Students are subject to dismissal for unsatisfactory conduct and will not receive a refund.

      The principal classifications of unsatisfactory conduct are:

    • Theft or destruction of property including but not excluded to intellectual or physical work or software, belonging to the school or other students.
    • Cheating on an exam or other material. The use of another student’s or individual’s work or material for a grade.
    • Personal behavior that is disruptive to the learning environment, including: abusive language, intimidation, flagrant lack of respect for the staff or the peaceful enjoyment of other students and staff.
    • The unlawful or unethical use of the course curriculum, programming or communication as determined by the staff. Students will be considered for re-admittance upon signing an agreement to comply with all school policies. Upon registration the Instructional Support Course Administrator emails a welcome letter to the student to begin unrestricted email communication and support, then contacts the student on a regular basis regarding progress; corrects, annotates and grades Exercises and Reviews. Questions will be answered within 24 hours on regular business days.
      • Outline

      Tour Operator Certificate Program

      The Tour Operator Certificate Program consists of seven individual courses. Each course will teach you valuable concepts necessary to becoming a travel professional with real world applications and industry directed content. The courses are:

      Travel Sales and Trends
      Enjoy expected as well as surprising sales techniques and new approaches as you explore and practice them. Included you will find telephone business manners, listening skills, and tools for targeting the traveler. Discover successful sales steps for telephone reservations agents as well as for the travel professional working with clients one on one. Trends in the industry include the use of the Web for a variety of travel resources as well as current information on possible careers in the industry. This is an excellent introduction to the program.

      Selling Vacation Packages and ToursHotels and Lodging
      Earn great commissions by booking vacation packages and tours, one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry. Learn the basics of the tour product, components of tours, tour destinations, types of vacation packages and tours, print and electronic resources and non-automated tour booking procedures. Understand the function of tour operators and wholesalers. Identify your clients? needs and preferences, and book the right vacation package for any given client.

      Ground Transportation
      You will find car rental a relatively simple product to sell and book and commissions are reasonable. Some seventy percent of North Americans travel by car while vacationing. Learn the basics of the product, policies, procedures, codes, pricing and distribution. Rail travel recaptures the image of a different time and appeals to many leisure travelers. This study focuses on Amtrak, VIA Rail, BritRail and Eurail, the types of train accommodations, services and fare structure.

      Air Reservations - U.S. or Canadian Domestic
      Gain the product knowledge and skills (with the exception of automated reservations) needed to research, plan and book air travel. You will learn the terminology, the policies and the procedures of airline travel and airline reservations. While the sale of air travel is no longer the major revenue producer for travel professionals, it is a vital part of the travel industry as the most used mode of transportation to business destinations and highly used mode to vacation/leisure destinations. Therefore, becoming an expert on the product, airline policies and procedures as well as reservations policies and procedures is essential to your success.

      Air Fares - U.S. or Canadian Domestic
      (Prerequisite course: Air Reservations U.S. or Canadian) Learn the air fare terms, codes, fare construction principles and fare application rules necessary to find, interpret and apply the lowest applicable fare to your clients’ air itinerary. Practice the interpretation of the multiple air transportation taxes and fees applicable to air travel. Air fares are historically difficult to interpret and apply. This course presents the basics in a simple format with many applications to allow you to become proficient.

      ARC Documents
      (Prerequisite courses: Air Reservations and Air Fares U.S. Domestic) Here is your ticketing course. Your air traveler will need a ticket and boarding pass to board the aircraft at departure time. The airline tickets used for air travel in the United States are issued, controlled and processed through an Area Settlement Plan administered by the Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC). Here you will cover the ticketing types, forms, policies and procedures per the ARC as well as forms of payment, refunds and exchanges.

      Hotels and Lodging
      Earn great commissions by booking your clients’ hotel accommodations. Learn the basics of the hotel product, rate structure, property and room classifications, codes, published and automated resources and non-automated reservations procedures. Identify your guests’ preferences, learn the variables that affect prices, select the right hotel for any given client. An additional option is to enjoy the hotel sales training program developed by Marriott, entitled Hotel Excellence!