MEDIA RELEASE

A Message from Diane Petras, CTIE, President, The Travel Institute

Cheers to ’22 & A Look Ahead for ’23: There are No Shortcuts for Quality Education

Last year, I was grateful for the collective progress our industry had made with so many consumers once again traveling. Fast forward, this year has been even more exciting as a record number of individual agents turned to The Travel Institute for their educational needs, new partnerships were forged between The Travel Institute and industry leaders to support their teams, AND as countless other training programs were announced across our industry.

Studies have shown educated agents are absolutely more successful, making our industry’s renewed focus on education truly impactful. Yet, we know, not all education is created equal. Quality education takes intense time, focus, and effort. Quality education is accurate, timely, and in-depth. Quality education factors in different learning styles, an evolving industry, and changing student needs in their coursework and beyond. Quality education takes a holistic approach to creating a quality travel advisor—ensuring foundational industry skills, business and interpersonal skills, and niche and nuanced market knowledge lead to increased capabilities and confidence. There are no shortcuts for quality education that supports and develops truly professional travel advisors.

Indeed, quality education is The Travel Institute’s singular reason for being as the industry’s non-profit, independent educational arm that has stood the test of time. Our team is passionate about education that enables student success, energized by student achievement and collaboration with industry leaders and experts who share our vision, and laser-focused on advancing travel professionals as the stewards of our industry’s collective success. Take a look at our ’22 highlights and a preview of our plans for ’23:

’22 In Review—What We Did for YOU

  • Delivered several brand-new courses and wholly updated content for other courses
  • Increased collaboration with suppliers, agencies, associations, and educational institutions
  • Created The Travel Institute’s Educational Excellence Award in recognition of partner efforts
  • Launched an improved online/offline student support system
  • Scored our highest-ever student satisfaction ratings for our Premium Access online library
  • Created a new “Hire Me” service connecting employers and educated agents
  • Supported students’ financial needs through PYP scholarships and more
  • Initiated consumer outreach to promote educated travel professionals
  • Furthered lead generation for our certified agents through Digital Credentials

’23—An Exciting Time for Quality Travel Education

As we dive into 2023, we aren’t letting up! Our curriculum plan includes, of course, continued updates to content and continued emphasis on connecting agents with employers and consumers. In addition, we’ve planned major updates to two key niche market courses, luxury and wellness; new insider insights delivered by our industry-leading subject matter experts; additional partnerships for an evolved product offering; research to update our survey results from 2018; a call for nominations for our 2023 Educational Excellence Award; and much more!

And so, as you look to 2023, whether you need individual development or you manage training across an entire team, I encourage you to dig deep and understand the return on investment for the education you choose. With so many consumers again turning to travel professionals, our industry has the momentum—and a golden opportunity—to recapture the respect and loyalty of countless travelers. This opportunity must not be squandered. When considering your educational options, get to know us AND our quality content; you’ll be so glad you did!

Safe Travels,

Diane Petras, CTIE
President
The Travel Institute