Train Travel Agents Worldwide: Why It Matters and How Destinations Do It Well

Travel agents and tour operators continue to influence billions of dollars in visitor spending each year. Their recommendations influence where travelers go, which attractions they book, which cruise lines they trust, and which cities feel “worth the trip.” When a destination, resort, cruise line, or theme park wants to increase market share, educating the travel trade is one of the most efficient levers available.

Travel agents are, in many ways, the original influencers.

Industry partners often ask a deceptively simple question: “How does a destination or tourism experience provider train travel agents worldwide—and why should they?” The answer reveals a world of strategy, psychology, and opportunity.

Why Train Travel Agents at All?

When agents truly understand a destination, they can sell it confidently. Confidence drives conversions. According to the American Society for Training & Development, companies investing in professional learning experience 24% higher profit margins than peers—and the travel trade is no exception. In tourism, stronger product knowledge translates directly into higher close rates and longer-lasting market relationships.

Destinations that invest in agent education see three major gains:

• Higher-quality bookings. Informed agents sell the right experiences to the right travelers, reducing mismatched expectations and boosting satisfaction.

• Better brand alignment. Agents who understand your values and product story effectively amplify the message you want to convey to global travelers.

• Greater year-round visibility. Training keeps your brand top of mind beyond trade shows and seasonal sales cycles.

The “why” is easy. It’s the “how” that gets interesting.

Three Common Approaches to Agent Training

Destinations traditionally lean on three formats: in-person missions, webinar-style virtual training, and online on-demand learning programs.

Each one offers value—but they’re not created equal.

In-Person Sales Missions

These are the classic road-show tours where DMO or attraction reps host trainings in key markets.

Pros:
Agents love face-to-face connections, your team builds relationships quickly, and live demos or tastings make the destination feel tangible.

Cons:
Travel costs add up, time on the road is exhausting, and you only reach the people in the room—often fewer than 50 at a time. It’s powerful, but not scalable.

Webinar-Style Virtual Training

This approach is far more accessible and cost-effective. Destinations gather agents online for a real-time, one-to-many presentation.

Pros:
No travel required, participation is global, and the content can be interactive. When a partner works with Learn Tourism, these webinars automatically reach a worldwide network of more than 25,000 travel companies—giving destinations exposure they usually can’t generate alone.

Cons:
Agents who can’t attend live simply miss it. And while webinars dramatically expand reach, they still rely on a single moment in time.

Online On-Demand Tourism Training (Certified Learning)

This is the model transforming the tourism industry. Destinations build structured courses—complete with modules, quizzes, assessments, and digital credentials—available anytime, anywhere.

Pros:
Scalable, measurable, and beautifully aligned with how adults prefer to learn: self-paced, relevant, and practical. Modern online learning platforms allow destinations to update their courses instantly, track individual and group analytics, deliver multilingual versions, and integrate with CRM/CMS tools.

Agents love this model because it provides them with something tangible—proof of expertise—and allows them to deepen their product knowledge without having to clock-watch a webinar.

Cons:
Requires thoughtful design, planning, and ongoing maintenance…unless a partner handles it for you.

This is where Learn Tourism shines brightest. Our learning environment is built specifically for tourism education, with instructional designers, organizational psychologists, and tourism experts shaping each program.

Enrollment Tactics That Actually Work

A great course is only effective when agents show up. The strongest enrollment strategies blend content, incentives, and promotion:

• Destination-led announcements. DMOs and attractions send emails to their trade partners—something most already do but rarely optimize.

• Trade-media visibility. Lightweight editorial placements and paid promotions in trade media newsletters can quickly multiply awareness.

• Replay value. Webinars recorded through Learn Tourism become evergreen videos, driving continuous enrollment long after the live date.

• Micro-credentialing. A digital badge provides status and a talking point for agents hungry to differentiate themselves.

And yes—agent testimonials matter. The more peer validation a program receives, the faster momentum builds. Destinations using Learn Tourism regularly receive feedback like this:
“This program was incredibly valuable… great presentation, thank you!”
“…very informative and helpful… highly recommend!”
Testimonials like these—pulled directly from real participants—fuel ongoing enrollment.

Smart Course Design for Tourism Product Learning

Designing a compelling course requires more than uploading a slide deck. Adult learners thrive when content is concise, practical, and immediately applicable.

Strong tourism-trade courses typically include:

• A short overview of the brand experience (what makes the place, ship, or park unique).

• Training on how to match the right traveler to the right experience (essential for higher-quality bookings).

• Suggested itineraries, insider tips, and booking shortcuts.

• Sales angles agents can use confidently.

• Multilingual versions for global reach.

• Accessibility and inclusive travel details, which agents increasingly request.

Working with Learn Tourism ensures this design is thoughtful, accessible, and grounded in proven learning science. Our team weaves behavioral economics, adult learning theory, and tourism psychology into each module—ensuring information sticks, not just scrolls past.

Promotion Opportunities

The hidden advantage of partnering with Learn Tourism is the amplification it provides. Our network includes more than 25,000 travel companies, reaching tour operators, agencies, OTAs, and consortia in every major outbound market.

Destinations benefit from:

• Global distribution of their course and webinars.

• Social amplification across Learn Tourism channels.

• Placement in newsletters, email announcements, and trade-facing media releases.

Promotion isn’t an add-on—it’s the engine that keeps enrollment steady.

Why Learn Tourism Delivers the Greatest ROI

Most destinations can build a webinar. Some can attempt an online course. But very few can:

• scale training internationally,

• manage ongoing updates,

• integrate behavioral psychology,

• market to thousands of agents,

• analyze engagement data, and

• provide a seamless multilingual learning environment…

…all at once.

That’s the core advantage of partnering with Learn Tourism.

We combine adult learning science, tourism expertise, and a global distribution network to help destinations educate the travel trade more effectively than any standalone tool or in-house initiative.

Training agents worldwide is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. It’s a strategic requirement. Destinations and tourism experience providers that embrace on-demand learning and global trade engagement aren’t just increasing bookings—they’re shaping the next generation of travel advisors.

About Learn Tourism the nonprofit academy...
Learn Tourism is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the tourism industry through innovative educational practices and professional development initiatives. Our mission is to harness the power of science, business psychology, and adult education to build sustainable economies and enrich the tourism landscape.