How to Become a Travel Agent in Montana

In Montana, travel agents provide travel services, including itineraries and booking for travel.

The process is simple if you want to work as an MT travel agent.

While you want to consider training to learn how to do your job successfully, you are optional to be certified.

Here are the facts about travel agent duties, salaries, and frequently asked questions about travel agents in Montana.

Travel Agent Duties in Montana

Your primary purpose as a travel agent in Montana is to provide travel plans and services.

This starts with discussing potential options for travel with clients and then arranging their travel itinerary.

From there, you will likely be ordering travel insurance, booking hotel rooms, and trying to secure the cheapest tour rates.

Other job tasks you will be responsible for include:

• Choosing destinations
• Planning travel packages
• Ordering airfare from major airlines
• Coordinating meals and working with food-sensitive clients
• Talking to tour operators and coming up with custom experiences
• Develop one-of-a-kind travel programs to increase sales

A passion for traveling and a knowledge of geography are equally important for gaining experience as a travel agent in MT.

The more often you travel, the better you become at putting yourself in your client’s shoes.

If you have a degree in geography, business management, or a travel-related field, you can gain more traction professionally.

Clients will appreciate additional expertise you can use to improve the quality of your travel services.

Licensing Requirements to Become an MT Travel Agent

As you work toward your goal of being a Montana travel agent, there are no licensing requirements you have to follow.

Therefore, you do not have to take any board examinations to become certified as a travel agent.

You can start selling insurance for travel products as soon as you are ready and have clients interested in your products. 

In Montana, travel agent licensing is unavailable at the state level and not required at the national level.

However, you can get a business license in the general category that provides bonding and other services to protect your assets.

Travel Agent Program:

Helena College – University of Montana

At the University of Montana’s Helena College, you can take an online course to prepare you for a career as a travel agent.

The travel and tourism department at the school has put together an online program.

The course benefits any student interested in creating travel itineraries and providing travel services. 

Whether you want to work for a travel agent or independently, the online training course will set you on the right path.

The total cost for the program is $2,245, and financial aid is not available.

By the end of the course, you are prepared to sit for a national board certification exam called the Travel Agent Proficiency exam. 

Travel Agent Representative Schools in Montana – Summary Table

Salary

If you are employed as a travel agent in the US, you can expect to make, on average, $40,287 a year.

In Montana, though, the annual salary for travel agents is lower than the national average.

This has to do with a few factors, such as sparse population density and geographic isolation of Montana. 

In Great Falls, MT, you can earn an average of $35,480 a year, capping out at $41,322 for a travel agent’s salary.

In Butte, MT, for comparison, the salary is lower at $34,022, and the most you can earn is $39,624.

Annual Salary Range: Annual Salary by Location:

Location	Avg. Annual Salary
Billings	$35,315
Missoula	$31,002
Great Falls	$32,331
Butte-Silver Bow	$31,002
Bozeman	$31,002
Helena	$31,552
Kalispell	$32,875
Havre	$31,780
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County	$31,002
Miles City	$34,764

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Montana Have a Licensing Program for Travel Agents?

Montana does not have a program that licenses travel agents.

You are not required by state law to get licensed either.

However, a business license is important if you are self-employed or a business owner for a travel agency.

Therefore, you will want to prepare for business licensing unless you work for a travel firm or company.

In Montana, What Kind of Tours Are Available for Travel Agents Selling Travel?

Montana is popular for having a strong sense of the wild and free landscape.

Ranching remains a viable way to maintain economically, and you can experience the bar-none ranch camp.

Horseback riding is a popular activity enjoyed and widely available in Montana.

Ample riding trails and hiking trails alike beckon visitors to the rugged back country.

In addition, Montana is famous for its mountains, which are snow-covered peaks dotted by cabins.

Weekend retreats to the hills and lakes are another experience that travel agents in MT often promote.

Is it Difficult in Montana as a New Travel Agent?

Montana is sparsely populated and has a lot of wide, open land.

As a result, you might find yourself missing the mark–unless you are already connected with locals and have a network of out-of-towners hoping for a hunting vacation in MT.

Montana has its challenges, but with ingenuity and dedication, you can overcome a lack of customers knocking on your door.

By doing door-to-door marketing of your travel agent services, you will also increase your capacity to meet and greet future local clients.

Travel Agent Info by State