The 11th edition of the Travel Institute's Certified Travel Associate (CTA) certification program, launched Tuesday, has a new cruise module available to advisors, developed with the support of CLIA.
According to the Travel Institute, the new module includes training on cruise categories, product differences, itineraries, marketing, client qualification and matching techniques. It was sponsored by AmaWaterways, Royal Caribbean and Scenic Cruises.
The Travel Institute has launched the 11th edition of its Certified Travel Associate certification program. Photo Credit: The Travel Institute
"Collaboration across the travel industry is essential to advancing advisor professionalism and expertise," said Charles Sylvia, CLIA's vice president of industry and trade relations. "Our strong alliance with the Travel Institute is a wonderful example of that shared commitment."
In addition to the new cruise module, the Travel Institute has reworked the CTA program's selling module to better help advisors convert inquiries to bookings.
It also includes updated education on all-inclusives because of the high demand for the product. The Institute said the training will help advisors understand resort categories, destination comparisons and preference matching, and offers a structured approach to recommending experiences to clients.
In addition to gaining knowledge and skills, CTA graduates are included in the Institute's Certified Travel Agent Directory, have access to the Certified Graduate Toolkit offering marketing and business development resources and can access exclusive supplier recognition opportunities, according to the Travel Institute vice president Guida Botelho.
"Success for travel advisors today means being skilled communicators, confident sellers, lasting relationship builders and being geography and travel experts," Botelho said. "CTA 11th Edition ensures travel professionals strengthen their real-world travel knowledge and their business skills to ensure credibility with the consumers who count on them."
The course is available online for $599, or for $1,299 for students who want to purchase print materials, as well. A number of free webinars about CTA certification have also been scheduled.