If you’re searching for accredited travel training, you may quickly discover that travel advisor education doesn’t work quite like a college degree. Programs may use terms such as accredited, affiliated, certified, recognized, or award-winning, and those words can mean very different things. A better way to evaluate travel training is to look at the organization behind it, the curriculum, industry affiliations, instructor experience, certification requirements, student support, and how well the program prepares you to work with real clients and build a professional travel business.
What Does “Accredited” Actually Mean?
Accreditation is a formal process used heavily in traditional education. Colleges, universities, and other institutions may be evaluated by recognized accrediting organizations to determine whether they meet established academic standards.
Travel advisor training is different. Many programs operate as professional or industry education rather than traditional higher education, so the word “accredited” isn’t always the most useful measure of quality.
If a travel program says it’s accredited, find out who granted that accreditation and what the designation represents. Then look at the rest of the program too.
What Is an Industry Affiliation?
An affiliation connects a training organization with a professional industry association. This is different from academic accreditation.
For example, Wanderlust Campus, home of Careers on Vacation®, has been an ASTA-affiliated Travel School since 2019. ASTA is the American Society of Travel Advisors, a major professional organization representing the travel advisor industry.
That distinction matters when you’re comparing programs. Read the exact language each school uses and learn what its affiliations represent.
Check out our article, “Top Questions to Ask Before Enrolling in a Travel Program”
What About Certification?
Certification refers to a credential you earn after meeting the requirements of a particular program or certifying organization.
Careers on Vacation® is a 12-week travel advisor training and certification program. Students complete the curriculum, participate in training, and pass a certification exam to earn the Certified Travel Professional® designation.
The curriculum goes beyond learning destinations or how to make a reservation. Students learn the business skills behind a professional travel career, including marketing, sales, client service, suppliers, technology, operations, and business systems. They also receive live instruction, coaching, and opportunities to put those skills into practice.
A certification should tell you something about what the person had to learn or accomplish to earn it. Before choosing one, review those requirements.
Does Industry Recognition Matter?
It can give you another useful piece of information about the organization you’re considering.
Wanderlust Campus has received multiple Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, which recognize excellence across the travel industry. The company was also named to the Inc. 5000 list in 2024, recognizing it among the fastest-growing private companies in the United States.
Those accomplishments give prospective students more context about the organization providing their education. You can look at its history, industry involvement, curriculum, leadership, student experience, and outside recognition together.
How Can You Evaluate a Travel Training Program?
Pull up the curriculum first. What are you actually going to learn?
Travel advisors need more than destination knowledge. If your goal is to build a business, look for education around marketing, sales, client management, suppliers, commissions, operations, technology, and professional service.
Then look at how you’ll learn. Is everything self-paced, or can you interact with instructors? Is coaching available? Will you practice the skills? How often does the curriculum get updated? What support continues after graduation?
Instructor experience matters too. Find out whether the people teaching the program understand the current travel industry and have experience applying what they teach.
Finally, research the organization itself. Look for established industry relationships, professional affiliations, student reviews, awards or recognition, and transparency about what its certification represents.
Does a Certification Exam Make a Difference?
An exam or assessment gives the certification program a way to confirm that students understand the material required for the credential.
In Careers on Vacation®, students complete their training and certification requirements before earning the Certified Travel Professional® designation. The certification is designed to reflect education across the travel business rather than completion of a single supplier course.
Before enrolling in any certification program, find out what you’ll need to complete. Ask whether there’s an exam, coursework, practical application, continuing education, renewal process, or additional certification fees.
So, Does Accredited Travel Training Matter?
The word “accredited” by itself won’t tell you whether a travel program is a good investment. Look deeper.
Ask who created the curriculum. Review what you’ll learn. Research the organization’s standing within the travel industry. Find out what support you’ll receive, what credential you’ll earn, and what you’ll be prepared to do after graduation.
Careers on Vacation® gives aspiring and experienced advisors a 12-week path to earning the Certified Travel Professional® designation through Wanderlust Campus, an ASTA-affiliated Travel School. Students receive self-paced curriculum, live training, 1:1 business coaching, hands-on resources, and continued curriculum updates after graduation. Wanderlust Campus has also earned industry recognition through the Travel Weekly Magellan Awards and the Inc. 5000.
When you’re investing in your education, research the whole program. A few impressive words on a website are easy to find. The curriculum, credentials, industry relationships, support, and track record behind them tell you much more.
