HOSPITALITY, TRAVEL, AVIATION, SPORT AND FOOD

Travel Consultant and Tour Operator

Plan trips, book tickets and hotels, and design holiday packages for travellers.

Any stream; English and basic maths help After Class 12 Self-employed

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Solving problems when plans change suddenly
Planning routes, timings and budgets for different people
Meeting and talking with travellers from many backgrounds

It may not suit you if you dislike

Long hours and rush periods around festivals, school holidays and peak seasons
Uneven income, especially in the first years or when business is slow
Dealing with unhappy customers when flights, visas or hotels go wrong

Class 11–12 subjects: Any Class 12 stream is accepted for most tourism degrees, because the main requirement is 10+2 or equivalent. Good English, geography and basic maths help with fares, itineraries and budgets. A second language such as Hindi, French or German is useful for foreign clients.
First degree: BBA, BA or a Bachelor of Tourism and Travel Management (3 years). An MBA in tourism is an option after graduation.
Entrance exams: Most degrees take Class 12 marks. The IGNOU BTTM has no entrance exam. IATA courses are separate, paid, and taken with the IATA exam.
Licence or registration: There is no national licence. Ministry of Tourism recognition is voluntary, but some states, such as Delhi, require a state licence to run a tour operator business.

Open to every streamAny stream; English and basic maths help.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Booking flights, trains and hotels; creating holiday packages; checking visas and travel documents; handling changes and complaints; working with airlines, hotels and local guides.

A day in the work
The day often starts with checking overnight emails and flight schedules for clients. You then quote fares, compare hotel options and build a day-by-day itinerary for a family or group. Afternoons may bring phone calls about a delayed flight, a visa query or a change in plans. You end by confirming bookings in writing and sending the final documents to the traveller.

The path, step by step

Step 1 · Class 10–12Build English, geography and maths skills. Practise planning short trips on paper, including train times, distances and budgets.
Step 2 · Class 12Complete 10+2 in any stream. Check each college's own eligibility rules, because some ask for minimum marks.
Step 3 · 3 yearsTake a BBA, BA or Bachelor of Tourism and Travel Management. Open distance courses such as IGNOU's BTTM allow you to work while you study.
Step 4 · Optional, 3–12 monthsTake an IATA or Amadeus-based travel diploma if you want ticketing and reservation skills. These are paid courses, and fees vary widely.
Step 5 · After studyWork at a travel agency or tour operator to learn bookings, visas and supplier dealings. Many people start in junior roles. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 6 · OptionalStart your own agency. Register the business, get GST if needed, and consider Ministry of Tourism recognition, which requires a qualified staff member. (reported — check with the official body)

Ways in

RouteA 3-year tourism or BBA/BA degree, then agency work
RouteA shorter IATA or Amadeus diploma for ticketing and reservation skills
RouteAn MBA in tourism for management or corporate travel roles

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 11–12 (Route A: degree path)	2 years	Your school's fees	—	—
Degree: 3-year BBA, BA or BTTM (college route, needs Class 12 marks)	3 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	No stipend or scholarship listed on the page. Check the college's fee page.
Degree option: IGNOU BTTM (open distance, no entrance exam)	3 years	₹5,500 per year (IGNOU, 2026–27 admission cycles), plus registration and development fees	—	No stipend. Registration and development fees payable separately. Check IGNOU's fee page.
Route B: IATA or Amadeus diploma (optional, paid course)	3–12 months	KITTS (Kerala): ₹70,800 total for 6-month Amadeus Foundation, including GST	Check the college's fee page. Fees vary widely	Paid course. No stipend is paid during these courses.
Route C: MBA in tourism (optional, after graduation)	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	No stipend or scholarship listed on the page.
Work at a travel agency or tour operator (reported)	Check the notice	Check the notice	Check the notice	Pay not stated on the page. Many people start in junior roles.

Total timeAbout 3 years after Class 12 for a degree, plus optional diploma or MBA time

Total costDepends mostly on the college you choose — compare fee pages.

Good to knowNo national licence is needed, but some states such as Delhi require a state tour operator licence; no stipend is paid during these courses.

Fees from: IGNOU – BFTTM programme page · KITTS – IATA programmes · IATA – Foundation in Travel and Tourism with Amadeus · IGNOU Programme Fee notification 2026–27 (PDF, dated 25 May 2026; text is OCR-scanned, so row mapping is partly unclear). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Entry-level staff usually earn less than experienced consultants who have their own client base, and agencies in large cities or with corporate clients tend to pay more than small local offices. Commission-based work can make income uneven.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~You need an IATA certificate to become a travel agent.~~

Fact: IATA accreditation is only needed if you issue air tickets on your own stock. Many agents book through other agencies, and India has no single national travel agency licence.

Try it now

Class 7–9Plan an imaginary three-day family trip to a place in India. Write the train times, a daily plan and a rough budget in a notebook.
Class 10–12Read the subject outline of IGNOU's BTTM programme to see what tourism students study in their first year.Open link ↗
College or afterRead the Ministry of Tourism's guidelines for approved inbound tour operators to see what the government expects from a travel business.Open link ↗

Good to know

There is no national travel agency licence, but some states require their own licence. Check your state's tourism department before starting a business.
Ministry of Tourism recognition is voluntary. Its guidelines ask for at least one qualified staff member with a tourism diploma or degree.
IATA accreditation is only needed if you issue air tickets on your own stock. Many small agencies book through other agents instead.
Ask about the course's fee page and practical training before you enrol. A cheap course is not useful if it has no practical booking work.

Sources: IGNOU – Bachelor of Tourism and Travel Management (BFTTM) programme page · Ministry of Tourism – guidelines for recognition of Inbound Tour Operators (revised 2011) · Department of Tourism, Government of NCT of Delhi – licensing guidelines for tour operators · IATA – Foundation in Travel and Tourism with Amadeus Diploma (course page) · KITTS (Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies) – IATA programmes · Tourify blog on MoT recognition, citing a December 2024 Lok Sabha reply (reported, secondary)