The Travel Institute Is Bringing Back its 50% Scholarship Program

by Daniel McCarthy / June 27, 2022

Every July, the Travel Institute kicks off its annual Promote Your Professionalism (PYP) event, a month-long celebration of the travel trade that offers advisors a 50% discount on certifications.

PYP is now live for the ninth year running and will be live through the end of July.

“Being a great agent takes more than loving travel; it takes time, effort, and expertise,” Diane Petras, CTIE, president of The Travel Institute, said. “Certification takes agents with passion and ensures they have the capabilities they need to be successful for themselves, their travelers and their teams.”

From now until the end of July, advisors can apply for scholarships to any of the Travel Institute’s programs—Certified Travel Association (CTA), Certified Travel Counselor (CTC), or Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE). The scholarships are valued at $275 US.

Speaking to TMR last year, Petras said that July was initially chosen because interest in the TI’s course has tended to increase in July through September, a sort of back-to-school period for travel advisors.

The CTA, the intro-level certification, has just been updated by the Travel Institute to a 10^th edition earlier this year. Each of the 15 modules has been updated and two new sections—Marketing and Promoting Your Business and Accepting and Processing Payments—have been added.

For this year’s PYP, advisors do not need to be a member of a host or consortia, or even a member of the TI, in order to enroll. The application (available here) is open to all.

Aside from the education, advisors who complete their certification courses also get inclusion in The Travel Institute’s Certified Travel Agent Directory, a consumer-facing, free-to-the-public directory that helps consumers identify and contact credentialed agents.

Also in July, the Travel Institute is offering three free webinars for travel advisors:

July 13, 2 pm EDT: How to Have a 6-Figure Travel Business with 5-10 Clients Per Year; Tami Santini, Founder, TamiSantini.com, Entrepreneur, Creator of 20K system and toolkit
July 18, 2 pm EDT: Copywriting ‘Hacks’ for Travel Agents: How to Pull in Prospects & Increase Engagement; Emily Matras, Owner, Bon Vivant Copy
July 21, 3 pm EDT: Turning Your Credentials into Cashflow; Anne M. Smith, CTIE, ECC, Owner, Travel and Events Extraordinaire