Riverdale Travel is seeking a full-time Travel Advisor to join our vacation planning team in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. This is an opportunity to build a career in the travel industry with a well-established agency, comprehensive training, ongoing support, and a steady flow of qualified customer inquiries.
Whether you have experience in travel sales or are looking to transition into the industry, we provide the training and resources you need to develop your expertise and build a successful client base.
What We Offer
- Competitive starting pay: $20.00/hour ($41,600 annually on a full-time basis), plus commissions
- Commission earning potential: Opportunities to earn $60,000+ in total compensation annually as you develop your client base and sales
- Qualified inbound leads: New business comes through online inquiries, phone calls, and walk-in customers who are actively seeking help planning and booking travel
- Comprehensive training: Individualized training and ongoing support to help you develop expertise in cruises, tours, and destinations around the world
- Travel opportunities: Access to significant industry discounts and occasional complimentary travel opportunities
- Benefits: Subsidized medical and dental insurance, paid vacation, holidays and sick leave, and a 3% company-matched retirement plan
- Career growth: Opportunities to develop your skills and advance within the travel industry
About Riverdale Travel
Riverdale Travel is a locally owned, single-location travel agency in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, with more than 100 years of experience serving travelers. Our business includes both retail and independent contractor advisor divisions.
Our longstanding relationships with leading travel suppliers and our significant purchasing volume allow us to provide clients with competitive pricing, strong value, and access to a wide range of travel experiences.
Our advisors work with customers from the initial inquiry through booking and departure, building relationships that lead to repeat business and referrals. We are committed to providing knowledgeable, personalized service and creating a high-quality experience for every client.
About the Role
Travel Advisors work with customers who have contacted Riverdale Travel for assistance planning and booking vacations, primarily cruises, hotel stays, and tours. Advisors are responsible for:
- Responding to and qualifying inbound customer inquiries
- Understanding clients’ travel preferences, interests, budgets, and needs
- Recommending and selling appropriate travel experiences
- Preparing quotes and completing reservations using industry-leading booking systems
- Managing the details and documentation associated with each booking
- Providing ongoing service and support from the time of booking through the client’s return home
- Developing relationships that generate repeat and referral business
This is a sales-oriented customer service position. Successful advisors are comfortable asking questions, making recommendations, following up with prospective clients, and guiding customers toward a travel experience that meets their needs.
Training & Development
Riverdale Travel provides extensive, individualized training for new advisors. Our training covers booking systems, travel suppliers, destinations, sales, customer service, and the many details involved in successfully planning and servicing travel.
New advisors typically begin working with customers independently within approximately 2–3 months, with continued coaching and support as they build their knowledge and client base.
You do not need to be an expert in every destination when you start. We are looking for individuals who are curious, organized, comfortable learning new systems, and genuinely interested in developing a career in travel.
Schedule & Work Location
- New advisors must initially work in our Coon Rapids, MN office due to the intensive nature of our training program.
- The regular schedule is between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Central Time.
- After one year of tenure, a hybrid work arrangement may be considered based on performance and readiness. For candidates with significant prior experience as a Travel Professional, a shorter training period and earlier consideration for hybrid work may be possible.
Qualifications & Skills
- Strong customer service and sales skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication
- Highly organized with strong attention to detail
- Comfortable managing multiple clients, bookings, and deadlines
- Proficient with computers, the internet, Microsoft Outlook, Word, and other Microsoft Office applications
- At least one year of experience planning vacations strongly preferred
- Personal experience with at least one cruise or international vacation of three nights or longer required
- Additional personal travel experience across domestic and international destinations is a plus
- Previous travel industry or travel sales experience is a plus
- Must be available to begin employment within 2–3 weeks of accepting an offer
Benefits
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- On-the-job training
- Paid time off
- Paid training
- Professional development assistance
- Travel reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s)
- Will you be able to reliably commute to and work in the office location in Coon Rapids, MN?
- Please share your travel experiences, including destinations and types of travel (cruise, tour, etc.).
Interested in Joining Our Team?
If you enjoy working with people, have a strong interest in travel, and are motivated to develop your sales and travel-planning expertise, we would love to hear from you.
Apply to join the Riverdale Travel team and build a career helping clients plan and experience exceptional travel.
Apply Now