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L3Apprenticeship1201 approved provider
The Level 3 Travel Consultant, and the 1 provider delivering it.
Making travel arrangements and booking accommodation and other services for holidaymakers and business travellers.
About this apprenticeship
What this apprenticeship covers
Apprentices learn to arrange travel itineraries, book accommodation, flights, transfers, and ancillary services for both leisure and business customers. The training covers how to research and recommend suitable travel products, handle booking systems and reservation platforms, manage customer enquiries from initial contact through to departure, and deal with changes or disruptions to travel plans. Apprentices also develop an understanding of travel regulations, visa requirements, currency, and travel insurance, alongside the commercial skills needed to meet sales targets.
Day-to-day responsibilities
A typical week involves handling customer enquiries by phone, email, or in person, using global distribution systems (GDS) or tour operator portals to search and book travel products. Apprentices put together quotes, process payments, issue tickets or confirmation documents, and follow up with clients ahead of travel. They liaise with suppliers to resolve booking issues or amendments, keep customer records accurate, and stay up to date with destination knowledge, product updates, and promotions from travel partners.
Career outlook
Completing this apprenticeship opens routes into senior travel consultant, team leader, or corporate travel manager roles. Experienced consultants often specialise in areas such as luxury travel, cruises, business travel, or a specific region. Employers range from high street travel agencies and online travel companies to in-house corporate travel departments and tour operators. With further experience, progression into product management, account management, or operations is common across the travel and tourism sector.
1 approved provider
Sorted by achievement rate.
A S Training
Employer: 4.0
A S Training is a specialist apprenticeship and professional development provider focused on the tra...
Career outcomes
Roles after completion
Completing this standard typically leads to roles such as Travel Consultant, Holiday Sales Consultant, or Business Travel Consultant within a travel agency or corporate travel management company. Some completers move into cruise or luxury travel specialist positions, while others take on roles focused on a specific destination or product type. The precise title often depends on the employer's structure and the niche the apprentice has worked in during training.
Progression paths
Within three to five years, consultants commonly progress to Senior Travel Consultant, Team Leader, or Travel Sales Manager, taking responsibility for more complex bookings, higher-value clients, or a small team. Those who favour depth over management tend to specialise further, moving into roles such as Corporate Account Manager, Groups and Events Coordinator, or Destination Specialist. Longer-term, senior routes include Branch Manager, Head of Sales, or operations and product management positions within tour operators and travel management companies.
Where these roles sit
Hiring comes from high street travel agencies, online travel agencies, corporate travel management companies, tour operators, and cruise lines. The public sector also employs travel consultants through government travel offices and defence travel services. Employers range from small independent agencies to large national chains and global travel management firms. Both leisure and business travel markets recruit at this level, giving completers reasonable flexibility about which sector to move into.
How it's assessed
How the apprenticeship is assessed
Throughout the programme, apprentices build knowledge, skills and behaviours relevant to making travel arrangements, advising clients, and managing bookings for leisure and business travellers. Learning takes place on the job, supported by a training provider. Before final assessment, the apprentice and employer confirm the apprentice is ready, a stage commonly called the gateway. Final assessment then confirms the apprentice can perform the role to the required standard. Assessment models for many standards are currently being updated as part of wider reforms, so check the current specification on the standard's gov.uk page.
What learners need to prepare
Building a strong record of workplace activity from the start makes final assessment considerably easier. Apprentices should document real client interactions, bookings, and problem-solving throughout the programme rather than trying to reconstruct evidence at the end. Regular reviews with both the employer and training provider help identify any gaps in knowledge or skills while there is still time to address them. Keeping organised records of the range of travel products and services handled, including both leisure and business travel, gives a clear picture of competence when the gateway review takes place.
Choosing a provider
What good looks like
Look for providers with an achievement rate above 65% on their FATP profile, and read apprentice reviews for comments about real booking scenarios rather than classroom theory. For this standard, strong delivery means apprentices working with live or realistic reservation systems (GDS platforms such as Amadeus or Galileo are standard in the industry) and gaining exposure to both leisure and business travel products. Employer satisfaction scores above 80% suggest the provider is responsive to industry shifts, including changes to airline consolidation, dynamic packaging rules, and corporate travel policy.
Red flags to watch for
Be cautious of providers who can't say which reservation systems apprentices will use during training, or who rely entirely on simulated environments with no live booking practice. A high learner volume paired with a declining achievement rate on FATP is a warning sign. If a provider struggles to point to alumni now working in travel management companies, tour operators, or business travel agencies, that gap in employer connections should give you pause. Vague answers about how off-the-job training hours are structured are also worth probing.
Questions to ask before you commit
- Which GDS or booking platforms will the apprentice train on, and are those live systems or simulations?
- How do you keep the product knowledge content current as airline, hotel and package travel inventories change?
- What is your current achievement rate for this standard, and how has it changed over the last two years?
- Can you share examples of where previous apprentices have progressed after completing, and in what types of travel roles?
- How is the off-the-job training delivered, and how does it fit around peak booking periods?
- What support is in place if an apprentice's employer operates in a niche area such as corporate travel or cruise?
Common questions
What qualifications or experience does someone need to start a Travel Consultant apprenticeship?
There are no mandatory prior qualifications set at standard level, though employers typically look for good literacy and numeracy, often evidenced by GCSEs in English and Maths at grade 4 or above. Some employers may also ask for relevant customer service experience. Apprentices must be in paid employment for the duration, and providers may set their own entry criteria, so it is worth checking directly with your chosen training provider.
How long does the apprenticeship take and how is the time split between work and study?
The typical duration is 12 months, though this depends on the individual's prior learning and the employer's programme design. Apprentices are employed throughout and spend the majority of their time on the job, with a portion of working hours dedicated to off-the-job training. The precise split is subject to current government reforms, so check the latest specification on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education website for up-to-date requirements.
How is a Travel Consultant apprentice assessed at the end of the programme?
Before moving to end-point assessment, the apprentice must pass through a gateway, where the employer and training provider confirm the apprentice has met the required knowledge, skills and behaviours. Assessment methods for many standards are currently being reviewed as part of Skills England reforms, so the specific components may change. The current assessment plan is published on the gov.uk apprenticeship standards page and should be confirmed with your training provider before enrolment.
How does an employer pay for a Travel Consultant apprenticeship?
The funding band for this standard is £7,000, which caps what the government will contribute toward training costs. Larger employers who pay the apprenticeship levy use funds from their digital account. SMEs that do not pay the levy contribute 5% of training costs, with the government covering the remaining 95%. If your business has fewer than 50 employees and the apprentice is aged 16 to 18, the government pays 100% of the training cost.
What does a Travel Consultant apprentice actually do during the working day?
Day-to-day work involves researching and booking flights, accommodation, transfers and ancillary travel services for clients. Apprentices handle enquiries by phone, email or in person, build itineraries to match client budgets and requirements, and process payments and travel documentation. They also deal with changes, cancellations and complaints, and keep up with destination knowledge and supplier products. The balance between leisure and business travel bookings depends on the employer's specialism.
Where can a Travel Consultant apprentice progress to after completing this qualification?
Completing this apprenticeship opens routes into senior consultant or team leader roles within travel agencies, tour operators, corporate travel management companies and online travel businesses. Some progress into specialist areas such as luxury travel, cruise, or business travel account management. Further study options include higher-level apprenticeships in management or business, or professional qualifications offered through bodies such as ABTA or the Chartered Institute of Travel and Tourism.
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Curated by Alex Lockey, FATP founder and editor. Last reviewed: .
Sources include the apprenticeship's official specification on apprenticeships.gov.uk, Skills England guidance, IfATE archive records, DWP funding bands, and provider data sourced directly from the public Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Standard reference: 120.
Some sections on this page were drafted with AI assistance from published source data and reviewed by a human editor before publication. See our editorial methodology for how we maintain this content. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.