I first thought TRUE was the only travel agency accreditation that wasn’t an acronym. Alas, I was wrong. TRUE stands for “Travel Retailer Universal Enumeration” (if you want to geek out over acronyms). The majority of TRUE agents sell cruises and traditional tour, but it’s especially great option for niche travel agents. Why? TRUE is open to working with smaller boutique tour operators that may not be on other accreditations’ supplier lists.
As an added bonus, TRUE also offers accreditation to agents outside the U.S. (see a list of included countries below) and seems committed to expanding their services globally.
Here’s the nitty Gritty:
- Who is it for? The majority of TRUE participants are leisure agents is great for agents/agencies that sell cruises, tours, packages, but is particularly great for specialized agents who want to work with suppliers that others may not work with. Many agents with a TRUE code also belong to a host agency. According to folks at TRUE, the #1 reason agencies report that they utilize a TRUE code is for direct commission payments from suppliers. An added bonus of TRUE is that offer accreditations worldwide.
- Countries Applicants Accepted From: Worldwide
- Travel Agency Accreditation Cost: $300 first year and renewals are fee $240.
- Experience Needed? 6 months actively selling travel.
- Application Requirements:
- You must be a sole proprietor and/or incorporated business entity.
- You must be willing to pass a background screening if needed.
- You must satisfy all seller-of-travel requirements for your state.
- States which currently require a bond and seller of travel license are Florida, Hawaii, Nevada and California.
- You must be able to demonstrate at least 6 months of travel selling experience.
- You must have 3 business references to support your application.
- You must provide proof of an active business bank account in good standing.
- Notification Time: Officially, one month. But typically you’ll hear from them in 2 weeks.
- Number of Agencies w/ TRUE Codes: ~2,000 agencies. However, ~4,000 agents are covered under TRUE
