Training

The Educational Travel Planner Certification elevates the professionalism of nonprofit travel planners. The certification program was launched at the ETC / Educational Travel Conference 2024 and is continued into ETC2025.

In today’s world, numerous professions have embraced certification processes as a means of demonstrating their competence, and this Certification program serves the same purpose. This travel planner certification will provide tangible evidence of your knowledge and capabilities in the field of nonprofit educational travel planning. Obtaining the Travel Planner Certification will demonstrate the graduate’s proficiency in managing travel programs and promoting a high standard of professionalism across the industry.

The certification program does not offer one standardized way of running travel programs. Instead, it offers comprehensive insights into various possibilities and major considerations in the field, so that participants may implement the best practices for their institution’s program. Travel programs vary across the different types of nonprofit travel programs such as, but not limited to, university alumni offices or museums, conservation, and cultural organizations. This certification serves as evidence that participants have acquired essential core competencies to run a nonprofit travel program. It does not mandate adherence to a specific model but rather showcases a broad understanding of the core competencies required including operations, programming, risk management and marketing. This professional certification will be granted by ETC /Educational Travel Consortium in collaboration with teaching members from ETC’s Executive Advisory Council (EAC) and Emeritus Council, a dedicated group of experienced and seasoned travel planners who volunteer their expertise.

There will be a series of sessions featured, in each of the four core competency areas, at ETC 2025 that qualify for the Travel Planner Certification Program including Jumpstart as noted below. These sessions form the core curriculum which must be completed before receiving the award of the Travel Planner Certification. Need more information? Contact ETC