With studies predicting an annual growth rate of 35 percent for outbound medical travel, there is a terrific opportunity for travel sellers to take advantage of this lucrative travel niche. With that in mind, Well-Being Travel, a go-to resource for medical and wellness tourism and The Travel Institute, the leading international organization educating and certifying travel professionals, have teamed up to create an interactive, online Well-Being Travel Specialist course.

In this exclusive partnership, Well-Being Travel will work with The Travel Institute in developing the course by providing guidance and resources, organizing the course and creating key learning objectives while The Travel Institute will be responsible for writing and administering the course, creating an online test and certifying successful candidates as Well-Being Travel Specialists. The course is open to the industry and will launch at the end of the first quarter of 2013.

“Health and wellness tourism is a multi billion dollar industry that continues to grow,” says Anne Marie Moebes, Executive Vice President of Well-Being Travel.

“While Well-Being Travel provides the necessary resources for travel sellers to be successful in this market, The Travel Institute has the expertise and clout to launch a stellar training program. We are thrilled to have partnered with such a prestigious organization.”

“We are very excited to be partnering with Well-Being Travel on this initiative,” says Patty Noonan, CTC, Director of Sales at The Travel Institute. Well-Being Travel has proved itself to be an innovative and forward thinking organization that share our same core values: to create and maintain a single standard of excellence that sets travel sellers apart and keeps consumers coming back.

We look forward to a long, successful relationship.”

The new online course will be offered in a series of modules that covers wellness vacations including resorts, spas and cruises, the wellness/health vacation market, inclusive of travel for holistic health and/or medical spas and executive check-ups as well as medical travel involving medical procedures, risks and legalities. The course will include interactive exercises, images, audio, graphics and testing. Travel sellers can register for the specialist course at a rate of $89; members of Well-Being Travel, one of the 19 travel brands owned by American Marketing Group, Inc., can register at a discounted rate of .

Well-Being Travel, 888-854-0339