Although it may seem all glitz and glamour, the travel business is hard work.

That's a lesson that some Ohio University Southern students have learned first hand thanks to Ironton's Travel World.

The business actually relocated from Portsmouth, where it resided for 10 years, when it was purchased by OUS three-and-a-half years ago.

Now, in addition to handling travel for the school, the business gives students a chance to be involved with the world of travel first-hand.

"We show students more or less hands-on how to be a travel agent, and what you need to know to do this kind of job," manager Carolyn Cox said.

Students who enroll in an internship with Travel World receive credit towards a degree in travel and tourism from OUS.

"They help us out as far as answering the phones, filing, with sending out mailings," senior travel counselor Tina Canter said. "So it helps us as much as it helps them."

Students usually start small, Cox said the first thing they learn is booking airline reservations, before moving on to car rentals, then onto the big show: Setting up full vacation packages.

It is tough work, and maybe a surprise to some students that expecting work in the tourism industry to include globe-trotting.

"They do believe that," Cox said. "Even people other than students do. We had people in Portsmouth come in to apply for a job and they'll say 'I love to travel.' Well, everybody does. But you have to be at your desk."

With the advent of travel bookings on the Internet, it may seem like the OUS students are training for a career that's soon to be antiquated, but Cox said that's not the case.

"You have someone here that you talked to yesterday that's going to be here tomorrow," Cox said. "They'll call ask for Tina or Carol, it's not like they're calling the Internet people and not knowing who they're talking to, or not knowing who those people are."

Although travel is not a huge part of their job, the two admit that they share a favorite destination: New York City.

Almost as fun as travel for Cox and Canter is helping their students learn the ins-and-outs of the increasingly complex travel biz.

"We do enjoy it, especially if they are truly interested," Cox said. "We've had a couple who would have like to have continued on. But we do like teaching them. Most of them are amazed by how overwhelming it is, and how much there is to learn."