How to open a travel agency from home. How to open a travel agency from home

Explore tourism schools and education systems. Complete travel agent training at a college or independent training school.

Colleges may offer diplomas or certificates in tourism and hospitality, and provide broad or advanced study of all aspects of the travel and hospitality industry.
Travel agent training schools, on the other hand, offer more accelerated programs that specialize in specific travel agent duties, such as studying destinations, booking systems, or sales and marketing.

Get a certificate. Certification shows clients that you are familiar with the standards and professional ethics set by the certification body or educational institution in your field of study. The tourism industry has several widely recognized certification bodies.

Travel Institute offers a number of certified programs (Certified Travel Counselor, Certified Travel Associate or Certified Travel Industry Executive).
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) also offers industry-respected and recognized certification programs.

Find a job. To become an online travel agent, look for work in a travel agency at home or contact a leading agency to help you manage your travel business.

Work with a reputable travel agency. Many travel agencies make it possible to stay at home longer by working online through their resources and computerized systems. The advantage is that you can be a permanent employee with the support, resources, salary and benefits that the company offers.
Find a parent agency to start your own independent travel company. The main travel agency offers tour operator services, marketing support, online assistance, and access to booking sites and travel service providers. If you work with a leading agency, you only get a commission.

Find out about the requirements for registering as a travel agent in your area or country. Some states in the US require travel agents to be registered as sellers of travel services. This regulation helps protect the consumer and ensures that travel agencies follow the law when implementing travel offerings. In addition, countries such as Australia require a license for travel agents, which you should be aware of when starting your online travel business. Make sure you comply with local laws as set by local authorities.

Become a member of tourism associations, societies and organizations. Joining travel associations is considered a great way to stay connected to news and trends in the travel industry. Travel associations may also offer support and continuing education to their members.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA)/International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) are important entities to merge if you are looking to book flights as an online travel agent.

Travel agent- a person involved in the selection and sale of ready-made tours, focusing on the requirements and budget of the client. In fact, he is an intermediary between the client and the tour operator, he must be sociable and friendly. The work is both technical and creative. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in foreign languages, geography, social studies and have no interests (see the choice of profession for interest in school subjects).

Short description

The tour operator completes the tours, and the travel agents sell the generated offers without being responsible for their quality. Travel agents are individual entrepreneurs or employees of the organization, there are 2 forms of work:

purchase of a package of tours for the purpose of further implementation;
mediation between customers and the operator (does not require initial financial investments).

You can cooperate with different tour operators, which allows you to attract a larger number of potential buyers. The work is predominantly office work, it is more related to communication, and not to travel.

Features of the profession

The tourism business is gaining more and more popularity in Russia, routes to exotic countries, gastronomic and extreme trips are in great demand. Destinations are worked out by representatives of tour operators, and they sell ready-made offers through various channels, including through travel agents. The duties of the latter include the following types of work:

search for clients interested in travel;
conducting small advertising campaigns;
assistance in choosing a tour, taking into account the individual wishes of the customer: the number of people, the presence / absence of children, the given budget, requirements for the level of comfort and type of transport, others;
solving financial issues with clients and operators, booking;
providing reliable information about the tours and the selected region: ethnic, socio-demographic, cultural, culinary and other features;
conclusion of a contract for the provision of services;
providing maps, booklets and other types of printing products that will help customers to navigate well in the chosen country;
sending to the tour operator the documents and information necessary for issuing visas, vouchers, insurance, etc. In some cases, it is engaged in the independent execution of all necessary documentation.

The duties of an agent depend on the characteristics of his activities, the conditions of the travel operator with whom he interacts, and other factors. He must have an excellent knowledge of geography, the basics of management and economy, and conflict resolution.

Pros and cons of the profession

pros

An interesting job suitable for people with communication skills.
The activity brings a good profit, subject to the activity and interest of the agent.
In the future, by collecting start-up capital or finding an investor, you can open your own travel agency.
In the future, you can combine work with travel, promotional tours are available, but in this case, the agent devotes most of the time to solving business issues.
There are many training programs available at universities, colleges, and courses.

Minuses

Very high competition in the segment.
Lack of legislation clearly regulating the work of travel agents.
Clients who often don't know what they want.
It is not uncommon for an agent who sells a bad tour to receive complaints from customers, although he is not responsible for the quality.
Seasonality of demand for a tourist product.
Unstable income.

Important Personal Qualities

The lion's share of the time the travel agent devotes to communicating with customers. Of course, a silent or withdrawn person will not be able to work in sales. Therefore, communication skills, politeness, basic knowledge of psychology are extremely important. Gently be able to win over the client, having the ability to convince. An important role is played by eloquence and charm, accuracy and good memory. This sector needs agents who are fluent in 1-2 foreign languages.

Travel agent training

Every graduate of grades 9-11 can become a travel agent, choosing one of the ways to get a specialized education:

college after 11th grade. Priority area of training - "Tourism" ( code: 43.02.10), where full-time (4 years) and part-time (4.5 years) forms of education are available, as well as external studies. Profile USE - history, additional (1-3 to choose from a university) - geography, society, biology, foreign language or mathematics (profile);
college after 9th and 11th grades. When applying to college, pay attention to the direction "Tourism" or "Hotel Service", where you will have to study from 22 to 46 months, which depends on the initial school preparation. Exam - competition of matriculation certificates;
courses. Opened at schools of tourism, other educational organizations. Training can be full-time or remote, the terms depend on the chosen program.

If you want to qualify for higher salaries and strive for career growth, then you should immediately enter a university or college. It is better to choose courses for advanced training and development of professional skills, updating knowledge.

Top Universities for Travel Agents

REU them. G. V. Plekhanov.
RGGU.
MSGU.
RosNOU.
FEFU.
SevGU.
USPTU.
UrFU.
AltGU.

Best Colleges for a Travel Agent

CTGS.
RKTK.
BTEK.
SL them. S. I. Mosina.
YATEK.

Courses

Training center "Globus"

The training center implements distance learning programs, training tourism managers. There is also a course for people who want to start their own travel agency from scratch. The price of training is 8900 and 14900 rubles. respectively. Students, having completed training, receive personal certificates, as well as teaching aids.

Place of work

Travel agents are engaged in commercial activities, making out individual entrepreneurs, work in specialized companies. After gaining experience, it is possible to move up the career ladder.

Wage

The fee depends on the conditions of the travel operator with which the travel agent is cooperating. From each tour sold, he receives a profit, the average size of which is 10-15% of the amount paid by the customer. The interest rate depends on the activity of the agent, the number of attracted tourists and sold tours.

Salary as of 01/16/2020

Russia 15000—100000 ₽

Moscow 60000—150000 ₽

Professional knowledge

Economics of tourism business.
Rules of interaction with tourist operators.
Hotel service.
Foreign language.
Features of the pricing of the tourist product.
Selection of tours using combined technologies: software, tablets, computers.
Fundamentals of marketing, work with documents, economics, legal regulation of relations in the field of tourism.

The idea of organizing your own business in the tourism sector can be a profitable investment. Demand for such services is currently growing all over the world, and the fact that with a small investment of money you can end up making a significant profit attracts start-up businessmen to engage in just such a type of activity. How to open a travel agency from scratch so that it is profitable and quickly pays off the invested funds - we will analyze in detail all the necessary steps for its formation and prosperity.

So how do you start a travel business? The first step should be to draw up a business plan, which will contain all the necessary actions for its organization, as well as a miscalculation of the necessary investments, a projected payback period and the amount of monthly profit.

Step-by-step instructions on how to open a travel agency contains the following items:

analysis of market saturation and the possibility of opening in a particular region;
obtaining information about existing competitors, their main advantages and disadvantages;
registration as a private enterprise or LLC;
choosing the location of the agency's office, drawing up a lease agreement, buying premises or deciding to place the agency itself at home;
determination of the main types of services provided;
acquisition of the necessary org. appliances and furniture;
search and recruitment of personnel;
conclusion of contracts with tour operators;
organization of advertising;
opening.

Consider the most significant stages of how to open a travel agency from scratch in Russia.

Tourist infrastructure

Registration and paperwork

Registration of a travel agency includes the following steps:

choice of organizational form (it can be either an individual - an individual entrepreneur, or a legal entity - most often an LLC);
selection of a suitable company name and legal address;
the registration process, after which you will be issued a government certificate;
purchase of a cash register, its registration and registration at the place of provision of services.

In the event that, having wondered how to organize a tourism business from scratch, you choose the form of management of an LLC, then you will need to determine the size of the authorized capital, as well as formalize the founders. The minimum amount of the authorized capital must be at least 10 thousand rubles and is subject to distribution among the founders of the LLC.

Room location

How to open a travel agency from scratch in order to attract as many potential buyers as possible to it? One of the answers to this question is the convenient and advantageous location of your office. The main options that will be most beneficial for you are the following:

in high traffic areas. These may be areas in which organizations are located, other offices - the city center, its more lively areas. On the one hand, in such places, office rent is more expensive than in less crowded places, but then you will have to spend more money on advertising the business;
inside the shopping center. This option is also very beneficial in terms of a large flow of people. In addition, it can cost you less than renting a separate building or premises;
in sleeping areas. The flow of people in such places is somewhat less, but by renting a room near public transport stops or facing a busy road, it is quite possible to ensure that your company will be in sight. Then the presence of those wishing to use the services will be considerable;
The most budget option for the location of the office is to organize it at home. How to open a travel agency at home, is it really possible? Recently, when using the Internet you can get acquainted with the services of various companies, discuss by phone aspects of what kind of vacation the client prefers, this option is often used by novice businessmen. Of course, for this you still need to allocate a separate room in your house or apartment, equipping it accordingly. As practice shows, this option, with skillfully organized advertising and other marketing moves, can generate income even more than those firms that pay expensive rent for an office in the city center.

Services provided

One of the first and important stages of the process of how to open your travel agency from scratch is the choice of the direction of the type of activity, as well as the range of services provided. The list of possible ones included in the package of tourist services is as follows:

organization of delivery of the client to the place of rest (air flight, travel by car, etc.);
delivery from the place of arrival to the hotel (transfer);
resolving issues related to hotel accommodation and, in particular, food;
organization of related services (excursions, additional events);
delivery of the client to the station (airport) and back to the place of departure.

The tourism business itself can have the following directions:

excursion tours;
tours aimed at rest or recreation of children;
beach vacation;
organization of treatment (mainly preventive direction);
business tours;
shopping tours;
educational trips;
gastronomic tours.

It is worth noting that your future travel agency as a business will get the more opportunities for its profitability, the more services you can provide. This is mainly due to the fact that in this way the circle of potential customers increases. At the same time, do not forget about the quality of your work - positive feedback from people who have used the services of your company can be a good advertisement in the future.

Having chosen the premises for the location of the office, first of all, it will be necessary to repair and decorate it (if necessary). At the same time, it is important to remember that the services of travel agencies are mainly used by wealthy people, and comfort and cozy atmosphere are very important for them. You can add some elements of company attributes, photos of countries and places that your client can visit to the interior of the agency.

From furniture and office equipment you will need the following:

tables and chairs for company employees;
computers or laptops;
printer (this can be a monoblock that combines the functions of a printer, scanner and fax);
phone;
stationery;
Internet equipment. It is worth noting that in the work of a travel agency, the speed of the Internet is very important, as well as its constant availability, because most of the operations performed by the company's employees will be carried out with the help of it;
furniture for clients. For starters, it can be a comfortable sofa, armchairs and a table.

Resort hotel

Recruitment

After equipping everything necessary for working in the premises and carrying out repairs, you can begin to recruit staff.

When dealing with the question of how to become a travel agent at home, you may not even hire employees at first, providing services in person. In this case, you can somewhat reduce the cost of buying furniture for employees, and, as an option, use the one available in the house if it is of good quality and condition.

One of the important points of the question of how to become a travel agent from scratch is the selection of personnel who can most profitably present the services provided by your company and convince the person who comes to you to become a client. In this regard, when selecting employees, the following points should be considered:

if possible, employ people who already have experience in this field - such a person will not need to be additionally trained and explained the principle of work;
future employees of the company should look neat, communicate politely, competently and correctly;
employees of your travel agency should be fluent in computer programs, be a confident Internet user.

After the selection of employees, it will be necessary to officially employ them by concluding employment contracts with them.

Conclusion of contracts with tour operators

An equally important point on how to open your own travel agency from scratch is the conclusion of agreements with tour operators.

One of the distinguishing features of a travel agency from a tour operator is that the agency, when providing services and selling ready-made tours to customers, already offers a ready-made package - that is, it cooperates only with the tour operator. The tour operator, on the other hand, contacts hotels, airports, train stations, tour agencies, and in case of any violations of the contract (provision of improper services, discrepancy between the declared service and the actual service, problems with the delivery of customers), it is he who bears legal responsibility.

As a rule, it is better to conclude contracts with several operators that offer trips to different parts of the world and will satisfy any age category of customers and will meet their financial capabilities.

After you start working on the sale of a certain tour, you will return its cost to the tour operator, and receive direct profit from the sales margin. The markup in most travel agencies is about 10-15% of the cost of the tour and, as a rule, this is quite enough to recoup the investment and receive a monthly income.

Marketing activities and ways to increase income

Having considered the main points of what is needed to open a travel agency, one cannot fail to mention the need for marketing moves that consist in advertising and promoting your business. Of these, the following are worth noting:

advertising in the media - television, radio, print publications (especially pay attention to popular magazines);
outdoor advertising. This is, first of all, the design of the facade of your office space, a bright sign that glows at night, you can also install billboards and banners in other areas of the city;
Internet advertising. In addition to all the possible options for online advertising, it is imperative to create your own website, one that will contain all the necessary information for customers - a list of possible tours, their basic conditions, payment, organizational issues. It would be nice to separately provide the opportunity to write reviews about the work, because the comments of grateful customers will help attract even more people who want to use your services;
providing regular customers with discounts and bonuses;
control over the quality of services provided and prompt response to problems that have arisen in order to quickly solve them and, as a result, receive positive emotions for vacationers.

Depending on the range of services provided, the number of clients, the presence of branches, the monthly profit can start from 50 thousand rubles per month, and its upper threshold will depend only on the efforts you have made in developing the business.

As practice shows, capital investments in the organization and opening of a travel agency pay off in less than one year.

Do you want to start a travel agency business from home? Do you need a sample travel agency business plan template or feasibility study? Do you want to know what it takes to open a travel company? If YES, then I recommend reading this article.
The service industry is a key industry in the economy for most countries, and many entrepreneurs create their businesses in this industry. The travel agency is part of the service sector, and to put it mildly: this line of business invests in the economies of most countries in the world, especially those countries that attract the most visitors during the year, or countries where citizens travel frequently.
Not only celebrities love to go on vacations and cruises. The average person also wants to see other parts of the world, relax and have fun. If you happen to catch a glimpse of the list of things that most people want to do before leaving this world, then traveling to some part of the world is bound to be on the list for most people.
For others, the need to travel does not come from pleasure, but from business, conferences, or the nature of their work. Whatever it is, the travel industry remains a multi-billion dollar industry that continues to grow, growing twice as much on an annual basis.
The travel industry is a big industry within the travel industry. People travel daily from one part of the world to another. And we know perfectly well that where there is demand, there is income, and entrepreneurs go there to take advantage of this opportunity.
The industry is dominated by transport companies (Airlines, cruises, shipping companies and other carriers) and a special category of people who work behind the scenes and provide traveler convenience and value for money. Their duties include, but are not limited to -:

10 Responsibilities of a Travel Agent

* Organization of trips for clients
* Creation of a route for travel, according to the interests of customers
* Finding the best prices: from travel tickets to hotel rooms, and even event tickets
* Booking and reservation of travel tickets
* Booking and reservation of hotel rooms
* Provision of ground transport to clients, through car rental companies, during their stay in foreign countries
* Organization of special tours for people who wish to travel or go on vacation
* Travel insurance for clients
* Providing visa assistance and travel advisory services to clients
* Providing any form of service or assistance in order to improve the customer's travel experience

Since you are interested in starting your own travel agency, it is important to understand how a travel agency works and how it makes money. Of course, one of the best ways to understand how a travel agent works is to work and take the place of another successful travel agent.
When you are involved in the business itself, the trade secrets of the business are easier to understand. So, for a better understanding of how travel agents work and earn, it is best to work for a travel agency company. 6 Smart Ways Travel Agents Make Money
In this article, we will look at the key responsibilities of a travel agent and how they make money. Some travel agents can be creative and make money in unusual ways, which is why you should try to replace a successful agent near you. Everything will be easy if you know all the basics before you start.

Now we will consider the principles of the work of a travel agent and also consider their method of earning

A. Travel agent sells transport
Part of the daily work of a travel agent is selling vehicles to individuals who wish to travel. For most people, an easy, quick and convenient way to purchase airfare, train and cruise tickets is through a travel agent. In fact, travel agencies buy discounted tickets and make money on agreements with the transportation company: they sell tickets to customers and, accordingly, receive good commissions.

B. Travel agent sells temporary accommodation
Another key business activity of travel agents is the sale of temporary accommodation to clients. This means that the client needs to book both local and international hotel rooms. If you want to travel to a country and intend to stay in a hotel during your visit, then travel agents should be able to help you choose a hotel that suits your needs and your budget. The travel agent then makes hotel reservations on your behalf. In some cases, the travel agent may have a business relationship with the hotel and they may receive interest as a commission.

C. Travel agent sells entertainment tickets
Travel agents also sell tickets for entertainment programs from around the world. For example: if you intend to travel from Lagos to Los Angeles to attend the Grammy Awards, it will be easier to book tickets through a travel agent, as they are well versed in the logistics involved in acquiring such scarce tickets. Well-trained travel agents know how to negotiate locally and internationally with the organizers of such large events, and as a result of negotiations, travel agents can become accredited agents.

D. Travel agent consults with individuals and organizations
Another business activity of travel agents is that they serve as travel consultants for individuals and organizations. Some people prefer to speak with an experienced and well-versed travel agent before choosing a holiday destination. If you need to choose destinations for two tourists, it is best to talk to a travel expert, he will point you to the right choice, which you will not doubt. Of course, the consultation is not free, but you will certainly get everything you need.

E. Travel agent organizes trips, vacations and excursions for clients
Travel agents organize trips, vacations and excursions and everything else for clients. Creative travel agents prepare affordable vacations (transportation, temporary accommodation and excursions included) and sell to interested individuals. Most people who don't usually want to go on their own will accept this offer.
Some travel agents even prepare trips for people who don't want to pay right away, but over time. They focus on schools, corporate organizations and even religious
institutes to sell various vouchers. In this regard, they earn money (profit) from the sale of vouchers: of course, they take into account all the costs associated with organizing holidays / excursions and so on, and then add their own profit.

f. Purchasing a Visa
Other business activities of travel agents are assisting in consulting and acquiring visas for clients - preparing clients for visa interviews, etc. They handle all the logistics related to the acquisition of a tourist visa and a transit visa. Travel agents earn through commission through service fees. Fees or commissions vary from country to country.
As mentioned before, there are other legal ways for travel agents to make money, for example a travel agent can refer clients with immigration problems to immigration lawyers and they charge their commission.
I think that you have already understood the different ways of starting this business. Therefore, if you want to work as a travel agent in the tourism industry, then below is a guide on starting a travel agency from home.
Starting a Travel Agency - Sample Business Plan Template
Before I talk about starting an online travel agency business, I want to state that all the information in this article does not save you from doing a feasibility study, creating a travel agency business plan and sticking to hard work.

Secondly, the information in this article is acceptable for any place: be it the USA, Canada, England, Nigeria, Ghana, etc. So, without wasting your time, here are some creative ways to start your own travel agency business from home with little or no money.

1. Start from home - Yes, you can start a travel agency from home with just the internet, phone and the right contacts. It will even increase your profits as you can reduce your overheads. From home, you can easily sell travel tickets and provide other travel services to your client if you have a fast internet connection, and over time you will become trustworthy.
2. Become an independent travel agent - As an independent travel agent, you will be associated with a larger travel agency, however you will work on your own. You will help sell their products and refer people to their business for a commission. As an independent travel agent, you will have access to the right resources to open a travel agency, gain the right experience, build your own client list, and eventually quit and start your own company. Again, it is possible to start this business from the comfort of your home (note that some clients will schedule visits) and work with more than one travel agency.
3. Consider startup costs
The location of the office of your travel agency business will directly affect the required start-up capital. This is very important and should be considered when starting a travel agency business. With home travel agency businesses in the early days, you can get by with a computer and telephone. If you prefer an office, be aware of additional costs such as electricity, furniture, and rent.
4. Consider Franchising
You might want to open a travel agency without too much stress and experience. To do this, you can buy a franchise from a permanent travel agency. All necessary training and necessary materials will be provided to you by this company.
5. Know your responsibilities
One of the essential requirements for starting your own travel agency business is knowing the extent of the business owner's responsibilities. While common knowledge is booking cruises, flights, and hotel rooms, there are also other services that can be provided to customers. This includes assistance with obtaining passports and visas; arranging transportation from the airport to the hotel; researching various outings for companies and groups, conferences and business meetings; and even participating in event planning, for events such as birthdays or weddings.
6. Have adequate knowledge of the clientele
When learning how to start a travel agency business, you should be aware that there are two markets to focus on. The first market includes traveling consumers and customers. The second market is the business or corporate category.

* Specialized travel services - This type of travel agency provides services designed for a selected category of people. For example, a travel agency may choose education as its niche and only provide travel assistance to people who travel abroad for educational purposes. They can help with admissions, student visas, housing, employment and other undergraduate services for students. Other niches include travel for pregnant women, business travel, leisure, wedding appointments.
* Corporate Travel Services - Some companies have dedicated travel departments for their employees and visitors, however due to the recent downsizing by many companies for economic reasons, most companies are now outsourcing this service to other companies. Corporate travel agents handle the inbound and outbound travel services of corporate organizations.
You also need to know the category of people who use travel agencies in order to understand who your customers are and how to reach them. Most people who use travel agencies are:
* Newlywed couples going on honeymoon.
* Businessmen or business ladies who visit other countries for business purposes
* People who move from one country to another.
* Students who want to go on field trips or summer holidays.
* People traveling on vacation.
* Special groups that are going on tour, such as religious groups, clubs and social groups.
* Other casual travelers

All these personalities are only a part of the people who use travel agencies and for the prosperity of your business you need to provide everyone with vouchers. You can arrange trips for children during the summer, offer special packages for business travelers, help plan honeymoon services. As a travel agent, you have to handle a job that depends on the number of
successful and final booking for people. If you're good at running the business, it's entirely possible that you could make roughly $100,000 a year.

7. Write down your business plan
Writing down your plan will help you have a solid foundation, and help you secure funds from investors if you need additional capital to start a business.

8. Check Your State and Local Government Guidelines for Starting a Travel Agency
Depending on where you live, you may need to submit the necessary documents to legally establish your business. It may also be that you will need to submit the relevant documents in order to start legally operating in your state, according to the principles of local government.

* Register your business - Once you have chosen the type of travel agencies mentioned above, you need to register your business with the relevant authorities before you start operating it.

9. Equip your office - Depending on whether you will be working from home as a branch office, or want to own your own company, you need to have some office equipment such as telephone, computer, fax machine, internet connection, files and cabinets, desks and chairs and other things needed for smooth operation.

10. Open two bank accounts
The first account is for your business as an independent travel agent, where all the outgoing and incoming track funds of your business will be stored, and the other account is better used to store the money provided by your customers for travel bookings.

11. Look for companies you will work with