Open your own travel agency. How to open your own travel agency: step by step

How to open a travel agency: market analysis + 5 steps to start a business + detailed financial plan + calculation of business profitability.

Capital investments: from 425,000 rubles.

Payback period: from 8 months.

Do you have a good knowledge of geography and excellent organizational skills? Or maybe you just want to give people joy and organize an unforgettable vacation for them that they want to repeat? Or are you a fast learner and want to experience the joys of financial independence and start your own business?

Then information about how to open a travel agency, will be relevant to you. Today we will find out the intricacies of doing this business, as well as how much money will be needed to start it.

Tour operator and travel agency: find out the difference

Before proceeding to the answer to the question of how to open a travel agency, let's start with the fact that many of them are still with a tour operator. And knowing the difference between these two categories is useful not only for those who are going on vacation, but also for those who wish in this industry.

Firstly, it is the operator who “creates” the tour from beginning to end: it forms, promotes and sells. Its specialists book a hotel, pay for a flight ticket, select excursions, and provide transport for tourists.

As for the implementation of the tour, he can do it on his own or through agencies. The duty of the second is to sell the ticket. The travel agency selects the necessary option for the client, informs him about all its nuances

Therefore, the number one difference: the tour operator forms a tour, and the travel agency only implements it.

Secondly, to start the activity of a tour operator, it is necessary to register only as a legal entity with a certain financial security. While a travel agent can be both an individual entrepreneur and a legal entity.

Difference number two: you can open a travel agency in any organizational and legal form, and it does not need to have financial security, since, unlike a tour operator, it does not pay insurance.

Thirdly, the tour operator is responsible for pricing. That is, the agency sells the tour at a certain price. And his reward will be a commission, which is set by the company that provides the ticket.

Difference number three: the travel agent does not affect the cost of the tour, he works for a fee from the tour operator. In addition, sometimes, in order to achieve large sales volumes, specialists can reduce the price, unfortunately at the expense of their commissions.

Fourthly, by default, it is the operator who is responsible for the "failed" tour, to whom claims from customers will be made.

The travel agency is responsible only under the contract, and most often its responsibility is related to the fact that it must fully inform the client, pay for his ticket and tell him about all his rights and obligations.

Therefore, difference number four: it is the tour operator who is responsible for the quality of the tour, unless otherwise provided by the contract.

Typical scheme of work of a travel agency

Having decided to open a travel agency, you need to understand the scheme of its work:

1. The current travel agent is looking for trusted operators with whom he concludes a contract for further cooperation.
2. The travel agent studies the proposals offered by the tour operator to the smallest detail and begins to look for customers.
3. If one is found, then the travel agent concludes an agreement with him and submits an application for booking services with the operator.
4. The tour operator accepts the application and, which must subsequently be paid.
5. After that, the funds received by the travel agent, minus the established commission (as a rule, it is 10-15%), are transferred to the account of the tour operator.
6. The tour operator transfers all the necessary documents to the agent, who subsequently issues all the information to the tourist.
7. After the transaction, the agency sends the report to the operator, who prepares an invoice for it.

Note: if the client refuses to travel after payment, then you will be forced to pay the fine to the operator. Such a "pitfall" must be taken into account if you want to open a travel agency according to this scheme.

The situation in the Russian tourist market

Opening a travel agency and not analyzing this industry is extremely reckless. Any business should start with studying the situation on the market, finding out its strengths and weaknesses.

The tourist market of Russia does not cease to develop constantly. Even in small towns, you can find travel agencies that offer their services. Often they are approached by those who wish to travel abroad for impressions.

But at present, under the influence of many factors (exchange rates, the unstable situation in a number of foreign countries, etc.), domestic tourism has begun to be in demand. And this is not surprising, because our country is famous for its many beautiful places, which also attract foreign tourists.

Therefore, having decided to open a travel agency, look for operators who deal with such tours.

It is also worth noting that in 2017 the situation in the tourism market has improved significantly compared to the previous two years. And by the way, Russian tourists began to prefer more exotic countries than Europe. Therefore, opening a travel agency is now quite profitable due to the development of this area.

Special attention is paid to online sales. Nowadays, people are buying more and more on the Internet, so creating your own website with the possibility of online booking and payment is a must.

As for the strengths of the business, everything will depend only on the quality and organization of your work.

Therefore, deciding to open a travel agency, you need to bet on:

• providing a wide range of services;
• competent employees who focus not only on the number of sold tours, but also on quality customer service;
• cooperation with trusted and well-known tour operators.

Opening a travel agency is associated with risks that must be taken into account:

• Seasonality - it so happened that for the most part people love foreign holidays in the summer and for the new year.
• High competition- the tourism business is a fairly filled niche, new players are constantly appearing on the market who can provide customers with something new and better.
• Lack of stability- exchange rate changes, the political and economic situation in the country, inflation affect the work of travel agencies, as these factors may reduce the purchasing power of customers.

Inability to accurately predict performance- even with a detailed study and analysis of tour sales, it is impossible to accurately calculate the expected profit.

For this reason, you need to focus on advertising in order to attract as many customers as possible.

Step-by-step instructions on how to open a travel agency

When answering the question of how to open a travel agency, you need to understand that the main expenses will go to equipping the office, creating a website and, of course, promotion.

The very process of opening a "tourist" business will consist of the following stages:

Stage	1 month	2 month	3 month	4 month
Choosing the name of the travel agency	+
Business registration	+
Search for premises and its arrangement	+	+
Search for operators		+
Site creation			+
Recruitment			+
Advertising				+
Starting a business				+

With well-coordinated and properly organized work, it will be possible to open a travel agency in 3-4 months.

Step 1. Choosing a name for a travel agency and registering a business

So, you have analyzed the market, assessed your capabilities and are sure that this business is for you. Now we need to take concrete action. And the first step is for your travel agency. It should be simple, but memorable, and also evoke associations with relaxation.

You can come up with a sonorous name yourself, or you can use the services of specialists.

After that, you can start registering. You can open a travel agency as an individual entrepreneur or a legal entity. It all depends on your ambitions, so if your plans include expanding your business and creating an entire network, or you want to start a business with a partner, then choose an LLC.

When applying for registration, do not forget to indicate the OKVED code. But remember that the classification is constantly changing. As of 2017, for the tourism business it looks like this:

As for the taxation system, according to the law "On the Fundamentals of Tourism in the Russian Federation", it is allowed to use the simplified tax system: "Income" 6% or "Income-Expenses" 6-15%.

Step 2. Search and arrangement of premises for a travel agency

A well-chosen location is a key point in how to open a travel agency. If you plan to start your business in a small town, then do it only in the center.

In a big city, the choice of premises is more extensive:

• crowded places;
• sleeping areas in which competitors are not yet "operating".

The room itself should not be large, 25-35 sq.m. is enough. But at the same time, it should be carefully equipped with furniture, office equipment, decor items.

Estimated costs for the repair and arrangement of the premises will look like this:

Name	Quantity, pcs.	price, rub.	Total cost, rub.
Total:	-	-	RUB 147,000
Table for workers	2	4 000	8 000
Chairs	4	1 000	1 000
Sofa for clients	1	10 000	10 000
Rack	1	10 000	10 000
laptops	2	30 000	60 000
MFP	1	15 000	15 000
Electric kettle	1	1 000	1 000
Modem	1	2 000	2 000
Phone line	2	15 000	30 000
Internet	1	3 000	3 000
Decor items	1	2 000	2 000
other expenses	-	-	5 000

Step 3. Search for travel operators for cooperation

The next step in how to open a travel agency is to find operators. This step must be approached with all responsibility, because if there are any inconsistencies, then the client will remain dissatisfied with your work.

So, when choosing operators, pay attention to such factors:

• time spent on the market;
• recognition;
• the size of the commission;
• terms of cooperation.

The most popular tour operators in Russia:

Step 4. Recruitment for opening a travel agency

The success of the business depends on the quality of the work of the staff. And for starters, you can hire only two sales managers who will receive a salary and a percentage of the number of transactions made.

The responsibilities of these professionals should include:

• selection and consulting of clients;
• monitoring of attractive tours and their prices;
• making deals with tourists;
• reservation of vouchers and their registration with the tour operator;
• keeping up to date with the latest developments in tourism.

If you decide to open a travel agency, then at the initial stages, take the reins of government into your own hands. At the beginning of work, this will be correct and expedient, since you will be able to fully control the process and instantly identify errors in the work.

Positions such as an accountant, system administrator, cleaning lady may not be on a permanent staff. For this you can.

Step 5. Promotion and advertising for opening a travel agency

Just opening a travel agency and waiting for clients will not work ...

No one will know about your services if you do not declare yourself. And you need to engage in active promotion on an ongoing basis, especially if you want to attract tourists not only in the summer and New Year seasons.

You can use advertising tools such as:

• sign at the entrance;
• distribution of leaflets on the street;
• advertising in local publications;
• radio advertising;
• advertising in social networks of the city and on the Internet.

How much does it cost to open a travel agency?

And here we come to the culmination of the answer to the question of how to open a travel agency - the financial component.

So, capital investments will consist of the following items of expenditure:

Item of expenses	Amount, rub.
Total:	RUB 425,000
Business registration	25 000
First month's rent payment	20 000
Indoor repair	50 000
Room equipment	147 000
Site development	30 000
Payroll for the first month of work	40 000
Outsourcing	40 000
Advertising expenses	60 000
other expenses	13 000

But opening a travel agency is not all. You need to constantly invest in it.

Therefore, the approximate monthly costs of opening a travel agency will look like this:

Calculation of business profitability and payback period of investments in a travel agency

Having on hand the approximate costs of opening and maintaining a travel agency, you can predict the level of profitability of the business.

Successful agencies with two managers can close up to 300 deals per month. But most often, such indicators are typical for a business that is already established in the market.

Let's imagine that the average cost of one sold tour is 28,000 rubles (we take into account the current dollar exchange rate). The transaction fee is 10%. And in order for income to exceed expenses, you need to conclude at least 70 transactions per month (2-3 transactions per day):

70 * 28,000 * 10% = 196,000 rubles. (with expenses of 175,000 rubles)

And with this course of business, the profit will be penny:

196,000 - 175,000 \u003d 21,000 rubles.

Profit after tax:

21,000 - 3,150 = 17,850 rubles

But suppose that such indicators will be only in the first 3-4 months, while you declare yourself. And soon you will bring them to 120-140 transactions per month.

Then your projected income with the same expenses will be:

130 * 28,000 * 10% = 364,000 rubles.

With this work, the profit will be: RUB 160,650

Based on such financial calculations, it can be assumed that investments in opening a business will pay off in 8-10 months.

The main emphasis is how to open a travel agency, you need to do for advertising and, of course, cooperation only with trusted operators. Also, do not discount the motivation of specialists. Think of rewards for a job well done. The simplest is the payment of a percentage of the sales of tours.

How to open a travel agency from scratch?

From idea to first profit - in one video:

The tourism business itself is constantly evolving, so be sure to keep up with the latest in this area and fully devote yourself to the business, and then success will not be long in coming.

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The travel agency acts as an intermediary between the tourist and the tour operator and receives a monetary reward for this. The tourism industry is highly competitive. Let's take a look at what a travel agency does, is it a profitable business, and is it worth opening another travel agency in this market.

What does a travel agency do

Travel agencies are one of the areas of business activity that deals with selling tours population.

The tour may include a certain number of services individually selected for individuals or have the form of a fully formed (package) tour.

A tour that incorporates a standard set of services: a booked hotel room, a round-trip flight and insurance is called package tour.

A tour that includes all the same services, but selected individually depending on the preferences of the customer, is called individual.

In the event that you have never worked in the tourism business before, it makes sense to start by selling certain types of tours: either packaged or individual. What type of tour to prefer for implementation, everyone chooses for himself.

If you have no experience in the travel business at all, then you can first work for some time in an existing travel company to understand everything from the inside. Or you can open a franchise travel agency.

Travel companies that have chosen for themselves a market segment consisting of VIP persons sell only individual tours. The percentage of orders here is, of course, lower, but the cost of tours is many times higher. As a result, the income from the sale of individual tours is much more significant than from package tours.

In turn, the implementation package tours much easier - in this case, everything has already been selected. Often, potential tourists know what they want and apply only to arrange, book and pay for everything. Package tours help to reduce the time of selecting a particular service and eliminate the possibility that the customer will be disappointed.

The agency's profit consists in the difference in prices for tours between the tour purchased from the tour operator and the tour sold to an individual. The tour is organized directly by the tour operator: draws up contracts with the embassies of the host countries, concludes contracts and monitors the obligatoriness of their implementation with insurance and transport companies, hotels, etc.

The requirements for paperwork when applying for a visa are strictly regulated by each tour operator in its own way. Responsibility for obtaining travel documents such as vouchers, transfers, insurance and incorrect paperwork for obtaining a visa lies with travel companies.

In order for the tour operator to be able to provide tourists with a full package of ordered services, travel agencies are required to complete all the necessary documents and transfer payment for them on time.

Tour operators provide for penalties if the customer decides to terminate the contract for the provision of services. The amount of fines is specified in the contract and may vary depending on the selected tour operator.

Is it profitable to open a travel agency?

Many entrepreneurs, having opened their own travel agency, prosper. But experts are convinced that before opening your travel agency, need to think very carefully weighing all the pros and cons.

If you agree to change your measured life for constant unrest and stress (and you can’t do without it!), You can start planning your business. After all, with him you will receive a good income and constant travel to different countries, because the head of a travel agency is obliged to establish business ties.

Among other things, it is necessary to mention the high competition in this business area. Statistics show that 30% of travel agencies live no more than a year.

If you still decide to work in the field of tourism, you need to think through everything to the smallest detail and make every effort. So, what does it take to open a travel agency?

What do you need to open your own travel agency?

Stages of registration of a tourism agency.

The most important principle in the tourism business is trust level travel agency chosen by the customer. Therefore, when registering a travel company, LLC, an individual entrepreneur should be preferred, since such an organizational and legal form of management inspires more confidence in the customer.

At the same time, the main thing in trust and reputation is how you will work with clients, and the legal form of your travel agency can be any.

For travel companies, a simplified form of tax deductions is provided. For example, for the simplified tax system, two calculation options can be applied: at a rate of 15% on the difference between expenses and income, or at a rate of 6% of the total income. The most favorable tax rate is 15% if the company has a significant part of the expenses.

Travel agency licensing.

Currently no license required. Although until 2007, licensing was mandatory for travel agencies. Now it has become a voluntary matter, that is, at the discretion of the owner.

If the manager wants to increase the level of trust of potential customers, then the license should still be issued.

Selection of tour operators for cooperation.

After registering an agency, the first thing you should pay attention to is choice of tour operator.

And there is someone to choose from - there is a large selection of tour operators on the market. In this case, you should not enter into cooperation with dubious operators. Exaggeratedly low prices for services should alert you, this will not lead to anything good. Travel for a tourist can be disrupted for various reasons, and a dubious operator, in pursuit of profit, is unlikely to warn about this.

Main emphasis when choosing a reliable operator need to do the following:

1. company priorities,
2. the duration of its operation in this area,
3. financial security.

It will be very convenient for you to choose an operator if its main office is located in your city. In this case, the paperwork will take place without intermediaries.

Staff

Location selection

Advertising, clients

In order for a client to come to you, you need, so that the client knows about you. Here you can use any media: newspapers, magazines, banners, as well as advertising on radio and television, advertising in transport. It all depends on the amount you are willing to invest in advertising.

So, if you decide to open your own travel agency, you need to:

• correct preparation and execution of documents;
• select qualified workers;
• choose a crowded place for the office;
• properly advertise your services.

After compulsory licensing of tourism activities in Russia was canceled in 2007, many entrepreneurs began to wonder how to open a travel agency from scratch, and the Internet was full of step-by-step instructions for this type of business. It is not surprising, starting investments are minimal, and this profitable business with small investments pays off after selling only 500 vouchers. What do you need to open a travel agency and where to start?

There are 2 types of service providers in the tourism services market - travel agencies and tour operators. Travel agencies sell ready-made tours, while operators develop them: they select hotels and book rooms in them, organize air travel, and they also set the amount of commission that a travel agency will receive for selling tours.

Travel agencies, in turn, are of two types: some specialize in domestic tours, while others specialize in international ones.

Opening a profitable travel agency from scratch

So, before you open a travel agency from scratch, you need to choose a priority direction for sending tourists - abroad or within the country. In the first case, they usually offer some unique thematic trips, for example, visiting all the major churches in Russia in 7 days or an ecotour with a demonstration of how strawberry cultivation is organized using Dutch technology, and foreigners can also be received. In the case of international destinations, they usually rely on popular beach holidays and elite expensive tours.

What do you need to open a travel agency?

• Registration of the agency as a legal entity - LLC or IP. In most cases, the form of an individual entrepreneur is more profitable, since it is less expensive and does not require authorized capital. However, some tour operators refuse to work with firms registered as individual entrepreneurs.
• Room rental. It is enough to find a room with an area of ​​20 m2 and preferably in the city center. There is also an opinion that it is better to locate the office next to other travel agencies, as customers love choice and will gladly go to all the nearest firms to choose the best tour and the best price.
• Repair and arrangement of the premises. Cosmetic repairs of an office with an area of ​​20 m2 will cost from 50,000 rubles. About 18,000 rubles more will have to be spent on two telephone lines, as well as on the Internet. In total, about 100,000 rubles will need to be spent on the furnishings and the purchase of equipment.
• Until 2007, step-by-step instructions on how to open a travel agency included obtaining a license from scratch and collecting documentation, but now paperwork has been reduced to a minimum, which is why everyone is attracted to this type of business.
• Obtaining statistics codes and opening a bank account, not forgetting to report this to the tax office.
• Acquisition of access to a single search database for tours and tour operators. The most common example is tourindex.ru. Access costs from 13,000 rubles for half a year and allows you to quickly show the client all possible offers without going to the website of each tour operator. Any step-by-step instruction on how to open a travel agency from scratch will certainly note that access to the database of tour operators is the most important step. If funds allow, you can also purchase special software to simplify workflow, it costs about 9,000 rubles and is designed for 4 seats.
• Search and hiring of personnel. A minimum of 2 sales managers will be required, and the business owner himself usually combines customer service and administrative work. They usually do not hire an accountant, but pay a part-time job 5-8 thousand rubles a month. The salary of managers is approximately 10,000 rubles + 1-3% from the sale of tours. Employees are also periodically sent on study tours to popular destinations.
• Signboard, advertising and website creation - customer search. Here, too, you need to decide on priorities - to bet on the Internet or traditional advertising, because today both directions are costly. However, all the companies that have been thinking about how to open a travel agency and what is needed for this eventually agree on one opinion - the best advertising is word of mouth, recommendations from satisfied customers.

The average price of a tour in popular destinations is about $700-800. The agency earns on average 10% commission from the sale of the tour, that is, $ 70-80. In the first year of the company's work, there will be few orders, about 40 contracts per month in summer and only 15-20 in winter. The most difficult thing is to survive the off-season in the first year, as well as send 400-500 clients abroad. If the company has successfully survived the first year of operation, then in the future the number of customers will constantly grow by 2-3 times.

And when the travel agency is quite strong, it can try to become a tour operator. To do this, you will need to buy a liability insurance policy for 5 million rubles and enter the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators. This will allow you to independently create tours, satisfying the demand of regular customers for exotic destinations and set your own prices.

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How to start a travel agency from scratch and succeed

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You can't beat the big players by cutting prices, so you'll have to work hard to get your services worth the money you ask for them. The services that make you stand out from the rest are very important. The overall quality of services is the key to success.

Tourism is an extremely competitive industry, and when you open a travel agency, you are putting yourself through a lot of hard work. And when starting a business, you will not be able to take advantage of the opportunity for a free or extremely cheap vacation - you simply will not have time. So the motivation should be related to the job and the services you provide.

You will be negotiating with people all day long, in person or on the phone, which takes effort, even if you enjoy talking to people. If you don't have the stamina for that, you shouldn't open a travel agency.

In the tourism business, it is more important not to sell tours, but rather to sell consultations. Your customers want to be sure they can rent a car, go for a walk or get a vegetarian meal. It is very important to provide them with a personal touch.

You do not need to have experience in tourism. It will help, of course, but the most important thing is to be ready for quick learning.

How to start

It is quite possible to open a travel agency from home with a computer and telephone. You can start building a client relationship with friends and family, so it's technically easy to get started.

But you need to think big if you want the business to survive. Competition at the local level or at the front street level is not high enough for business success. A truly local business will not survive in such a market. It needs to be available all over the country.

Look for areas that are not yet well covered by travel agencies and start a business there. Or you can start a business that provides specialized travel services and does not require an office.

How much does it cost?

Office costs can be very high, but if your travel agency is highly specialized, you can save on office space by hiring in an area where it is the cheapest.

Staff:

However, a remote but cheaper office can be a disadvantage when it comes to hiring staff. It's not an industry that earns very high salaries, but there is competition for good staff.

Look for people who have experience in tourism and who will be attracted to a cheap vacation and offer them good working conditions. Roughly speaking, you will need to spend as much on salaries as on office rent, but you need to be prepared to pay more for experience or knowledge of foreign languages.

Before you open a travel agency, you need to think about how customers find out about your company. Local newspapers, yellow pages, teletext are good ways, but they are not cheap.

Word of mouth advertising is effective, but be aware that this is not a business where, with good service, you will definitely be contacted again. Your customers will tell their friends about the great service they have received, but high price competition will force people to explore other options, even if they end up coming to you.

Opening a travel agency

Develop a plan

Develop a realistic business plan for opening your travel agency. You will need to compete successfully with both existing agencies and websites where people can book their own hotel and plane tickets. If you don't have experience in the tourism business, you can work for an existing travel agency for a few months to get one.

You should also have a realistic financial plan. After compiling it, consult with an accountant.

Define a Niche

When developing a business plan for a travel agency, focus on your differentiators. Extended vacations, trips that include more than one flight and hotel reservations, and guided tours are much more difficult to plan using online services. Many firms also prefer independent organization of trips using the Internet to work with a certain travel agency. When defining your niche, focus on what interests you and what you are good at. If you have extensive experience, for example, in sightseeing tours to Europe, it is better to open a travel agency that specializes in such tours. If you have connections in the business environment and experience in organizing corporate travel, it is better to open a travel agency focused specifically on companies.

Create connections

Advertise your travel agency by emphasizing your specialization and targeting potential clients. In your promotional material, such as a brochure or website, describe your experience organizing tours and why it would be difficult for people to organize tours themselves. Based on your knowledge, you may be able to save clients money by bundling tours or organizing them at less busy times of the year.

Travel agency profit

A travel agency's arrival is the commission it receives for selling a tour operator's package. The visibility of your travel company is important, because international tour operators will not give a large commission to an unknown organization. Commissions can vary greatly.

The minimum commission starts from 10%, and for well-known travel agencies it reaches 18%. So it will be difficult for you to compete if you are just starting out.

For example, if the average cost of a voucher is 25,000 rubles, then by selling 4 vouchers per day, you can get an income of 300,000 rubles. per month, which should be enough to cover the costs.

How to start a franchise travel agency

How to open a travel agency and not go bankrupt in the first year? (and this happens to 90% of new firms) One solution to this problem is to open a franchise travel agency. You will be provided with a business model, a ready-made brand, contacts with a tour operator, and well-established business processes. Of course, you will have to pay for this, but, as a rule, the fee is not very high.

If you are new to the business, then a franchise is the best way for you to open a travel agency. Unfortunately, today there are not many travel agencies on the Russian franchising market, so the franchisee's choice will be limited.

How to start a tourism business

It must be understood that the tourism business is a much broader concept than a travel agency or travel agency. The tourism business includes hotels, transportation, organization of excursions, etc. In general, there are 2 areas of tourism business:

1) Your clients are vacationing elsewhere. Your company organizes the collection of documents, delivery and negotiates with the host, which is engaged in servicing tourists. Almost the entire tourist business in Russia operates according to this scheme.

2) Another option is to accept tourists from other cities and countries. Most of the tourism business in countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Spain, Greece, etc. works according to this scheme. Although there are travel agencies there that provide local residents with the opportunity to relax in another country.

The organization of the tourism business of the first direction is much simpler, since it does not require the creation of infrastructure, the construction of hotels, keeping the sights clean, ensuring the safety of tourists, etc. Usually, when people in Russia talk about the organization of the tourist business, they mean exactly this.

The tourism business related to the first direction can be conditionally divided into 2 directions: travel agencies and tour operators. Travel agencies are engaged in the resale of ready-made tourism products, and usually they do not require large investments to open. Tour operators, on the other hand, are organizing tours, often renting planes and hotels abroad. They carry significant risks, but also receive significant profits. They are engaged in the implementation of their tours both themselves and with the help of travel agencies.

In the tourism business, one should not confuse a travel agency and a tour operator. The difference is that travel agencies sell tours, and tour operators organize them. You can open a tour operator company, but you need to compete with large companies that buy seats in airplanes and hotels in bulk, which allows you to reduce the cost of their tours.

How to become a travel agent

So, you have decided to become a travel agent, that is, to sell vouchers for one or more tour operators. You do not bear significant risks, but the most difficult problem of business falls on you - the problem of sales.

Business idea: open a travel agency from scratch

And you need to solve it well, because commissions are the only source of your income.

First of all, it is necessary to determine the direction of activity. Will you work only in the most popular destinations (Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt) or will you provide tours to almost all countries? Will you specialize in beach holidays or skiing? What tour operators will you work with?

When the answers to these questions are ready, you need to think about how you will attract customers. Use advertising in print media and the Internet, give the company a good name, come up with a twist. And don't forget to serve customers well - then they will contact you again and bring friends.

How to become a tour operator

Becoming a tour operator requires a significant initial investment. It is the tour operators who organize tours and set prices for them, as well as the amount of commission for travel agents.

Most often, tour operators emerge from successfully developing travel agencies, thus immediately having a market for their services.

How to open a travel company without start-up capital

It is possible to open a travel company without start-up capital, but you need to understand that in this case you will have to give up all the benefits associated with high costs. And this is, first of all, the office, advertising and staff. The problem of lack of staff is easily solved. As long as the profits are small, you can do everything yourself. When the number of clients increases, and, consequently, the volume of work and profits, you can hire staff to help you. Lack of office due to lack of staff is also not a big problem. You just need to find another place to meet with clients.

Lack of money for advertising is a serious problem. It is necessary to look for clients on your own, without spending a lot of money, to build a client base. You can use the Internet, communicate with as many people as possible and tell them about your services ... By and large, opening a travel company without start-up capital is the solution to this problem.

How to open a travel agency to work with corporate clients

Work with corporate clients is singled out as a separate niche of the tourism business, and if you open a travel agency, focusing on them, you can get many advantages. But entering this market can be difficult. Many companies have their own staff who deal with tours, or travel agencies with which they have been cooperating for a long time. However, new companies regularly appear that do not yet have established relationships with travel agencies, and some companies are not satisfied with the work of travel agencies with which they cooperate, so starting a travel agency can be a good idea. Or you can find a place as an independent travel agent working from home. In any case, with the right approach, you can earn very good money.

Responsibilities

Owners of travel agencies working with corporate clients often have to deal with various responsibilities. In addition to buying air tickets (and adding a surcharge to their cost) and performing other functions typical of travel agents, corporate travel agencies can also provide the following additional services:

• Search for hot tours
• Assistance in obtaining visas and passports
• Organization of delivery of clients to the airport
• Fulfillment of special requirements of managers (for example, renting limousines, delivering cardio equipment to the room, etc.)
• Implementation of all arrangements required to enable the client company to attend all congresses and conferences
• Provision of scheduling services for all other meetings
• Providing cost management services to help clients keep costs under control

The nature of the corporate business model is such that many services may require very short notice.

But instead of becoming a nuisance, urgent work is always an opportunity to take large commissions, although in this situation you need to act according to the circumstances. It may not be worth raising prices for an important client who has a lot of orders, unless they are always urgent.

Potential clients

Almost any company is your potential client, although it is more likely that large companies with a large number of employees will work with travel agencies. Most likely, your clients will also include:

• Companies too small to support tour staff and too busy to do so
• Departments involved in the organization of tours in large companies. They might need your help
• Travel agencies that can not cope with the volume of work
• High-ranking executives who travel so often that they need a person who will deal only with their plans.
• Musicians (including bands) and professional athletes

Some people can visit several countries at once in a year. That is why the idea of ​​opening a travel agency is just perfect for starting your own business. In the market of tourist services there are travel agents, as well as tour operators.

Tour operators are engaged in the creation of a tourist package, which includes: developing routes, buying charters, booking hotel rooms, arranging transfers, organizing the reception and departure of tourists, helping in choosing excursions.

Travel agents, in essence, are sellers of travel packages (such intermediaries), they are directly connected with tour operators, having concluded an agreement with them for the provision of their services. The income of travel agents is the percentage of the income of the tours sold by them.

Before you open a travel agency you need to know:

1. A crowded place is perfect for opening a travel agency, it is desirable that there are some public institutions nearby: banks, offices, business centers, etc., because in the future they will be your regular customers. Do not skimp on the arrangement of the premises, make it as beautiful as possible, you can create a thematic style, in general, it should show the level of your services and attitude towards the client.

2. All information about your agency should be in a prominent place so that the client can easily read it. Although a license is not needed now, there should be insurance for your activities, so hang it on the wall. Also, in each season of work, you will receive positive feedback and gratitude from travel agents, this can also raise your reputation in the eyes of customers.

3. Please note that before you open a travel agency, you will face a lot of difficulties and it will take a lot of time. Therefore, it is recommended to immediately buy a tourist business, this will save you from many organizational issues.

4. Depending on the amount of finances you have, you can even think about an already well-promoted and successful tourist business, this will be a very big advantage in your future work. The success will be affected by such factors as: a well-known name, a positive reputation, a large customer base, as well as a well-known location of the agency. If you agree to leave the former employees, this will also become a significant advantage, because skilled workers who know their business are in short supply in our time.

5. But before taking a ready-made tour. business, carefully familiarize yourself with its background, find out about its reputation, popularity among customers, what market share it occupies, this is necessary due to the fact that the competition is very, very big. Be sure to find out about the reviews, whether there are complaints or complaints, and most importantly, whether this agency should not sue.

Detailed business plan for a travel agency and travel agency:

If you still decide to open your own travel company, then we will tell you in detail how it is worth starting this business, so that in a short period of time you can make money on it.

1. To begin with, the right step is to draw up a business plan for your agency, analyze the budget, it should be chosen with a margin. Get acquainted with the demand for tourism services in your area, as well as the level of competition, because it is very high. If you don't trust your own insights into a situation, then the best thing to do is to turn to people who specialize in the specifics of marketing research.

2. Before you register any business activity, you need to go through a lot of legal nuances. There are two ways to register a travel agency: as a private entrepreneur or a limited liability company. Since the requirement for licenses for travel agencies has been abolished these days, when concluding an agreement with a tour operator, you can immediately begin your activities.

3. If you are still determined to obtain a license for the full right to engage in tourism activities, then for this you will need to go through a number of legal procedures that meet the requirements of the state. These requirements include the following conditions: your staff must be 20% of employees with a secondary specialized education in the field of tourism, or from people who have worked for more than three years in this field, and they must also have well-developed communication skills.

4. The director of a travel agency must have a higher, secondary specialized education, and his work experience in the field of tourism must be more than three years.

5. As a room for a travel agency, an office with an area of ​​25 sq. meters. The city center will be the perfect place to discover it. The premises should have a main entrance and preferably a place for parking cars.

Business idea: How to open a travel agency from scratch?

The location for the new travel agency should be chosen near other, the same agencies. Thus, it will be convenient for customers to choose between offers. The main criteria by which the client chooses a travel agency are the quality of the hotel being booked and the amount of the discount provided. The office space should please the eye of the client, because people who want to use your services have high hopes for the agency and have solid money in their pockets, so you should not disappoint their expectations. No matter what size the room, the sign should attract attention and be memorable.

6. Agreement with tour operators. Before choosing several tour operators, decide what target audience your travel agency will have, in what area of ​​​​recreation it will work. Also solve the issue with the specialization of tours, usually they are international and domestic.

7. For greater confidence, it is recommended to conclude an agreement with ten tour operators. Approximately half of them should correspond to the key areas that your travel agency specializes in, Egypt and Turkey would be a good example, because these are some of the most popular holiday destinations. The remaining operators can be divided into other, less popular areas, this is necessary to expand the range and load the agency with work. This division will be correct because at the end of the season of the main offers, people who prefer to travel all year round will be able to choose from many other packages.

8. An important factor when choosing an operator will be his time in the travel services market, as well as the trust of customers and, of course, reputation.

Do not get hung up on any of the tour operators, justifying this with the personal appeal and fame of the company. It would be more correct to distribute contracts, each of which would correspond to its own direction. Thus, the client will be able to choose the most suitable price for the provision of hotel services. You will not always have clients with full wallets, so you need to balance the prices so that they suit everyone.

The tour operator is the main factor in earning your capital. The amount of the commission can vary from 5 to 16 percent for each ticket sold.

9. After you open a travel agency, the next step is to promote and promote your agency. At first, you will have to shell out a lot for advertising, so initially invest this cost in your business plan. As a rule, waste will be: for advertising on the Internet, on TV and in newspapers. Never resort to one-time advertising, as experience shows - this is money down the drain, the frequency of publications should be high, only thanks to this method, you will reach a large number of target audiences. Please note, depending on the level and cost of the services you offer, it is necessary to place advertising in those places where it will be seen by citizens who can afford these services.

10. You should not count on clients in the form of acquaintances and friends, no matter how strange it may sound, but it is these people who will rarely resort to your services. Although this is contradictory information, but as statistics show, the influx of this group of people comes only after your company is sufficiently promoted and becomes quite famous. We wish that your business in the field of tourism will bring you a positive result in a short time, and your travel company will find many satisfied and rich customers who will return again and again.

The travel agency organizes day trips around the city. Should an agency issue travel vouchers?

Answer: If a travel agency organizes one-day sightseeing trips around the city, then it should not issue tourist vouchers.

Rationale: In order to determine whether travel packages are required for day trips, it is necessary to define what constitutes a travel package.

According to Art. 1 of the Federal Law of November 24, 1996 N 132-FZ "On the Fundamentals of Tourism in the Russian Federation" (hereinafter - Law N 132-FZ), a tourist voucher is a document containing travel conditions, confirming the fact of payment for a tourist product and being a strict reporting form.

Tourism is temporary departures (travels) of citizens of the Russian Federation, foreign citizens and stateless persons from their permanent place of residence for medical, recreational, educational, physical culture and sports, professional, business, religious and other purposes without engaging in activities related to obtaining income from sources in the country (place) of temporary residence.

A tourist product is a set of transportation and accommodation services provided for a total price (regardless of the inclusion in the total price of the cost of excursion services and (or) other services) under an agreement on the sale of a tourist product.

A tourist is a person who visits the country (place) of temporary stay for health-improving, recreational, educational, physical culture and sports, professional and business, religious and other purposes without engaging in activities related to generating income from sources in the country (place) of temporary stay, for a period of 24 hours to 6 months in a row or spending at least one overnight stay in the country (place) of temporary residence.

The customer of a tourist product is precisely a tourist or another person who orders a tourist product on behalf of a tourist.

Tourist activities are activities related to the organization of travel (Article 1 of Law No. 132-FZ).

These definitions make it possible to identify signs of activity that are directly related to tourism activities. Such signs, in particular, include: leaving the place of residence for a period of more than 24 hours and less than 6 months, the presence of certain purposes of departure (cognitive, medical and recreational, etc.), accommodation in the country (place) of temporary residence, etc.

For persons visiting the country (place) of temporary stay for educational purposes for a period of less than 24 hours without spending the night in the country (place) of temporary stay and using the services of a guide (guide), guide-interpreter, Law N 132-FZ singles out a special term - a sightseer .

Tourist agency

One-day city tours do not fall under the definition of travel and tourism, and are not fully a tourist product, since they do not involve the departure of citizens from their permanent place of residence and the provision of accommodation services. This means that the activity of a travel agency in organizing one-day excursions is not a tourist activity.

However, day trips (excursions), although not directly related to tourism, can be indirectly related to tourism activities if the services for organizing one-day excursions are part of a single tourism product. In this case, one-day sightseeing trips are partially regulated by Law N 132-FZ.

If a travel agency organizes one-day excursion trips as an independent service, then this activity is subject to regulation in accordance with Ch. 39 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation on the provision of paid services.

In addition, according to Art. 4.1 of Law N 132-FZ, organizations providing excursion services on the territory of the Russian Federation for no more than 24 hours in a row are not required to have financial security in accordance with the provisions of this Law.

Thus, based on the analysis of the legal nature of the organization of one-day excursions within the city, it can be concluded that this activity, carried out as the provision of independent services, does not relate to tourism activities and is not subject to regulation by Law N 132-FZ.

According to the provisions of Federal Law No. 54-FZ of 22.05.2003 "On the use of cash registers in cash settlements and (or) settlements using payment cards", organizations and individual entrepreneurs engaged in cash settlements and (or) settlements using payment cards are required to use cash register equipment included in the State Register. Organizations and individual entrepreneurs, in accordance with the procedure determined by the Government of the Russian Federation, can carry out cash settlements and (or) settlements using payment cards without the use of cash registers in the case of providing services to the public, provided that they issue the appropriate strict reporting forms (clause 2 of Art. 2 of the Federal Law N 54-FZ).

A tourist voucher is a form of strict reporting, and its form is approved by the Order of the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated July 9, 2007 N 60n "On approval of the form of a strict reporting form."

Forms of forms of strict reporting, approved before the entry into force of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 06.05.2008 N 359 "On the procedure for making cash settlements and (or) settlements using payment cards without the use of cash registers", are used by organizations and individual entrepreneurs that provide to the population such services for which these forms are approved by orders of the Ministry of Finance of Russia.

Consequently, an organization engaged in tourism activities has the right to carry out cash payments without the use of cash registers in the case of providing services to the population, subject to the execution and issuance of a strict accountability document "Tourist Voucher".

Registration of a tourist voucher is mandatory for organizations engaged in tourism activities (Letters of the Ministry of Finance of Russia of 10.06.2010 N 03-01-15 / 4-120, the Federal Tax Service of Russia for Moscow of 01.11.2010 N 17-15-114738; p. 3 Letters of Rospotrebnadzor dated August 31, 2007 N 0100/8935-07-32 "On the peculiarities of law enforcement practice related to ensuring the protection of consumer rights in the field of tourism services").

This means that for the implementation of other, non-tourist activities, including the organization of one-day excursion trips as an independent service, it is not necessary to issue a tourist voucher.

M. R. Zabelina

Auditing company LLC "INSEI"

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What is the article about?

People in the CIS countries, especially in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, love to fly abroad, travel around countries and relax, and you can make money on this by opening your own travel agency. But, if you are not a successful entrepreneur, how to open a travel agency from scratch? Step-by-step instructions with recommendations from established businessmen, clear advice and a financial plan in our article.

• First steps - choosing a concept
• The first pitfalls
• Registration
• We draw up documentation
• Looking for a suitable space
• Choosing a pleasant interior
• We select personnel
• Looking for potential clients
• What are the expenses and income?

First steps - choosing a concept

There are four options on the market for a long time:

1. Private travel agency - requires renting an office, hiring staff and concluding agreements with other companies, but you won’t have to depend on other people either. The option is more suitable for those who are familiar not only with business, but also with the work of a tour operator.
2. A home travel agency is the easiest way for a newcomer to the business to inject into this environment. You don't need to rent an office and call other people, but don't expect much profit either. In this case, only a person with his own client base and skills in the marketing environment can burn out. Get ready that only the middle class of people will come to you.
3. Internet travel agency - the format of online shopping is extremely loved by people, which can allow trips to different cities and countries, so the travel agency should not burn out. The main thing is that the company's website contains complete information about the company itself, about tours and offers, and is also really convenient for an ordinary ordinary visitor. Enable the ability to communicate with the operator, select changes to the tour and pay through online wallets for the comfort of the buyer.
4. Franchising is the best format for the first business, because the newcomer is not yet ready to solve some problems on his own. The advantage of this option is that your new agency is opened under the supervision of a well-known network like "Mir Otkrytiy", you are not left without the attention and trust of potential buyers. You'll also get some equipment, free business training, a marketing campaign, and all the essential connections you need to get started.

The first pitfalls

The least popular period for tourism is the off-season periods - several months of winter-summer + several months of autumn-winter. Of course, some bursts of activity are guaranteed, because someone has holidays, vacations or personal circumstances, but such periods must be taken care of in advance.

In the first year, it is important to prepare intensively to expand the customer base through discounts for the May holidays, unusual ideas for summer holidays and promotions for trips during the non-holiday months.

Take care of planning your expenses in unprofitable months, and, most importantly, it is worth opening a travel agency in early spring in order to have time to build up a client base by autumn. In the "dead" seasons themselves, your travel agency should offer the sale of air tickets, the services of a lawyer for obtaining a visa, as well as special domestic trips to the cities of the country.

Download a sample travel agency business plan as a template for your own.

Registration

There are two legal forms, you should choose based on your desires and aspirations, as well as initial capabilities.

• The first option is LLC (legal entity). Registration of a legal entity involves a mandatory large financial investment, but it makes it possible to open a whole network of travel agencies.
• The second option is an individual entrepreneur (individual). A beginner should start with this form, because the investments are quite small, and it is easier for many to collect documentation. True, situations arise when tour operators require the mandatory registration of an LLC, but they do not work with individual entrepreneurs.

We draw up documentation

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Start by choosing the name of the travel agency. Think of something sonorous, memorable, appropriate in meaning, but serious enough. Suitable, for example, "World of Discovery".
2. Pick a room. This is important for determining the address of registration of the company.
3. It is important to choose the right type of activity in a travel agency according to the classifier.
4. Pay the state fee.
5. Notarize the signature of the company registration application.

For a legal entity, it is also required to perform two more actions - to determine the authorized capital in the amount of at least 10 thousand rubles, and also to create a model of its share with its nominal value for each of several founders.

Looking for a suitable space

You will need a small area located in a place with the greatest traffic of potential buyers. That is why travel agencies like to open in business business centers.

Be guided by the name, because, for example, "Business Ocean" accurately says that there are many entrepreneurs and office workers in the building, and everyone has a vacation. Undoubtedly, it is important that the premises be located in the city center, even if these are small regional cities like Omsk or Samara.

Choosing a pleasant interior

Design a dignified and comfortable client corner, where a coffee table and a comfortable small sofa for several people will be located. If you want to keep your customers entertained, run a small number of travel magazines, preferably with lots of photos. The tourist model should be read throughout the design of the office - paintings, straw hats, photo wallpapers and other things reminiscent of tourism.

Do not be afraid to show your own "want" and creativity in the design. Be original! Employees also need their own area. To make work processes efficient, organize desktops, comfortable computer chairs and shelving with everything you need to work. You will also need a place for a printer, copier and other important devices.

We select personnel

A travel agency as a business does not tolerate fraternization and forgiveness of mistakes, so do not agree to hire relatives and friends for anything.

Take only those who show professionalism and the ability to recognize criticism. It is very profitable to hire people with experience in tourism, but some personnel can show excellent work even without experience. Browse job candidates in the following categories:

• way and manner of speaking:
• competent construction of sentences and a pleasant presentation of thought;
• the ability to identify what needs to be put in the foreground;
• ability to perseverance, focus on a specific task;
• how seriously a person takes the tourism industry;
• the ability to present one's personality to another person;
• relaxed, stress-free communication with strangers;
• what things interest him, breadth of outlook;
• proposed ways of solving various conflict situations.

Therefore, the candidate must become a model of a person who is able to interest another in a purchase, who is able to work with people with money.

Are you planning a small project? Enough two or three employees to work with clients and a cleaner for the stable operation of the office. Later it is worth hiring an accountant and a programmer, with the expectation of expanding the business. As a salary for managers, offer a minimum wage, supplemented by a percentage of revenue, in order to motivate them to work more efficiently.

Choosing a reliable tour operator

In order not to miscalculate and reduce risks, conclude contracts with ten different operators at once, half of which are obliged to specialize in a particular direction.

Choose the direction that is calculated by other companies as the most popular in your city or the whole region, but do not forget about unusual options.

At first, you will start to receive not so much profit, but after the first tourists, the percentage will increase. If you start showing a great example of a business project with successful sales, more offers will come from more successful operators.

There is also a ready-made example of a database for searching online tours and operators, which can slightly simplify the work of your travel company. The most popular database is tourindex.ru, where access to the database is obtained for a significant fee. For a year of service, you will have to pay 26 thousand rubles, but it is up to you to decide whether it is profitable to remain without such reliable help.

Looking for potential clients

In order not to be left without customers, open your own website of the company, so that a professional web designer and system administrator all rolled into one would handle its design and content.

You can still use other advertising methods:

1. Making announcements in the media, including radio.
2. Advertising the company on billboards and banners.
3. By broadcasting ads on TV in ad blocks.
4. Hiring people to hand out flyers.
5. Motivating clients to write reviews about the agency to launch word of mouth.

Sometimes clients come to the bureau from an incomprehensible source, therefore it is important to constantly adjust even a ready-made business plan, as well as keep a special journal about the channels for receiving clients in electronic form. This will help you to do regular analytics of the statistics of attracting people to the travel agency. Do not forget about discounts, promotions and bonuses that perfectly motivate people not only to buy, but also to attract their friends and relatives.

Video: how to open a travel agency?

What are the expenses and income?

The profitability indicator is individual and depends on a variety of factors.

Expense Line		Amount of expenses, thousand rubles
1	Initial rent for two months	100
2	Repair	80
3	Furniture	50
4	Public utilities	10
5	Paperwork	5
6	manager salary	15 x 2
7	cleaning lady salary	10
8	Marketing Campaign	15
9	taxes	30
10	Unexpected expenses	10
Total:		340

The very opening of a travel agency will cost about 300 thousand rubles or more, but monthly you will also have to pay rent for the premises, taxes, wages to employees, utilities, and much more.

The average payback is almost one and a half, or even two years. In the first year, it is important for a travel agency to simply survive and stay afloat in a sea of ​​competition. This can be achieved by pleasant service, quality services, good service and competent advertising. Only having achieved the level of sales of 500 tours annually, the project moves into the class of an established business.

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