Open a travel agency training. How to open a travel agency from scratch

The easiest way to open a travel agency is to buy.

But if you still want to do it yourself, we offer you step-by-step instructions from the expert of the Sletat.ru company.

Tourism, despite all the difficulties experienced recently, remains an extremely attractive business area. It gives you the opportunity to open your own business with little investment and is associated with a lot of positive emotions: helping people have a rest, and then hearing their positive impressions is very nice. And yet, the tourist industry is a tough nut to crack. In order not to break spears about him, or rather not to lose all the money, you need to take a very balanced and serious approach to opening your travel agency.

Where to begin?

First of all, it is necessary to find out how the tourist market is arranged and what it consists of. The business owner must decide whether to work with a franchisor or as an independent agency. By opening yourself, you take on more risks. Firstly, unknown travel agencies do not inspire confidence, which means they need more serious efforts and budgets for promotion. Secondly, you will have to independently resolve the issues of acquiring technologies related to the search and booking of tours. And thirdly, it is more difficult to work with tour operators - suppliers of a tourist product.

In modern conditions, it is more efficient to open not independently, but under the brand name of a large network of travel agencies.

Franchise network travel agencies can be divided into main categories, each of which has its own branches.

1. Travel agencies from tour operators whose task is to sell the tourist product of this supplier. Obviously, a tour operator can only offer low-cost tours to some destinations, so such a travel agency may not be profitable enough in the end.
2. Travel agencies that receive traffic from offline channels. Such agencies are not limited in the choice of tour providers. Their disadvantage is the weak development of Internet technologies.
3. Travel agencies that receive traffic from online channels. More modern networks that attract audiences using the Internet and own various online tools for finding, booking and selling tours. Minus - such a network misses the "classic" offline audience.
4. Networks that combine online and offline communication channels and provide technologies for automating work, as Sletat.ru does. The main mission of such companies is to enable travel agencies to sell the most cost-effective tours with the help of modern technologies and put this process on stream.

When choosing a franchisor, it is important to pay attention to his experience and the specifics of doing business. Some companies have a high risk of bankruptcy during a crisis. This is due to the fact that in a number of situations the tour operator may require an advance payment for tours in the amount of up to 100%, while tourists often pay for them in installments, and the network management company does not have sufficient financial “airbag” for such a case.

There is no definite formula for opening a travel agency that will be 100% profitable. Any business involves the establishment of business processes, and therefore a certain guarantee of success often becomes competent management and, of course, the ambitiousness of the travel agency itself.

Before opening a travel agency, it is important to analyze the presence of the target audience. If you are going to open in a large city - St. Petersburg, Moscow or another millionaire - it makes no sense to analyze it in its entirety. Choose the most attractive area and evaluate how much your company will be in demand in it.

Another important element of preparation is the analysis of the competitive environment. Find out what agencies are nearby, what they offer, what your competitive advantages are and what differentiates you from them. You can even go to a competitor travel agency as a mystery shopper if you really need to.

Investment size

Investments in opening a travel agency are usually relatively small: this business does not require expensive equipment or the purchase of goods. And yet, the amount of investment can be very different. The main expense items when opening a travel agency are office rent, purchase of equipment, promotion costs and paying a fee if you open a franchise agency.

The larger the city, the higher the amount of investment in rent. The rental rate in 2016 averages about 1.5–2 thousand rubles per 1 sq. m. m, but in Moscow and St. Petersburg it may be slightly higher - an average of 2.5 to 4 thousand rubles. Thus, the minimum amount of rental costs will be about 30-60 thousand rubles.

Personal experience

For high-quality customer service and minimizing queues in the office, it is optimal for two managers to work at the same time. To accommodate two workplaces and a comfortable waiting area, you need a room with an area of ​​15 sq.m.

Do not forget that the room is likely to need renovation. Even if it is in good condition, it will need to be brought up to certain standards. For example, our offices must be branded in accordance with the guidelines. Compliance with these requirements allows you to create a comfortable atmosphere for customers and managers and increases the loyalty of tourists to the brand as a whole.

With regard to the cost of furniture and appliances, there is a large variation in the amount of investment. You can buy inexpensive furniture and used appliances or choose more expensive options.

Don't forget about the costs associated with registering an agency. You will need to register an individual entrepreneur or LLC and pay a state duty, open a bank account (for which the bank will charge a commission), recruit staff, register employees in the labor inspectorate and the pension fund. If not strict reporting forms (BSO) are used, but a cash desk, then it needs to be registered. As for settlement and cash services, Sletat.ru, for example, cooperates with the largest Russian banks and offers favorable conditions for franchisees.

The average cost of opening a travel agency "Sletat.ru" (with furniture, appliances and repairs) will be about 150-200 thousand rubles.

The budget for promoting a travel agency can again be different: there are both expensive ways and channels that do not require any investment. On average, you need to allocate about 100 thousand rubles for this item of expenditure in the first 4-6 months of work.

Among the fixed costs of the travel agency is the payroll fund for managers. Their salary consists of a salary and a percentage of sales. In St. Petersburg or another large city, a manager can receive 15-20 thousand rubles of salary + 10-20% of the agency's profit. If we are talking about a small town, then the ratio will be 10-15 thousand rubles of salary + 10-20% of profit.

At the same time, when calculating the volume of investments, one must firmly understand that in the first six months the agency can work without profit. And this means that some kind of financial "cushion" is needed. Therefore, you should not invest your last funds in business. Also, the entrepreneur needs to understand how he himself will live. Money should not be associated with its current costs, a clear budget allocated for business development is needed.

Step-by-step instruction

At the initial stage of the development of a travel agency, a very important point is promotion. In order for it to work in the best way, you need to understand which channels for attracting tourists are most effective in a particular case.

See what potential partners are near your travel agency. The tourist audience is adjacent to the audience of the leisure sector - restaurants, cafes, bars, beauty salons, etc. You can establish contact with representatives of such businesses and hold joint promotions, spending a minimum of funds. For example, you can jointly provide discounts to customers, print double business cards, prepare and place table tents with information about the partner, etc. on tables.

Keep in mind that tourists come to the office where they live or work. Therefore, it is important to convey information about your discovery and existence to the residents of nearby houses. If you opened in a residential area, you can make a mailing list. And it should not be an attempt to sell a tour, but a beautifully designed invitation to visit your office.

Try to involve the local media: tell them about your discovery, advertise regularly. Remember that promotion must be constant, it must never stop. Otherwise, there will be no influx of new tourists.

The first clients are your acquaintances, so you need to call them all.

Personal experience

People spend a lot of time on social networks and do not want to leave their comfortable space. In contact with,Facebookand other similar sites - a modern, popular and budget channel for attracting tourists. Sletat.ru has developed a special module for searching tours in social networks. Thus, the tourist can search for tours where it is convenient for him, and from there send applications for the selected tours.

If you have opened an agency in a small town, it makes sense to go to the audience in the city-forming enterprises, negotiate with their management and leisure department, offer employees to participate in interesting events, etc. Remember that tourism is not limited to foreign destinations, you can also sell domestic ones. They are well suited to “accustom” the audience to themselves in particular and to trips through travel agencies in general, gradually transferring customers to foreign package tours.

Having decided on the format of work, a place to open and promotion channels, you need to start looking for managers. To determine how many people you need in the state, you need to understand how large your client base is and how many people will come to the office. Most often, 1-2 managers work in a travel agency. One of them attracts customers, calls, invites to the office, processes applications, the other sells tours in the office, works with incoming tourists, and conducts further sales work. You need to understand that tourists, when they come to the office, do not always immediately buy a tour. More often than not, they simply learn information, and in order to complete the transaction, it is necessary to maintain communication with them.

Businessmen should not take on the sale of tours on their own. An entrepreneur must think strategically, promote the travel agency, follow developments, see what the business lacks, and so on. If you go headlong into the sale of tours, then it will be impossible to manage the business.

In a modern travel agency, it is important to automate the processes associated with the search and booking of tours and the processing of incoming applications. Travel agency managers have to search for suitable tours hundreds of times a day. To do this, you can use the "search engines" that are on the site of every self-respecting tour operator. In this case, the manager will actually have to work manually, open many sites and tabs to find a suitable tour from different providers, and during this time the price may change. In addition, it will take too much time to work with one tourist.

Today, there are special search engines that "collect" offers from all tour operators. They allow you to accumulate all information in one information space and save time for managers. When choosing such a service, you need to be careful: it can “limp” relevance and reliability. The system should download and update information about the composition of the package and its price online, instantly update data on places in the hotel and on the flight.

Personal experience

Sletat.ru has developed a tour search system that contains offers from all major tour operators and updates tour data in real time. The agency can install the service on its website and promote it on social networks. In this case, the lion's share of the work of finding a tour is done by the tourist himself. As a result, the time for a manager to work with one client is reduced from 2 hours to 40 minutes.

Another important point is booking a tour. It is much more convenient when the agency does not communicate with tour operators on its own, but uses the services of a booking center. Sletat.ru has created its own Central Bank, which simplifies the work of a travel agent, increases the speed of customer service, allows you to store data on all applications in one place, increases the security of tourist databases and provides a higher percentage of sales and additional bonuses when fulfilling the plan.

The issue of accommodation of a travel agency should be given special attention. First of all, analyze the city in which you plan to open and the specific location. At first glance, the most successful option is an office in the city center. However, this does not always guarantee success, as well as opening in a residential area.

It all depends on the specific location. If you open in a budget area remote from the center with new development, things may not work out. The bulk of the population here are young families, who often bought housing on a mortgage and do not have extra money for travel. Therefore, try to choose areas of the middle and elite class for accommodation.

You can open on the first floors of residential buildings, in separate buildings or shopping centers. In the latter case, it is better to choose modern buildings and try to avoid old low-class buildings. But again, this depends on the specific shopping center, its location, the freshness of the repair, and the brands represented.

It is also worth looking at the surroundings. For example, you can open next to a grocery store. This does not have to be an institution of a well-known network, but it is worth focusing on the price segment above the average.

Another tip: it is best to open where it is possible to place an illuminated sign.

A sign is 20–30% of the success of a travel agency. Without it, it will be difficult to find you even for those who go to your agency purposefully. And the sign will also allow you to “lure” those who are just passing by.

As for the premises itself, there are also certain requirements for it. First of all, you need to focus on the convenience of the tourist. It is desirable that the office be square in shape: it will be easier to brand it and create comfortable conditions in it. It is important that there are windows in the room, otherwise the atmosphere will “put pressure” on the client. Basements and semi-basements are not the best choice.

Do not open on the upper floors. If the building has an access system, it should not be complicated. If a tourist, in order to purchase a tour or get documents, needs to take a passport, write down his data and go up to the 11th floor, then he is more likely to refuse the trip altogether - few people want to overcome so many obstacles.

It is advisable to provide a waiting area in the office. When all managers are busy, the customer should be able to wait in line comfortably. Otherwise, he will simply go to another agency. In the waiting area it is worth placing coffee, tea, a cooler with clean water.

Another important point is the children's corner. One of the key client types of the travel agency is a 30-35 year old woman with one child. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide a play area in which children can do something while parents choose a tour or wait in line.

Documentation

To start a travel agency, you need to register an LLC or IP. Everyone chooses the preferred form for himself, it is only necessary to make a reservation that the owner of a registered IP is liable for obligations with all his property, and LLC - in the amount of the authorized capital. Also, the owner of the tourism business needs to decide: he will work with an imputed or simplified taxation system.

The tourism business is a very popular service sector in our country. There are many options for doing it - from a home agency to a franchise.

In this article, we will analyze all the possible options, highlight their advantages and disadvantages, answer the question of what it takes to open a travel agency, and give some useful tips.

Business pros and cons

When deciding to open a travel agency, you need to think carefully and calculate all the pros and cons of such a step.

The advantages and prospects of the venture include:

• a rapidly developing tourism business, which makes it possible to provide tourism services in many directions (in Russia, abroad, etc.), and as a result, the possibility of obtaining the corresponding profit;
• a wide choice of tour operators and the possibility of concluding contracts with one or several of them;
• a rapidly increasing flow of people who would like to use the services of agencies to organize their holidays;
• relatively simple execution of registration documents and opening a license.

The disadvantages and difficulties that may arise when opening such a business include:

• rapidly increasing competition in this area (in every city there are now at least a few travel agencies that provide services similar to yours);
• difficult predictability of the client flow (depending on the success of the advertising company and the relevance of travel packages, the agency can either acquire a stable client base in a short time, or fail to withstand the offers of competitors and be left without customers);
• seasonality of profitability. It is generally accepted that the business is all-season due to the possibility of selling winter tours (for example, Courchevel and other ski resorts). However, actual data show that in summer the demand for the services of travel agencies is many times greater than the interest of customers in winter.

We draw up a business plan

As with starting any other business, you will need to write a business plan. scheduling prospects for further development and risks when opening a travel agency, it is necessary to take into account a number of fundamental factors that affect the success and profitability of the enterprise.

It is necessary to think over and calculate all possible risks, expenses, payback periods of initial investments, additional costs in the process of promotion, as well as the estimated profit, based on the interest of the target audience, as much as possible.

The business plan should include the costs of:

• paperwork (registration, license to provide services, certificates, franchising);
• rent of office space;
• marketing campaigns, advertising;
• salary payments, including contributions to the tax service, pension fund, social insurance;
• ensuring the life of the office (including furniture, office equipment, stationery).

Also, it is necessary to roughly calculate the possible profit (calculated on the basis of general market monitoring in this area, seasonality, competition, marketing effectiveness of your company) and the risks associated with the unprofitability of the travel agency. Consider ways to address these risks.

Location

One of the main stages of opening a travel agency is choosing an office for rent. It is desirable to rent office space in the city center, in a location close to business centers. This will ensure that you have the opportunity to engage VIP clients, as well as draw more attention to yourself.

Also, it must be taken into account that for greater efficiency, it is desirable that there are no firms providing similar services in the building (on the same street) (exclusion of competition).

The rented office must have access to the Internet. It is better to give preference to buildings that have a separate exit to the street and a parking area for cars.

How to attract clients?

Given the high level of competition between travel agencies, securing a client base is one of the main priorities of a young organization.

If you have chosen a simple, but rather colorful and memorable name for your company, this can serve as an additional plus for promotion.

Also, do not forget about the most effective way - "word of mouth". Before opening a travel agency, tell all your friends and acquaintances about your plans, make notes on your pages on social networks, in general, try to let as many people as possible know about your venture.

Schedule for its first customers the maximum possible discounts and interesting promotions(quite often these discounts are made even at a loss to the company and are written off as advertising expenses), try to ensure that the services provided are at the highest level. In most cases, after successful trips, satisfied customers tell their surroundings about it, which motivates them to contact you.

Mandatory additional attributes should be business cards and prospectuses, which will indicate promotional offers that are superior in terms of competitors' offers.

Turning to the consideration of the main marketing moves when promoting a travel agency, it is necessary to focus on on internet advertising. These can be either pop-up banners on the pages of visited sites or mail services (an agreement is concluded with the management of the sites on the allocation of a site on the page: the cost, the percentage of occupancy of the strip on their web page, the frequency of appearances, the period of the contract) are negotiated, and contextual advertising (when when you enter keywords in the line of the search service, it is your site that appears in key positions). These nuances must be discussed with the programmer who will develop your site.

A fairly effective method of attracting customers is video marketing. You can make a video of the most interesting and frequently visited places in the proposed tours and post them on the Internet (for example, on Youtube). There is no need to use expensive equipment for shooting. These may be commercials filmed on amateur cameras, but the plot of commercials should convey emotionality. At the end of the video, a navigation block is placed, by clicking on which your potential customers will be able to get acquainted with the conditions and cost of purchasing vouchers in your agency.

The following video contains tips on opening an agency and attracting clients:

The nuances of opening an agency

If you would like to eliminate additional costs and aim for a relatively minimal investment, then it makes sense to think about the following options for opening a travel agency.

at home

To open a travel agency at home, you will first need to register your activity (company registration). After completing all the basic documents, it is best to conclude an agreement with a major tour operator.

When concluding a contract, try to avoid taking on obligations to ensure a fixed number of sold tours, focus on a simplified scheme: you provide clients to the main agency - the agency pays you a commission according to the work actually performed. This option does not provide for the cost of renting office space, which significantly reduces the cost of the project.

Online

The specifics of opening and developing an online tourism business can mean both office work and being at home, doing business from a home PC.

When registering your business activities, you will need to indicate the legal address of the enterprise and additionally fix the name of the official website through which the sale of vouchers (services) will be carried out. If the site provides for payment by bank transfer, as a rule, it is also necessary to register a company account to which transfers will be made.

franchise

You can turn to a well-known tour operator for help in establishing a company and conclude a franchise cooperation agreement with him. As a rule, the cost of a franchise directly depends on the popularity of the franchisor and the conditions under which a larger company will provide you with a franchise.

In this case, you will receive additional information support and financial insurance from the parent organization and exclude additional advertising costs.

How much does it cost to open a travel agency

Depending on the conditions under which you plan to open a travel agency, you will need to calculate the amount of future costs.

As a rule, the most expensive thing is renting an office and purchasing everything you need for it (furniture, office equipment, etc.). The cost of rent may vary on average from 30,000 to 60,000 rubles(it all depends on the proximity of the office to the city center, its general condition: repair, availability of communications and the conditions on which the lease agreement is concluded).

Registration of the main necessary documentation during registration (registration of an LLC and a license) can cost you from 8,000 to 12,000 rubles.

In the event that a travel agency will be opened under the auspices of a franchisor, it is necessary to take into account the costs of concluding a franchise agreement.

In most cases, the contract is paid as a one-time payment. However, over time, additional clauses and conditions may be included in it, which may change the value of the originally agreed price.

Also, the priority expenditure part includes the remuneration of employees and the corresponding monthly deductions to state funds for each of them. Usually, at the start, the accountant is not included in the staff, and the number of employees varies from 3 to 5-6 people (including the director). The average salary in the tourism industry fluctuates from 12,000 rubles and more, depending on the type of mutual settlements: constant rate, rate + percentage, only percentage. It must be taken into account that according to the Labor Code, payment must be timely, therefore it is desirable that the amount for its payments be deferred for several months in advance.

We must not forget about the costs of marketing and promotions. This item should include the cost of printed promotional products (business cards, leaflets, printed price lists, etc.), payment for the creation of a website and its promotion (updating information, hosting). As a rule, all these investments are at least 30,000 rubles. If you are planning a large-format discount system as an opportunity to promote the travel agency and attract more customers, this amount can be increased significantly.

If you wish, you can use television, while it is better to focus on city TV channels. The cost of advertising airtime varies by region, but on average, you can count on the cost 15,000-30,000 rubles when broadcasting a video several times a day. The cost of the video itself will cost you from 12,000-20,000 rubles(without sophisticated special effects, but with the involvement of a professional cameraman and editing, cutting shots).

Also, there may be additional costs for logistics, any unforeseen expenses, payment of penalties and much more.

In general, if you have calculated all the possible costs and risks, and after monitoring the market in the provision of travel agency services, you have come to the conclusion that your company will compete with existing companies, feel free to get down to business!

The tourism business is considered one of the most profitable: even in a crisis, people want to have a good rest. Starting your own business is not difficult, however, like any field of activity, tourism has its key features.

Features of work in the tourism business

From the point of view of the client, the tourism industry is a complete paradise. With one word “tourism”, a person imagines white beaches, fluffy palm trees, bright lights in bars…

From the inside, everything is completely different: the tourism business requires a responsible approach: an agent will be responsible for any trouble that happens in a foreign country.

In particular:

1. The safety of customers is completely on the conscience of the travel agency.
   They must be warned about all possible problems: about the physical and mental stress of the tour, about the dangers that may threaten them, about how to behave in any emergency.

   All equipment used by tourists must be fully functional and comply with regulations.
   The staff must be perfectly oriented and be able to find a way out in any scenario.

2. Information provided to customers must be completely reliable.
   No omissions or omissions: they must be aware of all possible risks, delays and discounts.
3. The ecology of the region to which customers depart must be ideal.
   The political situation should not interfere with their rest.

   If something changes during the tour (a war breaks out, an accident occurs at a large enterprise, terrorist attacks become more frequent), customers should be notified of this in advance and, if they wish, they should be provided with similar vouchers to another place.

4. Personnel working with clients must be well trained, answer any question, not hide anything and be familiar with the life and customs of the countries where vouchers are provided, so as to easily resolve the difficulties that arise.

In addition, the tourism business is highly competitive: before you start doing it, you need to make sure that the company will find its niche and be in demand. Otherwise, there is a great chance of burning out.

How much does it cost to open a travel agency in Russia

Starting a business always costs money. In order to form a travel agency, it will take at least 200 thousand rubles - and possibly more.

This money will include:

• the premises in which the agency will be located;
• personnel who will serve customers;
• advertising that will attract them;
• vouchers for which customers, in fact, will go.

However, the investment may not be as big if the travel agency is a home-based travel agency with only one person on staff. This possibility also exists.

Starting a travel business: first steps

Before hiring staff and renting a room, you should deal with much more pressing matters, which come down to working with documents.

It goes through several stages, sequentially.

Market analysis

At this stage, you need to collect information about the already existing offer and try to find a niche for your company. Perhaps no one brings tourists to China.

Perhaps it is in the selected market segment that there are no relatively cheap and well-known tours to Thailand. Perhaps people are showing interest in extreme sports, but there is no offer yet.

The main thing is to determine exactly what people need.

Drawing up a business plan

At this stage, you need to think in detail how the work of the company will look like: not in general terms, but thoroughly.

In the tourism business, the plan is usually drawn up like this:

1. Free cheese only happens in a mousetrap.
   If the operator offers tours at prices that are significantly lower than those of his colleagues, this is not a reason to buy them all, this is a reason to be wary.

   It is quite possible that there is a catch in the tours: non-compliance with the stated conditions, overlays, inconveniences, for which the agent will be primarily responsible, since it is from him that the tourist will buy the tour.

2. The longer a firm has been in the market, the more likely it is to be reliable.
3. Before entering into an agency agreement, you should read the reviews on the Internet.
   If there are a lot of complaints about the firm, this is a wake-up call - it may be worth looking for someone else.

Choosing the Right Location

There are several options here:

1. Center.
   This option is for those who are not afraid of its main drawback: the high cost, as well as the difficulty of finding a building with a separate entrance.

   If this is not a problem, you can fully benefit from the pros: place a creative sign that will attract customers from the street, increase the confidence of future tourists in the agency, make it easier for them to find the right home.

2. Business center.
   This option is for those who are not afraid of the access system and the impossibility of placing a sign outside.

   There will be no flow of customers from the street, but you can get a freshly renovated room, an influx of tourists from other offices and increased confidence in such a solid office.

3. Shopping mall.
   This option is for those who are not afraid to look for a suitable free space for a long time and pay high rent.

   Pluses - a constant stream of people passing by, some of whom will definitely be interested in the company.

4. Sleeping area, outskirts.
   In this option, there is an opportunity not to face high competition, not to pay high rent and to attract local residents who probably also want to go on vacation.

   However, the flow of customers will be limited and a lot of effort will be required in advertising and retaining regular users.

Design

The room, when it is rented, should be appropriately decorated. Cleanliness, gloss, brilliance and, of course, things suggestive of other countries.

Photographs or intricate souvenirs are something that will create an enticing atmosphere of adventure. And, of course, care should be taken to ensure that all staff are equipped with equipment, and telephone and Internet are installed in the office.

Recruitment

You should choose specialists who love their job, savvy in its nuances and focused on career growth. You can look for yesterday's excellent students, lure people from competitors or take temporarily unemployed - it all depends solely on taste.
You will need:

1. At least two managers, since it is not possible for one to process all applications.
2. An accountant who will be busy with counting and settling accounts.

In the early stages, you can get by with a small staff: when the business expands and the client base grows, it will be possible to hire more people.

Advertising

Without the right PR company, even the best product will not sell. Therefore, it is necessary to allocate enough money for these needs.

The main rule of the tourist business: honesty. Any lie will come out sideways: in the age of information technology, any overlays will become known on the forums and no one will want to use the services of the company.

Therefore, if long and fruitful work is implied, it is better to work conscientiously right away, not allowing yourself to be dishonest.

How to open a travel agency from scratch if there is no start-up capital

Start-up capital is a serious help at the beginning of any business. However, in the case of tourism, you can get by with improvised materials, if you are not lazy and do not immediately count on fabulous profits.

Required:

1. A computer through which you can advertise, keep in touch with customers and create the appearance of a serious company.
2. Some money to buy the very first tours.
3. The ability to communicate with people and (optional, but highly desirable) a wide circle of acquaintances.
4. Availability of free time and ability to advertise.

It is best to start working without start-up capital for people who have a huge number of friends and acquaintances who have the opportunity to use the services of an agent and advise him to their friends. And, of course, you can’t do without advertising: your own website, your own group in social networks, constant updates, possibly discounts.

You won’t be able to reach the level of serious agencies right away. However, how soon it will be possible to create a stable client base and start making a profit depends only on the abilities of the agent.

How to travel agency can be learned from the video.

How to start a franchise travel agency

The work of a franchise is, in fact, a work under a false name, which is perfect for those who are not confident in their knowledge, but are confident in their abilities. In this case, licensing and registration will also be required, but getting started will be much easier: for this, you need to conclude an agreement with a large company that will allow a newcomer to use their brand for a share of the profits.

The contract may imply that the company provides not only the name, but also:

1. Ready-made technologies, including online tour booking systems and a website.
2. Free training for employees.
3. The opportunity to use the brand and style for the benefit of all.
4. Opportunity to receive comprehensive support.
5. Ability to redirect conflicts with operators to a senior firm.

In general, this option is suitable for learning how to work in this business, but it is not suitable for starting to make a solid profit. Sooner or later you will have to go free swimming.

How to open an online agency

In order to create an online agency, you need a good programmer and an equally good designer.

Together they must create a website where the client can:

• read all the details about the tours that interest him;
• choose a specific tour and order a ticket;
• pay for the tour and form the necessary package of documents.

This approach has certain advantages: personnel costs become minimal, customers can be served from anywhere in Russia, it is not necessary to sit in the office all day and the registration process is as simple and automated as possible.

However, the site can be hacked, and working with documents requires either the presence of a client or working with scans. The site will also need strong technical support.

Like any choice, this one can seem ambiguous.

Advertising, promotion and ways of development

There are different ways to do this:

How to behave during the off season

The tourism business is obviously influenced by the seasons: in the summer people tend to go on vacation, the flow increases during the school holidays and the New Year holidays - the rest of the time the flow is reduced and it can be difficult for a small company to stay afloat.

There are a few secrets to help you survive:

1. You should lay money for the "off season" in the summer, so as not to be bankrupt in the middle of winter.
2. In summer, you can take additional workers, but in winter, leave only the backbone.
3. In the summer, you can sell any tours - they will still be a success. In winter, you should pay attention to ski tourism and boarding houses inside Russia.

The main thing is to play it safe and secure a financial cushion in advance.

Profitability and payback of the tourist business

Is it profitable to open a travel agency? In order for the agency to start paying off, you need to work efficiently and conscientiously, so that clients return themselves and bring friends.

When the total sale of vouchers per month is 500 pieces, the income will be from 50,000 to 100,000 rubles.

To start earning more, you will need to expand the staff and attract new customers.

This is a simple law: the better the service, the higher the profit.

Conclusion

Tourist business has its risks, its pitfalls and problems.

However, if you approach it well prepared, having studied the market and knowing your business perfectly, all this can be avoided.

The main thing is honesty and accuracy.

And, of course, reputation.

Learn how to open a travel agency from the video.

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Every year, a large number of travel agencies appear on the territory of the Russian Federation, but only 30% of start-up companies manage to “survive”.

The abolition of licensing in the field of tourism services has opened up new opportunities and ways of development for this type of business.

Today, many entrepreneurs want to open a travel agency and make it profitable, but fierce competition brings its limitations. If you manage to “stay afloat” and build a solid foundation for development, you will get an exciting, fast-growing business with a constant increase in income.

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Financial plan

• Start-up capital: 800,000 - 1,000,000 rubles.
• Payback period: 1.5 - 2 years.

The amount that is needed to open a travel company depends on the region of location, the chosen concept and the scale of the project. The required minimum for start-up capital is 800 thousand rubles. for regions and 1 million rubles. for Moscow.

Estimated costs will be distributed as follows:

• business registration, registration of permits - 25-30 thousand rubles;
• purchase of furniture and repair work - 80-120 thousand rubles;
• purchase of office equipment, software and communication tools - 120-180 thousand;
• development of the concept and corporate identity - 20-25 thousand.

Monthly expenses:

• payment for renting a room (25 sq.m) - 50-70 thousand rubles / month;
• Internet, communication services - 10 thousand rubles / month;
• marketing activities - 10-15 thousand rubles / month;
• payroll fund - 80 thousand rubles / month.

Before opening a travel agency from scratch, it is important to have additional funds for development, advertising and strategic planning. In addition to these items, allocate funds for unforeseen expenses. When forming the financial part of any business plan, experts recommend adding 20% ​​to the amount of start-up capital received for unforeseen expenses - they will definitely appear in the process of activity.

The payback period of an average travel agency is 1.5 - 2 years (excluding crisis phenomena). The result depends on the correct choice of the concept, the level of competition in the region, the right niche and promotion strategy.

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What is the difference between a tour operator and a travel agency?

The company can operate as a tour operator or travel agency.

tour operator is a company that independently develops tours in several directions, promotes them in the media or through a retail network of travel agencies.

Tourist agency is an intermediary between the operator and the tourist. Its activity is based on the sale of a complete package of tourist products, which was formed by the tour operator.

Experts recommend that newcomers to this business work as a travel agency. In this case, the income of such a company is a fixed commission from the amount of the sold tour. The amount of such payment is usually 5-15% and depends on the pricing policy of the tour operator.

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Concept development

The organization of a travel agency begins with the choice of a concept and the type of proposed activity.

The company can act as an independent tour operator or as a travel agency.

The algorithm for promoting a tourist product is as follows:

• analysis of the market of tourist services;
• development and design of a tourist product;
• formation of the route scheme;
• compilation of additional services that the client will receive in preparation for the trip or at the place of rest;
• collection of technical documentation;
• development of control methods;
• marketing events;
• calculation of the cost of a tourist product;
• formation of the company's pricing policy;
• choice of customer service methods;
• quality control of the services provided.

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Choice of direction

There are many different areas in the tourism business:

• recreational tourism;
• beach vacation;
• excursion tours;
• youth tours;
• children's tours;
• treatment abroad;
• shopping tours;
• business tours;
• gastronomic trips;
• agritourism;
• educational tours.

At the initial stage, it is better to start with one direction, and in the process of work, expand the range of services provided. Since this type of business is seasonal, it is beneficial to supplement the main activity with additional (accompanying) services:

• sale of tickets for air and rail transport;
• registration of insurance for persons who are sent abroad;
• support of translators;
• providing a guide;
• hotel booking;
• transfer services;
• visa processing, etc.

Today, many agencies provide a full range of services, from assistance in obtaining a passport to accompaniment of a guide and translator.

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Drawing up a business plan for a travel agency

A well-designed business plan is the basis for the success of any company. When compiling this document, it is important to take into account all the features and aspects of the tourism industry, fierce competition, exchange rate fluctuations and political relations of partner countries. And such a business plan is needed not for a potential investor or creditor bank, but for the entrepreneur himself. The plan should be detailed, it is important to think through and reflect every detail.

The business plan of the travel agency should consist of the following items:

1. In-depth analysis of the tourism services market, indicating development prospects and all kinds of risks.
2. Formation of the range of services provided.
3. Registration of permits.
4. Choice of partners.
5. Choosing an office space.
6. Purchase of furniture, office equipment, software.
7. Personnel selection.
8. Carrying out marketing activities.
9. Drawing up a financial plan, calculating the profitability and payback of the project.

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Paperwork

Registering a business is a laborious process. There are a number of private firms, consulting agencies that can help in obtaining permits. The cost of such services depends on the pricing policy of such a company and varies between 100-500 dollars.

If you go through the registration procedure yourself, the registration process will take from one to three weeks.

First you need to decide on the organizational legal form - IP or OOO. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

IP benefits:

• ease of collection and execution of documents;
• economy (low registration fee);
• a simple form of taxation and reporting;
• the ability to dispose of the proceeds at any time without restrictions.

IP Disadvantages:

• a high degree of responsibility of the entrepreneur (a businessman is liable for credit obligations with his personal property);
• exclusion of the possibility of co-founding, partnership;
• The IP is associated with clients as a small, inexperienced organization, which can lead to distrust.

Most registered firms in Russia operate as a limited liability company. This is due to the minimization of risks, since in the event of difficulties and bankruptcy, the entrepreneur is only responsible for the authorized capital, which can be at least 10 thousand rubles.

LLC advantages:

• low risk, since the founder risks only invested funds, and not personal property;
• the opportunity to do business with partners, forming a collective tourism business;
• a good reputation is associated with a high level of customer confidence;

Disadvantages of an LLC:

• lengthy registration and registration procedure;
• high reporting requirements;
• the inability to dispose of income at any time, since the founders receive access to the funds received after the distribution of profits.

In the tourism business, not only the financial side of the issue is close, but also his idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe possibility of traveling around the world. This business provides an opportunity to make new acquaintances and learn a lot of new things.

What does it take to open a travel agency from scratch?

Before deciding to open a travel agency, it is important to understand that there are two types of services in this market:

• services of a tour operator who develops a route and takes care of all organizational issues
• travel agency services. It sells the operator's ready-made tours and receives a commission percentage for this.

In turn, agencies work in two directions:

• domestic tours
• international tours

It is necessary to immediately determine the priority direction of the business. Choose the main category of tourists with which you are going to work.

More cost-effective for a large city is the opening of a car wash. Read the instructions about: what difficulties await, what profitability and how to build a business process.

When opening a travel agency, a guide to an LLC will undoubtedly come in handy: where and how to register, what premises to rent, which tour operators to choose and whom to hire.

How to start a travel agency?

1. We choose the organizational and legal form. The tax code offers two optimal options:

• registration of a travel agency as an LLC (legal entity)

No tour operator will refuse to work with a legal entity. Registering an LLC is a more solid and fundamental approach to doing business. The level of trust among customers is higher than in a travel agency registered as an individual entrepreneur.

Mandatory presence of authorized capital. As a result, the registration of an LLC requires a larger financial investment than the registration of an individual entrepreneur.

• registration of a travel agency as an individual entrepreneur (individual)

Small costs compared to opening an LLC, the package of documents is minimal.

But not all tour operators work with travel agencies that are registered as individual entrepreneurs. The level of trust among customers is lower than for a travel agency registered as an LLC.

Special documents for opening a travel agency are not required.

2. When you have decided on the registration form, there are still a few organizational issues.

Necessary:

• pick a suitable name
• determine registration address
• select activities in accordance with the classifier
• pay the state duty
• sign the application for registration in the presence of a notary

Additionally for LLC:

• determine the size of the authorized capital (minimum - 10,000 rubles)
• if there are several founders, it is necessary to fix the size and nominal value of the share of each founder

Choose a room

For a travel company that has opened, it is better to choose a cozy room of modest size. The best option for a travel agency is renting small premises. 20 sq.m. is enough in a passing place with a developed infrastructure and convenient parking.

The city center or a place of congestion of potential tourists is the best option for renting an office for a travel agency.

Particular attention should be paid to the sign. It should be bright and rich colors. A neon light box or three-dimensional letters will do.

We decorate the interior of the travel agency

If the room needs repair, then it will have to be done. It is important to remember here that the clients of travel agencies are not poor people. They highly appreciate coziness and comfortable environment.

For the client's corner, for the first time, it is enough to put a coffee table and a sofa. Add corporate identity and tourist paraphernalia to the overall interior of the office.

Jobs need to be prepared for employees. For 2-3 people, you will need desks, chairs, computers, telephones, office supplies, one shelving unit per office, and a multifunctional device with a photocopier, printer, and fax machine.

Take your choice of Internet Service Provider seriously. This link with the outside world can really spoil the business if there is a weak Internet speed or, even worse, systematic failures.

After all the preparations, you can receive employees.

What to look for when recruiting

A rule that applies to any business.

Do not hire your relatives and best friends! This is not a field of activity where they can provide you with all possible assistance. Friendships rarely develop into business relationships. Accept people from whom there will be a return.

Ideally, if they already have experience in a travel agency. But first of all, try to discern the personal qualities of the candidate:

• his manner of speaking
• how correct speech and competent presentation of thoughts
• Is he able to separate the main from the secondary?
• can focus on the task at hand
• how seriously he takes the matter
• how he presents himself to others
• how to communicate with strangers
• How broad is his horizon?
• how to deal with conflicts.

A travel agency is about working with people. Therefore, the quality of the applicant is more important than the accumulated experience.

Enough 2-3 managers who will deal with sales, search and customer service. At first, you can do without an accountant, a programmer and a cleaner.

The salary that motivates the staff consists of the minimum wage (5554 rubles). Everything else is interest (bonuses) from concluding contracts with clients. You should not save on this part of the salary if you want to have productive employees in your agency.

Choice of tour operator

The question is no less important than the choice of an Internet provider. The wrong choice of operator can also cause big losses to the firm.

In order to minimize all risks, it is worth concluding an agreement with at least ten tour operators. Of these, half should specialize in your main area.

For example, if a travel agency operates on a route to Egypt or Bali, then half of the operators with whom you are going to draw up an agreement must work strictly in this direction.

When choosing a tour operator, do not forget to be guided by its degree of fame, reliability, how long it has been operating in this market. The percentage of remuneration to a travel agency for sold vouchers is 5-16% of their value.

Initial rewards are small. But as soon as the first group of tourists returns from the trip, the percentage of commissions increases depending on the tickets sold. Any tour operator is interested in increasing sales volumes, so the terms of cooperation with promising travel agencies are being reviewed.

A good help is a single search base for tours and tour operators. The most common tourindex.ru. Acquiring access to the database will greatly facilitate the work. The cost of annual maintenance on the site is about 26,000 rubles.

Registration on the site tour-box.ru will help a young travel agency. After registration, access to the tour booking system will be provided.

All preparatory work has been completed. You can take the first clients, but where to get them?

Customer acquisition

First clients are remembered for a long time. There are many ways to attract and ... a lot.

Even at the stage of opening a travel agency, it is desirable to create your own company website. This will greatly facilitate the work of finding customers. Today it is the most effective tool for finding clients.

A professionally created and competently launched contextual advertising can dramatically increase the flow of those wishing to use tourist services.

It is equally important to master e-mail marketing and build your own subscriber/customer base.

Do not neglect and write off well-known search options:

• media advertising
• banner ads and billboards
• radio announcements
• broadcast on television channels
• connection of promoters for the distribution of leaflets
• word of mouth

Clients sometimes have a habit of showing up suddenly, from where you don't expect them at all. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly keep an electronic journal of the channel of new customers. Based on it, conduct analytics and statistics.

In order for new customers to become regular, often provide discounts, bonuses, periodically hold promotions.

Is it profitable to open a travel agency: payback and profitability

Three main questions before opening a travel agency.

• How much does it cost to open a travel agency?
• How quickly will the investment pay off? Is it beneficial?
• What yield should be expected?

Before answering the first question, it is worth remembering how much money was spent. Each has its own investment. Everyone is individual, so the numbers are very approximate.

According to the most conservative estimates, investments range from 300,000 rubles. and higher.

With a correctly chosen strategy and the absence of "pitfalls", you can count on the payback of a business in six months.

And then comes the most crucial moment. To hold on, gain a foothold and confidently take their place in the business of providing tourist services.

An indicator of confidence that you have reliably strengthened your position is the sale of 500 tours per year. When this figure is reached, you can count on a stable monthly net profit in the range of 50,000-100,000 rubles.

What is profit made up of?

This is the percentage of tours sold by the travel agency of the tour operator with whom the contract was concluded. After the sale, the travel agency collects its percentage and transfers the remaining amount to the operator's account or vice versa. First, the entire amount is given to the operator, and the operator then transfers the percentage to the agency.

A fairly wide corridor of the net profit range depends on the season. The tourism business is a seasonal business.

Dead season: forewarned is forearmed

For a newly minted travel agency, the off-season is the biggest test. For the first two years, loss planning will be the wisest decision. But this is not enough.

If you approach this issue wisely, then you need to start preparing for winter in April, before the upcoming May holidays.

During the off-season there is a system of discounts. This is specially done in order to somehow attract tourists and stay afloat.

Additional types of income when there are no people who want to go on vacation:

• visa processing services
• self-sale of air tickets

The main work is to increase the client base. In the low season, you can always offer your customers vouchers to holiday homes and domestic tours in Russia.

How to develop a travel agency: a further strategy

When the travel agency is firmly on its feet, it is worth moving to a new stage of development. It makes sense for a travel agency to move to a new status by registering as a tour operator.

With mass tours, some difficulties may arise due to high competition. Therefore, at first it is better to focus on the formation of an individual tour for your regular customers. Here you are free to set your own prices.

Additionally, you will need:

• purchase a liability insurance policy
• enter the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators

How to start a franchise travel agency

A very good option for beginners in the tourism business. There are two types of franchising:

• independent travel agencies of federal significance with a developed regional network
• tour operator retail

Isn't it easier to buy a travel agency franchise?

Certainly this is the simplest solution. With the acquisition of a franchise, you have all the conditions in order not to go bankrupt in the first year and not fly out of this market.

You are getting:

• ready-made business model
• ready brand
• contact with the tour operator
• streamlined business processes

You just have to choose a quality franchise. Of course, it costs money, but this investment is guaranteed to save your travel agency from bankruptcy.

There are well-known tourist franchises on the Russian market:

• Hot tours (http://www.hott.ru)
• Orange (http://apelsin.travel)
• 1001 tour (http://www.1001tur.ru)

And in order to keep abreast of events in the tourism business market, do not forget to follow the news of Rostourism, keep your finger on the pulse and periodically look at the Law "On Tourism".

How to open a travel agency at home?

Unfortunately, experts do not advise doing this. There are practically no successful examples. Opening a travel agency at home is not solid, does not inspire the confidence of tourists and creates additional minor problems. Yes, and inviting people to the office is much more respectable than to your apartment. Of course, you can arrange meetings with tourists in public places, but the effect of such meetings is doubtful.