Young HR School
If the decision to open a travel agency has been made, it is first worth studying industry legislation.
The legal side of the tourism business is regulated by Law No. 132-FZ of November 24, 1996 “On the fundamentals of tourism activities in the Russian Federation.”
According to the document, tourism can be international (inbound and outbound) and domestic, and tourism services are provided by tour operators and travel agents, go here on how to become a tour operator for external tourism.
Tour operators- legal entities that independently develop tourism products (tours), promote and sell them. The mission of the operators is for the tourist to see Paris and... return home safely. Therefore, the law obliges them to have financial security in the form of a bank guarantee or insurance. All tour operators operating in accordance with the law are included in the Unified Federal Register, and those working to organize outbound travel must also be members of the relevant associations.
Travel agents- legal entities or individual entrepreneurs who are the link between the tourist and the tour operator. This party sells tours designed by tour operators and earns commissions. Relations between tour operators and travel agents are regulated by agency agreements, which stipulate the amount of remuneration - 5-16% of the cost of the sold tour.
The responsibilities of a travel agent are listed in the agency agreement and typically include:
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia demands to ensure safety when organizing children's holidays
Travel agency at home. Your own travel agent
Now anyone can become a travel agent and receive commissions directly from the tour operator, much higher than with the same employment in a travel agency.
The idea will appeal to mothers with children and people who cannot imagine themselves outside of Social Networks.
In a nutshell, I’ll tell you about the essence of the tourism business. Tour operator- a company that organizes tours and offers them for sale either directly to consumers (tourists) or through intermediaries - travel agencies. Travel agencies have managers on staff ( travel agents), whose job responsibilities include the direct implementation of tours and the formation of a client base.
Travel agencies sell tour packages at a price tour operator and for this they receive a fee, on average 10% of the cost of the tour. Travel agent Those who directly sell a trip to an individual receive a fee from the travel agency of about 10% of the agency’s income, i.e. on average 1% of the cost of the trip.
With the penetration of the Internet into every home, any literate person can become a travel agent for themselves and their loved ones, receiving 5% of the cost of the trip for their work!
We are talking about the Workl service. It's simple. Workl, an online travel agency, has already agreed with tour operators (there are about 40 of them) on the implementation of the proposed tours (vouchers). But due to the fact that there is no need to maintain an office (travel agents work from home), advertising costs are minimal (first of all, the travel agent offers to buy tours for people in his circle), the agent’s commission increases to 5%.
Not so simple. In the Workl system, you will first be offered training on types of tours, ticket booking, geography, sales technologies, and only then you will be able to offer tours to your loved ones! But I want to note that this training is very interesting and educational. Any person with a higher education can do it in 1 day!
It seems to me that this is a very tempting offer, especially since each of us regularly uses the services of tour operators (but without any fees). Think about it, 5% of a tour worth 100 thousand rubles is as much as 5 thousand!
Articles
How to become an inbound tourism tour operator
“Garlic!” "TIC VS Tour Operators"
Currently, in the tourism market, the most common types of organizations are: tour operator and travel agent.
In accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Fundamentals of Tourism Activities in the Russian Federation,” tour operator activities mean activities related to the formation, promotion and sale of a tourism product carried out by a legal entity; more details can be found here on how to become a tour operator for inbound tourism.
Tour operators play a leading role in international tourism, since they are the ones who form the tourist product, which may include services for the provision of transport, accommodation, food, excursion services, etc. In addition to creating a tourism product, tour operators promote it by participating in specialized exhibitions, organizing advertising, publishing catalogs, etc.
The sales of the formed tourism product can be carried out in several ways.
A tour operator can sell tourism products through travel agents. At the same time, he bears responsibility for the quality of the tourist product sold and the reliability of the information provided to the tourist. In addition, the tour operator may not sell the entire range of services included in the tourism product, but only part of it, that is, a specific service (for example, hotel accommodation).
In addition, tourism and, accordingly, types of activities are divided into:
1. Inbound tourism - travel within Russia by persons who do not permanently reside on its territory;
How to make money in tourism in 2016 at the international level.
Internet promotion of inbound tourism operator
The role of the tour operator and travel agent in the tourism market. Stages of organizing the work of a tour operator in developing a tour. Requirements imposed in accordance with the Federal Law for the implementation of tour operator activities. Contractual relations in tourism.
Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.
Forms of work between a tour operator and a travel agency
The role of the tour operator and travel agent in the tourism market. The main differences between a tour operator and a travel agency. Bonus programs as a scheme of interaction between a tour operator and a travel agency. Formation of basic and additional services into a single tourism product.
course work, added 11/08/2013
Work of a tour operator with a travel agent
Types, functions and tasks of travel agencies. The role of tour operators and travel agents in the tourism market. Schemes of work of a tourist operator for the implementation and organization of tours. Agreement between a tour operator and a travel agent. Work of a tour operator with Meet companies.
course work, added 11/22/2013
Organization of activities of the tour operator ClearTour
Stages of creating a tour operator "ClearTour". List of documents required to open a tour operator. Personnel requirements, development of staffing schedules and job descriptions. Differentiation of tour operator offers in a competitive market.
course work, added 01/11/2014
Organization of interaction between the tour operator and travel agencies for the sale and promotion of the tourism product
Characteristics and areas of activity of a tour operator and travel agent.
The scheme of their relationship after the conclusion of an agreement on mutual cooperation. Principles of promoting a tourism product. Incentives used in customer service.
course work, added 04/13/2016
Registration of travel agency relations with its partners
Studying the features of contractual relations between a tour operator and a travel agent. Concluding agreements with service providers. Risk insurance. Legal acts governing contractual relations in the field of tourism at the national and international level.
test, added 02/23/2010
Technologies for organizing field trips
Features of outgoing. Presentation organization of tours. Advantages of organizing the work of a tour operator through the services of a meet-company. Schemes of cooperation between tour operators and foreign meet-companies. Tourist credit and tour operator responsibilities.
abstract, added 03/17/2009
Analysis of the activities of tourism enterprises in the formation and implementation of tours on the market and ways to improve it
Tour as the main product of a tourism enterprise. Analysis of the organization of a tour operator’s activities in planning and developing a tour using the example of ROSTING LLC and directions for improving its activities in introducing tours to the market.
course work, added 03/31/2010
Activities of the tour operator "Averf 2000"
The main goals, objectives and activities of the tour operator “Averf 2000”: organizational and legal form of the enterprise; management functions, personnel composition. Sales technology in tourism: main types of clients, their characteristics; service improvement.
practice report, added 10/02/2011
Technology for preparing for the publication of a tour operator catalog
Tour operator catalog as the main carrier of information about the tourism product. Purpose, types, contents of catalogs. Technology of work on preparing material for the catalog and its publication. Draft catalog of the tour operator ALLEN-Travel LLC, composition of information.
test, added 03/03/2015
Tourist and tour operator professional liability insurance
Insurance in tourism: concept and legal regulation. Insurance of professional tour operator activities. Insurance market in Russia. The main Russian documents regulating tourist insurance. Voluntary health insurance.
test, added 03/23/2009
Creative people tend to change or expand their areas of interest from time to time, so it is not surprising that an ordinary lover of quality films and videos will one day want to become a professional videographer. It is at this moment that quite logical questions arise “ how to become a videographer from scratch? And " what does it take to become an operator?. Of course, not everyone who has acquired an expensive camera can call themselves a good cameraman, because this proud title must be earned. What distinguishes a good operator from an amateur?
They don't teach this in school
Currently, most professional operators are self-taught. Of course, we are now slightly disingenuous and embellishing, but by and large this is true. The thing is that the standard set of knowledge and skills, the so-called “video operator’s ABC,” taught in higher educational institutions, is not always advisable to use in its original form in practice. The world is changing so quickly that it is not always possible to record these changes, but what if recording current events is one of the main responsibilities of a good operator? The operator has to be very flexible and inquisitive in order to always be aware of innovations. And most importantly, the videographer must have his own view of the space and the objects in it.
Agree that a novice videographer in Odessa, whose prices for individual filming are higher than average, is unlikely to agree to free filming “for an idea.” But what prevents him from participating in a talented and creative, but free, project, gaining experience, and not filming dry material according to a template? A good cameraman should not be afraid to experiment, so before setting exorbitant prices for video shooting, he should try his hand at several genres and styles, learn how to work with the person in the frame and adapt to environmental conditions. All these skills are not taught in any educational institution, so each videographer becomes a kind of pioneer on his creative path, encounters difficulties for the first time, and looks for a way out of current situations.
The most successful videographers are professional photographers who, having come into contact with the magical world of compositions and frame sizes, could not part with it. As a rule, the entire basis of the filming process comes down to the basics of photography, so often the videographer can collaborate with the photographer or be his assistant. If you decide become an operator from scratch, then in any case you will have to learn the basics of photography, even if the static art of photography is not to your liking. Here is a short list of what a novice videographer must understand first:
- Features of working with lens aperture
- Working with frame composition
- Lens shutter speed features
A beginning videographer must be constantly under the influence of inspiration and must create a holistic picture that will be much more interesting and meaningful than a single photograph. Unlike an experienced craftsman, who often works according to a universal scheme, a novice cameraman has every chance to shoot interesting and impressive material. Over time, professional videographers tie their own hands and do not allow the creative impulse to take over them; they shoot similar videos, “stamp” the same effects and edit footage without taking into account the individual features of the plot. To become a good videographer from scratch, you need to work and develop in this direction every day, communicate with creative people and draw inspiration from literally everywhere.
Theory and practice
We all know from school that theoretical knowledge is best acquired after practical training. That is why every videographer who has become familiar with the theoretical basis should immediately begin the process of video filming. Only after a number of filmed scenes can the operator claim that he knows the basics of composition and knows how to work with artificial and natural lighting. When a videographer is faced with such a concept as “frame composition,” he must skillfully shoot a full-fledged scene, perhaps in one take, but the composition itself must be carefully thought out:
- All objects are arranged in a special chronological order
- Each object is presented from a favorable perspective (from the point of view of creative intent)
- The entire frame area is skillfully used
In addition to composition, the operator will sooner or later come across such a concept as “frame size”. When filming video, you can use the following types of image sizes:
- Close-up
- Medium shot
- Overall plan
- Detailed shooting
When shooting close-up, only one expressive detail is captured by the lens; close-up can also play the role of portraiture, when the cameraman focuses on the character's facial expression while focusing on a specific emotion. A medium shot is appropriate when the person in the frame needs to be depicted “from the waist up” and the surrounding details need to be given significance through visual magnification. The long shot demonstrates the depth of the frame, and people are always shown to the audience at their full height. Detailed photography is photography whose task is to demonstrate to the audience part of an object, to highlight a small part of a significant object.
Due to the large size of the image, a novice videographer has to work hard on the duration of the frame, because this process predetermines the further editing process.
For each type of image size there is its own “regulation”, for example, a close-up should not last more than 20 seconds, a medium shot should not last more than 15 seconds, but shooting details can fit in a short 10 seconds. When working with frame duration, the operator must remember the semantic load, because prolonged scenes can quickly bore the viewer, and he will lose interest in the entire video.
The choice of camera angle and editing are perhaps the most interesting, creative and important stages in the work of any operator. When working with angles, a novice videographer, as a rule, makes a choice in favor of the most suitable one, rather than in favor of the usual angle, which makes the frame rich and unusual. If we talk about editing, then very often the academic scheme of long shot - medium shot - close-up - shooting of details is violated by novice operators, which allows viewers to look at the subjects through the eyes of the operator.
If you are determined to become a professional cameraman, then feel free to start learning the entire creative process from the inside and never allow yourself to act according to a template. And remember that the road always appears under the feet of the walker!
The tourism industry sooner or later rejects those who tried to turn a hobby into a business, but were not ready to devote all their strength to this business. But the managers who remain in it, having gone through the trials of “water, fire and the closure of Egypt,” sooner or later begin to think that their experience and knowledge quite allow them to go free - to open their own travel agency. Stops the fear of making a mistake and losing everything. The general director of the network talks about how to start your own business in this area.
Who should open a travel agency?
Definitely not for someone who just came into this business yesterday. They can simply forget about it - for a while. To prepare for such a step, it is worth working as a simple manager for at least two years, and preferably three to five. During this time, you will not only be able to learn the entire “inner kitchen” of the tourism market, but also evaluate your strengths: whether you agree to work under someone else’s wing or are ready to go on an independent voyage. In the first case, you do not concern yourself with any organizational problems, you do not think about how to find money for utilities, you do not worry about audits by the tax and other regulatory authorities. You are solely involved in sales. And you only think that you don’t know the Maldives well, so you should go to an advertising agency for 10 days. But at the same time, you are limited in profit, you depend on the will of the manager, who may not let you go on this advertising tour.
So, you can open your own company only after weighing all these pros and cons, clearly realizing that you are morally and financially ready from now on to take full responsibility upon yourself.
Travel agencies cannot open 365 days a year
Our business is highly dependent on the season. Therefore, the ideal time for the emergence of a new travel company is from January 20 to March 1. During this period, there are early booking promotions, the sales growth of which was huge this year - and in 2018 there will definitely be no less. Of course, you can open in March-April, but then the prospects for making a profit will be worse. It’s possible during the high season, but you’ll earn even less money. But from October to December you definitely can’t go to the market - this is the “tail” of the season, the first tourists will not appear until the end of January, and you will have to pay for rent and employees’ salaries all this time.
By the way, even if you open your company at the most suitable period for this, call your clients in the database and tell them that now you work, conditionally, not at the Black Cuttlefish, but at the Golden Penguin, then no one will immediately come to you will come. At best, expect tourists in two to three weeks. You need to be prepared for this.
How to Hire Professional Salespeople
It's no secret that the tourism industry has a staffing problem. Let’s say that in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar and other million-plus cities it is easier to find a good specialist. But in small towns with a population of less than 100 thousand, the personnel issue is very acute. There are only 10–15 worthy travel agencies there, and attracting strong employees to your company will be much more difficult. But it can be done. My advice: don’t skimp on managerial salaries. Reduce any other expenses: buy chairs not for 400 €, but for 400 rubles. In a year they will, of course, fall apart. No problem - buy new ones. Don’t make expensive repairs, don’t introduce uniforms for employees - we’re not a bank, after all. And instead of Macintosh, install Chinese computers. It makes no difference to a tourist whether your monitor costs 5 thousand rubles or 100. The only thing that matters to him is whether the travel agency specialists can select the tour he came for. And this depends on the depth of their knowledge and experience. And if you find a professional, offer him a salary 30-40% more than he received before. This will be the best investment you can make.
Choosing a room is not as simple as it seems
My advice is this: choose a smaller area, but in a better location. Don't rent 50 sq. m in a quiet area, if in the very center they offer only 20 for the same money. Even if you have only three jobs, but you will start your business where there is high traffic - and then you can expand. Moreover, at first you won’t need more: three sales people, one of which is you, will be enough. Accounting can be outsourced for little money. If you are logged into the network, then you don’t need a lawyer (we, for example, provide legal support for network agencies for free), and marketers who will provide you with everything you need for high-quality advertising.
Without advertising - nowhere
Keep in mind that the first advertisement is your sign. It should be bright, noticeable and of the largest possible size. If you have a 5-meter facade, then 5 m, no options. Another tip: Always post a phone number on your sign. Let's say a person is driving a car, he has no time to park or get out right now. If he sees your phone (preferably, of course, the number has memorable numbers), he will call later. If he doesn’t see it, you will lose a potential client.
In general, you need to advertise wherever possible: on radio, television, etc. But this is when you have already earned some money. And you should start with online advertising, first of all, in powerful search engines such as Google Adwords and Yandex Direct. When you have received your first clients, you can move on to outdoor advertising. This is where, by the way, a small town wins over the capitals. In Moscow, you have to put up 100 billboards to get noticed. In a small town, one or two are enough - but in the very center, next to the “main traffic light”.
And one last thing. None of the advice I've given will work if you don't work hard. It is to “plow” and try to be better than others in everything. Let's say your competitors work until 6 pm - extend the working day to 7. Other travel agencies are closed on weekends - assign managers to be on duty on Saturday and Sunday. Do everything that your competitors don't, and you will win. Good luck to everyone who decided to start their own business!
The tourism business is accessible to those businessmen who are sociable, resistant to stress, have the ability to convince people and are able to take risks. Additional advantages are knowledge of languages, as well as interest in foreign countries. It is not necessary to have special knowledge, although it can also be an effective starting point. However, in the tourism business, what is more important is a sincere interest in the work process itself and the ability to learn quickly.Where to start opening a travel agency?
First, we recommend that you pay attention to our other article, which will tell you, this article will help you understand the plan for future actions.You can start a tourism business at home, having only a computer with Internet access and a telephone. The composition of the initial client base can be formed from your immediate environment. However, this type of activity will not bring high income and can only be considered as a form of additional income, which is seasonal in nature. In order to make the tourism business the main source of income, it is important to bring it to the level of the entire country. Otherwise, it is better not to start this kind of business.
For a wide coverage of the tourism services market, it is important to follow several rules of success:
- A tourism business should be opened in areas where competitors have not yet penetrated;
- It is better to develop a small travel agency within a separate service line, since it will be difficult for a wide-profile small company to compete with large competitors;
- It is necessary to identify which segments of the tourism services market are not fully covered by other companies, that is, where there is still unmet demand.
Preliminary cost estimate
Office. Premises for a travel agency are one of the most expensive items in this business. The office of a travel company should be located closer to the center or in the very center of the city, however, in this light, two problems arise: the cost of real estate and the presence of a large number of competitors. In this light, for the first time you can limit yourself to premises in more remote parts of the city, but preferably in places with a large flow of people: bus stops, avenues, squares, etc.
Staff. According to experts, when organizing a travel agency, you should remember a simple rule: office costs are approximately equal to the total staff costs. However, on average, salaries in this industry are very low, so staff should be motivated by providing additional services: benefits for purchasing vouchers, internships and training at the expense of the company, and other benefits. Selecting the bulk of personnel will not be difficult, since work in the tourism sector is easy to learn on the spot. However, it is necessary to involve several professionals with excellent knowledge of foreign languages.
Advertising. The main factor for survival in the market, as well as the initial opportunity to make clients aware of themselves, is advertising. In the tourism sector, such types as television, press, and outdoor advertising are especially popular. These areas of advertising activity are associated with high costs, which are inevitable. In the future, the reputation of the travel company among clients will play a significant role. However, this kind of popularity can be acquired after at least a year of responsible, persistent and scrupulous work.
Stages of creating a travel agency
- Developing a plan. When starting your own business in the tourism sector, it is advisable to develop a business plan. Particular attention should be paid to the issue of assessing competitors, which include not only other travel companies, but also sites engaged in the sale of air tickets, hotel reservations and other similar services on a remote basis. In addition, it is necessary to carefully work out the financial plan in order to determine the payback period and the level of profitability of the business.
- Defining a market niche. When opening a travel agency, you should not try to cover everything at once. It is important to be able to focus efforts on those areas in which there is knowledge, connections and partners. At first, it is most effective to use the tactics of unidirectional activity. For example, organize tours exclusively to Europe or work with corporate trips abroad. As part of further activities, you can expand your market coverage and enter other market niches.
- Formation of connections. When creating advertising messages for potential clients, it is extremely important to emphasize the distinctive features of a travel agency: its specialization, reliable partners abroad, specific services. In addition, it should be mentioned that it is much more convenient and profitable for clients to contact a travel agency rather than independently organize trips abroad. Initially, you should work out a system of discounts based on taking into account the seasonality factor, as well as customer loyalty.
[b]Profit generation for a travel agency
The main source of profit for a travel agency is the difference between the price of purchasing travel packages from tour operators and the cost of selling them to clients.
Additional income is also provided by consulting clients and selling air tickets. If we consider the commissions from tourist packages, then for start-up companies they amount to about 10-15% of the cost, and for well-known companies - 18-20%. Thus, the profitability indicator is very significant from the point of view of covering the agency’s fixed and variable costs. For example, if the price of a voucher is 20,000 rubles, and the commission is 10%, then by selling three vouchers a day you can earn up to 150,000 rubles per month.
How to open a travel agency as a franchise?
The tourism industry is fraught with serious risks, which is why more than half of new firms go bankrupt within the first months of activity. This situation is due to the lack of clients, connections abroad, experience and reliable tour operators. However, you can avoid the impact of such unfavorable factors for business by purchasing a franchise to open a travel agency.A franchise inherently presupposes the right of a young company to use the brand, connections, management model and methods of doing business of an established company in the market for a certain fee. According to experts, the cost of a franchise for travel companies is cheaper than covering losses from the implementation of activities on an independent basis.
Features of working in the tourism business
The tourism business is a very broad field of activity. It includes organizing the travel of citizens abroad for vacation, training, business meetings, excursions, booking hotel rooms, purchasing air tickets, ensuring security, etc. However, the entire range of tourism services can be divided into two areas:- Organization of travel of citizens of a given country abroad;
- Reception of tourists from abroad.
In the tourism business, it is important to distinguish between the activities of tour operators and travel agencies. The former organize tours, and the latter sell them. Acting as a travel agency involves working with finished tourism products. Therefore, the main thing is to find clients and reliable tour operators. The average profitability of such a business is about 15-17% per year.
A tour operator company organizes tours independently, that is, purchases air tickets, books hotel rooms, organizes excursions with guides, provides multiple flights, and guarantees the safety of tourists. This kind of business requires significant financial investments, but its profitability is much higher - about 30-40% per year.
Often, travel agencies work together with travel companies on the basis of long-term cooperation agreements.
In order to organize a business as a travel agency, it is advisable to implement the following activities:
- If possible, purchase a franchise;
- Conduct active advertising, in particular, place advertisements in the press, the Internet, radio and television;
- Form a permanent array of customers, attracting them with discounts and additional services;
- Determine areas of activity: recreation, business travel, training, sports, etc.
- Determine the geographic scope of the business: trips to Europe, tours to Egypt or exotic travel;
- Find appropriate tour operators and conclude cooperation agreements with them.
After achieving certain success in the form of a travel agency, you can move on to operating as a tour operator, since it requires serious financial investments. Experts do not recommend starting a business in the form of a tour operator right away due to the fact that at the first stage there is no established client base and experience.
How to open a travel company from scratch (in the absence of start-up capital)?
Despite the fact that a travel agency, like any other business, is based on start-up capital, you can start even without it. However, in this case, achieving a stable position in the market, as well as high profits, will occur more slowly. In addition, the main expenses associated with the tourism industry will have to be abandoned, in particular, the costs of personnel, office and advertising will have to be eliminated.As for personnel costs, at first, with a small volume of orders, all the work can be done independently. It should be noted that if you have no experience in this area, you can work for several months in any travel agency before opening your business.
The office problem is also insignificant, since the bulk of the work can be done at home, and meetings with clients can be organized in other places, for example, in a cafe.
Advertising is a central issue, as a new travel agent needs to build an initial client base. For this purpose, you can use your own connections, advertising on social networks and on free advertising sites on the Internet. If you managed to create a website yourself, then with the help of it you can noticeably. The main thing here is not to give up, because quality services will always find their customer base, even if not as quickly as we would like!
Creation of a travel agency to work with corporate clients
One of the promising segments of the tourism services market is the sector of corporate clientele, which is distinguished by its consistency and significant orders. It should be noted that the area of the tourism business related to servicing corporate clients is characterized by increased demand, which attracts novice travel agents. However, it is extremely difficult to penetrate into this segment. Firstly, large companies have internal departments for organizing trips abroad and do not use the services of third-party travel agencies. Secondly, those companies that do not have such departments have long established relationships with specific large travel agencies and constantly use their services. However, one should not abandon the corporate sector at all, since new firms are constantly appearing in the economy, looking for partners in the tourism industry. In addition, often established companies are looking for new travel agents, being dissatisfied with the services of the previous ones. It is these clients that you can include in your initial lists of customers.It should be remembered that corporate clients are customers of a whole range of services, for which the travel agency must be ready to provide. These include:
- Preparation of documents, in particular foreign passports and visas;
- Purchasing air tickets and delivering clients to the airport;
- Booking hotel rooms and delivering items needed by clients (for example, medicines, exercise equipment);
- Fulfillment of all requirements related to the participation of clients in conferences, negotiations, symposia, round tables and their organization;
- Creating conditions for holding business meetings with clients;
- Planning customer costs abroad and ensuring security.
Another significant difficulty for a travel agent in working with the corporate sector is urgency. Indeed, often only a few hours are provided to provide the services listed above, and sometimes orders have to be completed on weekends. However, this also has its advantage - commissions are usually higher for urgent orders. However, it is better not to use this approach with regular customers. Which rarely provide urgent orders.
As part of the activities for servicing corporate clients, it is advisable to consider high-ranking officials, artists and athletes who often travel abroad and need a reliable travel agency as potential customers. In this light, by providing them with reliable and high-quality service, a travel company can get them into the ranks of regular customers, which seems to be very profitable. In addition, during the initial period of activity, it is possible to provide assistance to large travel agencies that cannot cope with their work or to serve medium-sized companies that do not have specialized departments for organizing foreign trips.
However, if you still have unclear points, then feel free to voice them in the comments to this post, we will be happy to share our opinion on resolving this or that issue.
Last year, more than 50 million Russian tourists traveled around the country and the world. Compared to 2016, outbound tourism has grown by almost a third; many new destinations and routes have been opened in the domestic market. Many aspiring entrepreneurs are interested in where to start a tourism business and how to open an agency from scratch? How much money do you need to invest in the enterprise? How to register? The answers to these questions are in our article.
How to open a tour desk
Pros: This direction requires virtually no investment. Even a student can try himself as a tour guide if he knows the sights of the city, talks captivatingly and easily finds a common language with different people.
Minuses: short season. There are much fewer tourists in winter.
Step 1. Choose a route
It is necessary to carefully consider excursion routes: take tourists around the city or organize off-site excursions. Choose a theme for city routes. For example, “Temples and monasteries”, “Beauty of the city at night”, “Historical places”, etc. Car owners organize individual tours around the city and surrounding area.
In order to open a travel company from scratch and conduct field trips, it is not necessary to buy a bus. Enter into an agreement with the local bus fleet, they will provide transport at the start of the excursion.
In addition to excursions, the entrepreneur conducts hiking trips, takes vacationers fishing or to mushroom and berry places.
Step 2. Organize a company
If you don’t want trouble with the tax authorities, it’s better to immediately open an individual entrepreneur and register with the Federal Tax Service and the Pension Fund.
Next, you have two options: keep your books and submit reports to the tax office yourself, or hire a specialized one. There is quite a wide choice on the market - from single accountants to large holdings. When choosing, you need to focus on the range of services, guarantees and customer reviews. It’s better to contact reliable companies, for example. The cost of such services can be viewed
Develop a price. The cost of tourism business services differs from the route and additional services. If you organize an hour-long walking tour, then its price starts from 150 rubles per person; if a bus trip includes visiting museums, the price will be over 1000 rubles. But part of the profit must be paid for renting buses and tickets to the museum.
As long as you work without assistants, you don’t need an office. Applications are accepted through social networks or a personal website.
Prepare a package of documents:
- Contract for services.
- Reminder for tourists.
- Description of the route.
Step 3. Calculate investments and payback
The minimum investment is 800 rubles for the state fee when registering an individual entrepreneur. The rest depends on the budget: spend money on contextual advertising or promote services for free; rent an office or work from home; buy a car for individual excursions or organize walking routes.
It is beneficial to develop a route and offer it to a travel agency. The company attracts clients, and you only guide the groups along the route.
After you have opened a mini-travel agency, you can calculate your profits. The price of a walking tour is 150 rubles, the average group is 20 people. Income per hour of work is 3000 rubles. You can conduct 3-5 excursions per day and earn up to 15,000.
How to open a travel agency from scratch as a franchise
Pros: a well-promoted brand and a ready-made business plan. Anyone can open it without experience in the travel industry and without knowledge of how to open a travel agency from scratch. The entrepreneur receives from the franchisor partner a ready-made scheme for the company’s operation and assistance during launch.
Minuses: additional costs for lump sum and royalties.
Step 1. Choose a franchise
There are many dummy franchises offered online, so choose your partner carefully.
The selection criteria are presented below.
How long has the company been on the market? Newcomers do not guarantee the viability of the franchise, since they themselves have just opened. To start a tourism business in Russia, it is better to choose a brand that has existed for more than 5 years.
- How many franchise companies have been open and for how long? If the network is developed and franchisees have been working for at least 1 year, you can count on success.
- How much does a franchise cost? The seller usually only names the lump sum fee and royalty. You need to ask what other expenses are ahead and in what amount.
- What support does the franchisor promise? If you don’t know how to open a travel agency from scratch on your own, it’s better to get support for the first 2-3 years.
More than 7.5 million tourists visit St. Petersburg annually
Tourism in Russia is now developing at a fantastic speed. People began to live better, incomes increased, which means the field of activity for companies working in this area has expanded.
Where to start a tourism business? Like any other, with planning costs and income. In this article we will talk about what a travel agency business plan should contain, how to properly organize a business, create an assortment of tours, and choose partners.
Choosing a direction of work
This is the first thing you will have to face. All currently operating companies can be divided into two groups: those that organize and implement their own tours, in a word - tour operators, and those that specialize exclusively in selling offers from domestic and foreign companies, that is, travel agents.
Of course, working according to the first option is more profitable, but the risks are higher. In addition, the starting capital is required to be very large. Therefore, it is safer and easier to start your activity by implementing ready-made tours from reputable tour operators. Organizing a tourism business in this case will require much smaller investments from you; you can start with a capital of 200 thousand rubles (of course, this is the minimum figure).
A travel agent is a kind of intermediary between a large company and a buyer. But this does not mean that you should sell tours strictly at the price determined by the tour operator. For example, the organizer of a tour to America offered you a route worth 80 thousand rubles for implementation on the condition that you keep 10 percent of the tour price for yourself. You sell a ticket in your city, where there are no other similar offers, for more, say, 100 thousand rubles. The benefit is obvious - your income increases.
Travel business. Where to begin?
Once you have decided on the direction of work, you should register your company. You can create a legal entity, or you can function as an individual entrepreneur. As practice shows, to work in the tourism industry it is better to give preference to LLC. The key point in such activities is customer trust in the company they choose, and people trust legal entities more than individual entrepreneurs.
For registering an LLC, a fee of 4,000 rubles is charged, you will also have to make a seal (another 400-600 rubles) and certify the constituent documents with a notary (about 1,000 rubles). The authorized capital must be at least 10,000 rubles, and you must transfer at least half of it to an account opened with a bank (you will also have to pay about 500 rubles for opening an account). Upon registration, the company will be assigned OKVED 53.30 “Activities of travel agencies.” Thus, the minimum amount you will spend on the registration procedure is 6,000 rubles.
License and taxes
What else is needed to open a travel agency? Previously, a license was required, but since 2007, compulsory licensing has been abolished. Therefore, all that remains is to choose the object of taxation. The work of travel agencies falls under the simplified tax system. At your discretion, two objects are offered: income (6 percent rate) or income minus expenses (15 percent rate). The second option should only be chosen if a large share of the costs is expected.
Selecting a room
This step should be completed before the registration process. Yes, they won’t register you if the company does not have a legal address. Of course, it is best to locate the agency’s office in the city center, but focus primarily on financial capabilities. Pay special attention to the design and furnishings of the room. Essentially, a travel company sells promises, “air,” a person gives money now and receives the service later, so an atmosphere of confidence should be created that savings are in good hands.
Office equipment
Don’t forget about office equipment: the office must be equipped with a computer with Internet access (one is enough for a start), a telephone, a printer, a fax - without all this it will not be possible to organize work. Furniture costs will also be considerable. A computer desk costs at least 6,000 rubles, a swivel chair costs about 3,000 thousand, you will also need to purchase chairs for clients, a sofa for waiting in case a line forms, a coffee table where booklets, leaflets, etc. will be placed.
On average, the cost of purchasing furniture will be 30-60 thousand rubles. You will need to spend about 50 thousand rubles on office equipment (at conservative estimates). Yes, owning a travel company is not cheap! The business plan should also contain a calculation of monthly office maintenance costs, which will include expenses for office supplies, utility bills, Internet payments, telephone bills, etc.
Selection of partners
Finding the tour operators you want to work with is what is needed to open a travel agency, among other things. Today there are many operators on the market organizing tours to all kinds of destinations. An important point: you need to work only with trusted companies.
Many entrepreneurs who are just starting to develop a tourism business make a serious mistake. They strive to cooperate with tour operators offering tours at the lowest prices. As a rule, such companies turn out to be unreliable. To avoid unpleasant moments, choose companies that have already proven themselves in the market.
Be sure to find out which tour operators have offices in your city. Working with them will save you a lot of hassle. All document circulation is carried out at the main office; if you have a representative office, you will be able to submit documents directly, which is very convenient.
Recruitment
The business plan of a travel agency must include information about personnel and payroll. A small company may consist of only four people: a director, a manager, an accountant and a cleaner. When combining functions, the staff may be even smaller.