Step-by-step instructions on how to open a travel agency from scratch. How to open a travel agency from scratch: business plan, documents

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

What does a travel agency do?

Agency for the sale of tourist vouchers is one of the areas of business activity dealing with sale of tours to the population.

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

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

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

If you have never worked in the tourism business before, it makes sense to start by selling certain types of tours: either packages or individual ones. Everyone chooses for themselves which type of tour they prefer to implement.

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

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

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

The agency's profit lies in the difference in prices for tours between the tour purchased from the tour operator and the tour sold to an individual. The tour operator is responsible for organizing the tour.: draws up contracts with the embassies of host countries, concludes contracts and monitors the mandatory implementation of them with insurance and transport companies, hotels, etc.

Requirements for paperwork when applying for a visa are strictly regulated by each tour operator in its own way. Responsibility for obtaining travel documents such as voucher, transfer, insurance and incorrect visa paperwork rests with travel companies.

In order for the tour operator to be able to provide tourists with a full package of ordered services, travel agencies are obliged to prepare all the necessary documents and transfer payment for them within the prescribed period.

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

Is it profitable to open a travel agency?

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

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

Among other things, it is necessary to mention the high competition in this business area. Statistics show that 30% of travel agencies operate for less than a year.

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

What you need to open your own travel agency

Stages of registering a tourism agency.

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

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

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

Travel agency licensing.

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

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

Selecting tourism operators for cooperation.

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

And there is plenty to choose from - there is a large selection of tour operators on the market. In this case, you should not enter into cooperation with dubious operators. You should be wary of exaggeratedly low prices for services; this will not lead to anything good. A tourist’s trip can be disrupted for various reasons, and a dubious operator, in pursuit of profit, is unlikely to warn about this.

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

1. company priorities,
2. the duration of its functioning in this area,
3. financial support.

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

Staff

Selecting a location

Advertising, clients

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

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

• correctly draw up and execute documents;
• select qualified workers;
• choose a crowded place for an office;
• competently advertise your services.

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.

Do you want to open a travel agency? Here are the best tips to help you open your own travel agency without any problems! Let's take note.

Do you love to travel?

Do you know how to properly organize a trip, choose routes and which museums to visit?

It's likely that you wouldn't mind.

How do you like the idea of ​​opening your own travel agency?

So, let's go through all the pros and cons! 🙂

How to open a travel agency and what do you need to know for this?

Tip #1: The most important thing is that you must understand that this business is complex and does not bring in excess profits!

If you work successfully, you will be able to earn money, but it will not be “mad” money.

Just as, in fact, they will not exist in other areas, unless you are involved in weapons, drugs and smuggling.

Tip #2: In the tourism business, you are selling a service, and the quality of this service will depend entirely on you!

There are two players in the market: tour operators who create tourism products and travel agencies that sell this tourism product.

All travel companies have the same product, so your success depends entirely on.

Tip No. 3: In many cities, and certainly in Moscow and St. Petersburg, courses are held for those who want to open their own travel agency.

The courses are one-week, relatively inexpensive, and useful in terms of the legislative framework.

But if you don’t have the opportunity, don’t be upset, be patient and persistent and devote ten days to independently studying all the legislative documents in this area.

The activities of travel companies themselves are not licensed, so you do not need to obtain a license.

But knowing all the laws is a must!

Tip No. 4: Choosing the location of the office in which your company will be located is one of the decisive factors for success.

The company should be located in a walk-through location, preferably with shop windows facing the street.

Having a transport stop, metro, or large supermarket nearby is almost a must.

It would also be a good idea to contact a branding agency that will develop a creative and vibrant style for your company, which is very important!

You have to stand out and always be in trend and people will reach out to you! 😉

Thanks to the flow of people, you can attract the attention of potential customers with discounts and promotions!

Tip No. 5: You can choose the franchise option, that is, go under the name of a well-known travel agency network.

In this case, there are both disadvantages and advantages.

Pros: already known name, booking program, joint advertising.

Cons: Entry fee and regular franchise fees. Here the choice is yours.

For those who are interested in the idea of ​​opening their own travel agency,

Where to turn your attention?

Well, the most important thing in the travel business is word of mouth and customer return!

There is no need to hire managers right away, because at first you will probably be able to cope on your own.

The main thing is to study all the information, enter into contracts with tour operators, master the booking system and get into FIGHT.

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

• First steps - choosing a concept
• First pitfalls
• Registration
• We prepare documentation
• We are looking for suitable premises
• We select a pleasant interior
• We select personnel
• We are looking for potential clients
• What are the expenses and income?

First steps - choosing a concept

You can find four options on the market for a long time:

1. A private travel agency requires renting an office, hiring staff and concluding contracts with other companies, but you don’t have to depend on other people. This option is more suitable for those familiar not only with business, but also with the work of a tour operator.
2. A home travel agency is the easiest way for a newbie in business to join this environment. You won’t need to rent an office and hire other people, but don’t expect much profit either. In this case, only a person with his own client base and skills in the marketing environment can burn out. Get ready that only the middle class of people will come to you.
3. An online travel agency is a format of online shopping that is extremely popular with people, which can allow them to travel to different cities and countries, so the travel agency must not go under. The main thing is that the company’s website contains complete information about the company itself, about tours and offers, and is also really convenient for the average visitor. Include the ability to communicate with the operator, select changes to the trip and pay through online wallets for the convenience of the buyer.
4. Franchising is the best format for a first-time entrepreneur, because a beginner is not yet ready to solve some problems on his own. The advantages of this option are that your new agency is opened under the leadership of a well-known network like “World of Discovery”; you are not left without the attention and trust of potential buyers. You will also receive some equipment, free business training, a marketing campaign and the necessary connections at the very beginning.

First pitfalls

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

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

Take care of planning your expenses in unprofitable months, and, most importantly, you should open a travel agency in early spring, so that you have time to increase your client base before the fall. During the “dead” seasons, your travel agency should offer the sale of air tickets, the services of a lawyer for obtaining a visa, as well as special domestic tours to the cities of the country.

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

Registration

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

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

We prepare documentation

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Start by choosing the name of the travel agency. Think of something sonorous, memorable, appropriate in meaning, but quite serious. For example, “World of Discovery” is suitable.
2. Choose a room. This is important for determining the company's registered address.
3. It is important to choose the right type of activity in a travel agency according to the classifier.
4. Pay the state fee.
5. Notarize the signature of the application for company registration.

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

We are looking for suitable premises

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

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

We select a pleasant interior

Design a decent and comfortable client corner, where there will be a coffee table and a comfortable small sofa for several people. If you want your clients not to get bored, organize a small number of travel-themed magazines, preferably with a lot of photographs. The tourist model should be read throughout the office design - paintings, straw hats, photo wallpapers and other things reminiscent of tourism.

Don’t be afraid to express your own “wants” and creativity in design. Be original! Employees also need their own area. To ensure efficient work processes, organize desks, comfortable computer chairs and shelving with everything you need for work. You will also need space for a printer, copier and other important devices.

We select personnel

A travel agency as a business does not tolerate fraternization and forgiveness of mistakes, so never agree to hire relatives and friends.

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

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

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

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

Choosing a reliable tour operator

In order not to make a mistake and reduce risks, enter into contracts with ten different operators at once, half of which must specialize in a particular area.

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

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

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

We are looking for potential clients

In order not to be left without clients, open your own company website so that its design and content are handled by a professional web designer and system administrator rolled into one.

You can still use other advertising methods:

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

Sometimes clients come to the office from an unknown source, so it is important to constantly adjust even a ready-made business plan, as well as keep a special journal about the channels of client receipt in electronic form. This will help you do regular analytics of statistics on attracting people to a travel agency. Don't forget about discounts, promotions and bonuses that perfectly motivate people not only to make purchases, but also to attract their friends and family.

Video: how to open a travel agency?

What are the expenses and income?

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

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

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

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Who among us would not like to see the world and visit the most remote and exotic corners of the earth? The love of travel is not alien to anyone. This is probably why, even in the most economically unstable times, most people still had the opportunity and financial means for a long-awaited trip. Thanks to this, you can organize for yourself a reliable and very profitable way of earning money - opening a travel agency from scratch. We will tell you how to do this below, providing step-by-step instructions with useful tips.

Where to begin?

The significant advantages of the type of business associated with tourism are relatively low investments, as well as the absence of the need for special education. By not requiring special permits, you can avoid many of the barriers to opening a travel agency. However, it is worth noting that competition in this area is still quite high, and the profit you will receive depends on the economic situation in the country. Nevertheless, opening a travel agency from scratch even during an economic crisis is quite possible.

In order to understand in detail the legal side of the issue, you should refer to Law No. 132-FZ of November 24, 1996 “On the fundamentals of tourism activities in the Russian Federation.” Depending on the specifics of your activity, external and internal tourism differs. Services related to this industry are provided by tour operators and travel agents. Let us consider in more detail how these concepts differ.

The responsibilities of tour operators include independent development, promotion and subsequent implementation of tours. Thus, using its services, a tourist can reach his destination and return home safely without experiencing any inconvenience during the trip. That is why, in order to start a professional activity, they will be required to have insurance or a guarantee from the bank. Tour operators must be included in the Unified Federal Register and also belong to the necessary associations.

In turn, travel agents are a kind of connecting link, an intermediary between the tour operator and the client. They sell tours; Moreover, their earnings consist of commission payments (from 5 to 16% of the cost of each tour).

The travel agent must also:

1. Inform clients about the services provided.
2. Select tours depending on the client’s wishes.
3. Provide clients with all necessary documents.
4. Guarantee the quality of all services provided.

Depending on the size of the start-up capital and the plans of the entrepreneur, travel agencies can exist in various forms.

To open a travel company from scratch, we will need to rent an office, as well as hire all the necessary staff. Despite the fact that this method is the most expensive, it will provide you with maximum financial independence.

The easiest way is to open a travel agency at home. In order to start this type of business, you only need a phone, a computer, Internet access and a printer. After you register an individual entrepreneur, you can start promoting your services using the media. In addition, you can organize meetings with interested parties both at home and on neutral territory (for example, in a cafe). This method of opening a travel agency is quite risky, but it is perfect for people who have a wide circle of friends and considerable professional experience.