Opening of a travel agency. How to start a travel agency from scratch

* Calculations use average data for Russia

A fragment of the book by Yulia and Georgy Mokhovs “Travel Agency: Where to Start, How to Succeed” by the publishing house “Peter. Published with the permission of the publisher

Do I have enough money to open a travel agency? Should I risk my last savings or not? How long does it take to pay off investments in the tourism business? How much will I earn? Create your own travel agency or buy a ready-made one? Or join a franchise network? Is it difficult to make a travel agency business plan? What are the requirements for a travel agency office? How many employees will you need to hire? Where to look for footage? What tour operators do you work with? Which countries sell tours? Limit yourself to a narrow specialization or sell everything in a row? Open air and railway ticket offices immediately or later? How to attract clients? How much to spend on advertising? Do tourists have a lot of complaints? And still…

SHOULD I OPEN A TRAVEL OFFICE OR NOT?!.

We will try to dispel all your fears and support the desire to open a travel agency. But we guarantee: everything that is written here is a real reflection of the state of affairs in the tourism business, without exaggeration and omissions.

Development of a business plan for a travel company.

We will offer for review a diagram that reflects the main parameters and items of expenditure that can be used when compiling a business plan for a travel company (agency).

1. The concept of a travel agency

Kind of activity:

travel agent;
tour operator;
mixed activity.

Additional services:

sale of air and railway tickets;
transfer services, ordering limousines;
visa processing;
insurance;
preparation of documents for registration of foreign passports;
services of an individual guide accompanying;
translation services;
sale of guidebooks;
sale of related products for travel;
realization of gift certificates;
booking and ordering tables in restaurants, tickets for events;
rental of tourist equipment;
Car rent.

Priority tourist destinations:

by type of tourist destination;
according to the cost of tours;
by country;
by type of tourism.

2. Organizational plan

Travel office location:

Centre;
outskirts;
distance from the subway.

office status:

rent;
own premises;
otherwise.

Office type:

showcase office on the first line;
in the business center;
in the administrative office building;
in the mall;
on the first floor of a residential building.

Office size:

two jobs, three five jobs;
one-room, two-room, three-room, more than three rooms;
free planning (number of meters).

Office Furniture (Cost Calculation):

tables with reception places, chairs for employees, chairs for visitors, bedside tables with keys, a catalog rack, a wardrobe, hangers, a hanger rack,
a board for information and special offers, a sofa for visitors, coffee table, safe, blinds, mirror, dishes (for employees, for receiving visitors), photo frames and permits, plants.

Office Equipment (Cost Calculation):

computers, telephones, fax, printers (minimum 2), scanner, copier, TV, CD and DVD player for showing films about countries and resorts, air conditioning, water cooler, first aid kit, clock, stationery, wall map of the world or globe.

Office design project:

space zoning;
design of the premises according to the concept of a travel company;
floor plan.

3. Competitive environment

Competitors in selected travel destinations.
Competitors within the radius:

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building;
district;
cities;
country (if applicable).

Primary competitive qualities of the future travel agency.

4. Production plan

Staff:

staffing;
payroll policy;
training.

Tour sales technology:

search and booking of tours;
scheme of interaction with partners;
registration of payment for tours;
document flow;
delivery and issuance of documents.

The range of travel agency services:

by seasons;
by directions;
by country;
by price;
by target audience.

Pricing policy of the travel agency.

Features of the sold tours.

Corporate identity development:

contractor;
list of required items;

Website creation:

concept and functions of the site;
contractor;
cost and terms of work.

Setting up a sales office.

signboard;
pavement sign;
pointers;
a plate with the mode of operation and details of the company.

Printing products(description, circulation, contractor, production time, cost):

booklet;
Business Cards;
letterheads.

Opening presentation.

budget size for 3 months, 6 months, 12 months;
advertising media.

Structure and rules of maintaining the client base.

6. Legal aspects opening a travel company

Legal form of a legal entity.

Taxation system.

Drawing up a lease agreement.

Required permits depending on the type of tourism activity.

Trademark registration.

Purchase and registration of cash register equipment (if necessary).

Ordering forms of strict reporting "Tourist ticket".

Doing accounting(independently, with the involvement of an accountant, consulting company).

Legal support of activities

7. Financial plan

Sources of funds.

Amount and duration of investment.

Plan of initial expenses.

fixed cost plan.

income plan.

Payback plan.

8. Conclusion

Long-term development plan.

9.Applications

Approximate costs for the establishment of a travel agency in Moscow,
lump sum:

Registration of a legal entity and execution of necessary permits for tour agency activities: 20,000–25,000

Furniture and office preparation for sales: 50,000–100,000

Office equipment and communications 100,000–150,000

Corporate identity development 15,000–25,000

Website development and registration 20,000–45,000

Trademark registration 50,000-100,000

Training of employees 5,000–30,000

Additional possible costs

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Purchase of a ready-made tourism business, payment for legal services to support the transaction
Payment for services for the selection of premises
Payment for recruitment services
Payment for connection services
Internet and additional telephone lines
Payment for the services of a consulting company

The cost of tours even in the same category of hotels is different, and the choice of tourists does not always fall on the 3 * level of accommodation. Therefore, in order to make an income plan, it is necessary to analyze the season prices for selected destinations with the data of 3*, 4*, 5* hotels and compare them with the expected amount of income

Approximate plan of monthly expenses of a travel company in Moscow (rubles)

Office and infrastructure

Room rental 25 m2 - 50 000

Communication services 3000

Internet 5000

Water (cooler) 500

Stationery 2500

Other administrative expenses 6000 Staff salaries

Wage

Director 35,000 +%

Manager 19,000 +%

Manager 16,000 +%

Secretary-manager 12,000 +%

Courier 16 000

Accountant (outsourcing) 10,000

Cleaning lady 3000

Advertising budget

Legal subscription service 7000 rub. months

Payment for the system of online booking and search for tours 1200 rubles / month.

Refilling cartridges 400 rubles/month.

Unforeseen expenses 10,000 rubles.

Total 241,500 rubles. + percentage of salary

Choosing the status of a travel company. Tour operator or travel agent?

After the abolition of licensing of tour operator and travel agency activities in 2007, a mandatory state procedure was established only for tour operator activities. Any legal entity or individual entrepreneur can engage in travel agency activities. The only thing that determines the status of a travel agent today is the existence of an agreement with a tour operator, according to which the travel agent, on behalf of and at the expense of the tour operator, sells the tourist product formed by the tour operator. In this case, the travel agent must comply with a number of requirements established by law, which we will discuss below.

But first of all, it is necessary to find out why it is so important to understand the difference between travel agency activities and tour operators and to take the necessary legal actions in time. The point is that the law mandatory requirement- all tour operators registered in the territory of the Russian Federation are required to have financial support. Financial security is a guarantee of the tour operator in case of non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment of the contract for the sale of a tour product, insurance of its civil liability to consumers and tourists.

From the financial security funds, the affected tourists are compensated for the actual damage they have suffered, for example, the cost of the tour if it did not take place, or the difference in cost if the rest time was reduced. Financial security is provided by an insurance company or bank guarantor. The law establishes the minimum amount for which an insurance contract or a bank guarantee contract must be concluded; today it is 10,000,000 rubles. for international tourism(enter exit) and 500,000 rubles. for domestic tourism.

The cost of servicing financial collateral is on average 1–1.5% per year of the amount of collateral.

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For example, from the minimum amount of financial security for international tourism in 10,000,000 rubles. the cost of the insurance premium will be 100,000–150,000 rubles. It is this amount that will need to be paid annually to the insurance company for the tour operator's civil liability insurance contract.

The contractual scheme of work of a travel agent in the implementation of tours looks something like this:

the tour operator concludes an agency (commission) agreement with the travel agent, according to which the agent is instructed to sell (sell) the tours formed by the tour operator for a fee;
a travel agent attracts a client (tourist) and concludes an agreement with him on the sale of a tourist product, receives the documents necessary for the design of the tour;
the travel agent sends the tour operator an application for booking specific travel services for the client (tourist), - indicating the dates, number and data of tourists, hotel, level of transportation, excursions and other components of the tour;
the tour operator confirms the application of the travel agent and issues an invoice for payment;
the travel agent transfers to the tour operator the documents (or information) necessary for processing the tour (for example, for a visa);
the travel agent accepts the final payment from the tourist (in cash, issues a cash receipt or a strict accountability form);
the travel agent makes payment to the tour operator minus the remuneration due to him (by bank transfer or in cash at the tour operator's cash desk);
the tour operator issues to the travel agent the documents on the tour necessary for the tourist to travel;
the travel agent gives the tourist documents on the tour and all the necessary information to the tourist;
the travel agent reports to the tour operator - sends the agent's report (act) indicating the amount of the sale of the tour and the amount of remuneration;
the tour operator signs the agent's report and issues an invoice for the services provided under the agency agreement.

However, it should be borne in mind that the above scheme reflects only perfect option workflow.

In practice, a travel agent can expect various surprises; firstly, the tour operator may refuse to conclude an agency agreement with you and offer a contract of sale, as a result, your legal status will change, it will be necessary to adjust accounting and document flow;

secondly, when making payment under the tour operator’s agreement, you suddenly find that the invoice has been issued for payment to the address
another company or, making payment through the cash desk of the tour operator, you will be given a credit cash warrant to the physical
a person with the stamp "paid" without the seal of the organization.

Travel company staff

The optimal staff of a small travel company looks something like this:

¦ leader;
¦ manager1;
¦ manager2;
¦ secretary with extended range of duties;
¦ courier;
¦ bookkeeper;
¦ cleaning lady.

Director.

The head of a travel company is a key figure and solves a large number of issues, both economic and strategic, but in addition to him it is desirable to have at least two sales managers.

The head can also be the chief accountant, cashier, sign documents and draw up receipts Money.
If the head of a travel agency is a hired employee, he must have at least two years of work experience, this is the minimum time for which a specialist can go through all the "seasons" of the travel agency - high, low, "dead" - and learn how to manage the company. If the head - the founder of the travel agency has no experience in tourism, this is not a tragedy. It is necessary to invite managers with experience to work and develop a strategy, assortment, and advertising policy of the company together with them.

Travel company manager.

His responsibilities include: negotiating with clients and partners by phone and in the office, organizing tours with tourists, booking tours and processing documents with tour operators, monitoring the fulfillment of orders, price changes, requirements for documents provided, terms of cooperation, special offers.

A universal manager must maintain and improve his qualifications (master classes, seminars, promotional tours), work at exhibitions and workshops. Requirements for managers: higher education, experience in tourism, lack of bad habits, presentable appearance, competent Russian speech, sociability, initiative, ability to resolve conflict situations, responsibility.

A manager without work experience should at least strive to work in tourism and have a specialized secondary or higher (incomplete higher) education, since this significantly affects the general level of culture. On the
teaching someone who strives for knowledge is a grateful thing, but find out the long-term plans of this candidate so that
the invested efforts and funds were not wasted - perhaps he will use the knowledge gained in another travel agency.

travel agency secretary

receives incoming calls, distributes them according to the specialization of managers, answers general questions (“How can I get to you?”, “What time do you work until?”), ensures timely ordering of the necessary stationery, household goods, monitors the work schedule of the courier , carries out the instructions of the head, receives visitors and guests of the office. It must be understood that sometimes it is very difficult to do without the help of a secretary, especially in the high season - in the summer, when the phone rings at the same time and the client is sitting in the chair.

Secretaries are also entrusted with filling out questionnaires, recording and registering incoming and outgoing mail, answering corporate email, ICQ, Skype.

As a rule, a secretary is hired after a few months of the start of a travel company, when the phone rings constantly, and clients come to the office demanding attention.

Courier

A very important and responsible position. With the forces (feet) of this person, money, passports, documents should go to the tour operator. Therefore, when choosing a candidate for this position, be guided by simple rule: a person must be checked by everyone possible ways- call the previous place of work, confirm the correspondence of the place of registration and place of residence, call home phone and talk to relatives, ask for recommendations. These measures are not redundant. The problems that may arise due to the actions of the courier are, without exaggeration, catastrophic - the loss of foreign passports and documents, theft of funds that the courier transports daily. The best option is a relative or acquaintance, but, unfortunately, such candidates are not always found.

Accountant-cashier,

certainly a necessary specialist, but the cost of his services for a small travel agency is too high (in Moscow from 30,000 rubles). Therefore, most travel agencies use the services of law firms or a visiting accountant. This staffing solution allows to reduce the cost of accounting by at least three times.

Wage and bonus schemes in the tourism business

In the tourism business, there is a general trend towards higher wages. This is due to the existing personnel "hunger". Specialists with experience move to another company, where they offer a slightly higher salary for the same full-time position, and this can happen every six months.

Tourism Manager Salary Options

The tour is considered sold at 100% payment.

1. Interest-free system: salary 22,000–30,000 rubles.

2. Salary + interest:
Salary 10,000–15,000 rubles. + 10% of the tours sold by the manager.
Salary 15,000 + 10% after the implementation of tours for more than 150,000 rubles.
Salary 15,000 + 10% of the proceeds from sold tours, divided among all managers.
Salary 18,000–20,000 rubles. + 5% of the tours sold by the manager.
Salary 18,000–20,000 rubles. + 10% of all sold tours, divided among all managers.

3. Planned system: a fixed salary is paid when the plan is fulfilled; for example, from 50,000 rubles. (meaning the company's income, not the total cost of tours). When the plan is exceeded by more than 50,000 rubles. + 10%, more than 100,000 rubles. + 15%, over 250,000 + 20%.

During the low season (January, February, May, June) the plan is 50%. At the same time, the former fixed salary is paid.

If the plan is not fulfilled, with the exception of the low season, the system of fines works:

¦ the first month - no fines, an analysis of the reasons associated with a decrease in sales is required;
¦ second month and beyond: 40,000–49,000 rubles. - 10% is withheld from a fixed payment (30,000-39,000 rubles - 20%; 20,000-29,000 rubles - 30%).

The first months after the opening of a travel agency office, the planned payroll system, as a rule, does not apply.

Travel company courier payroll options

1. Salary 12,000–15,000 rubles, payment for a ticket, mobile phone working hours: Monday-Friday.

2. Salary 15,000–20,000 rubles, payment for a travel ticket, mobile phone, working hours: Monday-Saturday.

During the high season and increase in sales, it is customary for couriers to give a bonus of 20-30% of the salary. A courier is an important employee of a travel agency, so it’s better to pay extra on time, write out bonuses and work calmly.

On the market you can find offers from courier companies that deliver documents to anywhere
cities, they conclude a formal contract, bear full financial responsibility for the money and documents in the parcel.

Options for calculating the salary of the director of a travel company

1. Salary from 40,000 rubles.
2. Salary 18,000–20,000 rubles. + 1–5% of monthly income
agencies after deduction of expenses.
3. 12,000–15,000 rubles + 5-10% of monthly income after expenses.

It was just a small fragment of the book by Yulia and Georgy Mokhovs "Travel Agency: Where to Start, How to Succeed" by the publishing house "Peter".

In the guide itself, you will find detailed advice on choosing a tour operator, organization of workflow, taxation, recommendations for promotion, working with a client base, and many valuable links to specialized Internet resources for practitioners in the tourism industry.

69 people are studying this business today.

For 30 days this business was interested in 32068 times.

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Do you want to open a travel agency? Introducing best advice that will help you open your own travel agency without any problems! We take note.

Do you love to travel?

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

It is likely that you do not mind.

How do you like the idea to open your own travel agency?

So, let's go to analyze all the pros and cons on the shelves! 🙂

How to open a travel agency and what 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 super profits!

With successful work, you can earn, but it will not be "mad" money.

As, in fact, they will not be in other areas, if you are not involved in weapons, drugs and smuggling.

Tip #2: In the travel business, you are selling a service, and the quality of that service is entirely up to you!

There are two players on the market: tour operators that form a tourist product and travel agencies that sell this tourist product.

The product is the same for all travel companies, so your success, entirely, depends on.

Tip number 3: In many cities, and in Moscow and St. Petersburg for sure, there are courses for those who want to open their own travel agency.

Weekly courses, are relatively inexpensive, useful in terms of legislative framework.

But if you do not have the opportunity, do not be discouraged, stock up on patience and perseverance and devote ten days to independently study 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 #4: Choosing the location of the office where your company will be located is one of the decisive success factors.

The company should be located in a passageway, preferably with shop windows to the street.

The presence of a nearby transport stop, subway, a large supermarket is almost a must.

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

You need 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 #5: You can choose to franchise, that is, go under the name of a well-known network of travel agencies.

In this case, there are both minuses and pluses.

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

Cons: Entry fee and recurring franchise payments. Here the choice is yours.

For those who are on fire with the idea of opening their own travel agency,

Where to turn your attention?

Well, the most important thing in the tourism business is word of mouth and the return of customers!

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

The main thing is to study all the information, conclude agreements with tour operators, master the booking system and fight.

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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 campaign 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 perspectives 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 in as much detail as possible 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.

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 both 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 while typing 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.

Enough effective method customer acquisition 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 exclude additional costs and target relatively minimum 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) may 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 possible costs and risks and after monitoring the market in the provision of travel agency services have come to the conclusion that your company will compete with existing companies, feel free to get down to business!

According to statistics, several thousand new travel agencies open annually in Russia. This type of business has one of the lowest "entry thresholds", that is, to open a travel agency "from scratch" requires very little investment. That's why this species business is attractive enough for beginners.

However, not everything is so smooth. The same statistics state that almost 100% of newly opened travel agencies close in the first three years, and more than half generally work only during one season. And only a few are fixed in the market of tourist services. What is the reason for the unpleasant statistics and how can a novice businessman not join the ranks of losers? Let's figure it out.

The disappointing results are largely due to the seeming ease of this type of activity, which attracts people who are very far from business and who have a very remote idea of tourism in general, about business planning and payback. Such entrepreneurs often do not have any, even the simplest financial plan at all and have no idea how exactly they will attract customers.

Meanwhile, the tourism sector is one of the most dynamic, it is very exposed to the most various factors from the weather to politics. You need to be constantly up to date with the latest developments, quickly respond to changes, be mobile and flexible, and always have a “fallback plan”.

Types of travel agencies

To begin with, let's figure out what a travel agency is from the point of view of the law. The basic law that determines all activities of organizations specializing in tourism - Federal Law "On the basics of tourism activities in the Russian Federation". Here a clear concept of travel agency activity is given, which consists in the promotion and implementation of a tourist product. That is, a travel agent can only sell a ready-made tourist product formed by a tour operator. A tourist product is a complex consisting of several services sold to the end user for a common price.

Based on the provisions of the law, the travel agency can not only sell the so-called "package" tours created by the tour operator in the mass tourism market, but also provide tourists with additional services for a separate cost. For example, such additional services may include the ordering of air and railway tickets, hotel reservations, sale of concert tickets, etc. But here is the organization of a trip to the theater, which, in addition to tickets, also includes delivery by bus, strictly speaking, it is already a complex tourist product, for the creation of which it is necessary to become a tour operator with all the ensuing consequences in the form of financial guarantees, inclusion in the register of tour operators, etc.

Often, travel agencies circumvent such restrictions by entering into an agreement with a tourist for each service separately or, for example, by receiving a commission from a transport company. Which, in turn, concludes a contract for the organization of the trip. However, such an organization of activities is unlikely to be recognized as legal in the event of a trial, therefore it is very risky.

Actually, a travel agency, at the very beginning of its activity, can choose one of two ways of development - to remain independent or to join any network of travel agencies. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages.

An independent travel agency owes nothing to anyone, more freely in their choice of partners, can choose the location and design of the office. But at the same time, get ready that your commission will be minimal (at least until you provide a large volume of sales for each tour operator). You will also deal with your problems yourself.

Those who want to join an existing network have yet to make a choice which network to prefer. You can join one of the independent travel agent networks(1001 tours, Last minute deals store, etc.). Each network has its own requirements and conditions, which should be carefully studied. In addition, there is often a mandatory entry and/or annual fee. For this, you will receive an increased commission from many tour operators, legal support (very, of course, conditional) in case of problems, as well as a recognizable brand, which increases confidence in beginners.

You can also open a travel agency franchised by a tour operator. Coral, Intourist, Sputnik, etc. have their own networks, but here the requirements for a travel agency are even tougher, often a sufficiently large volume of sales of tours by a given tour operator or a guarantee of such sales is often required. All networks impose certain restrictions on their members in choosing partners, which may even be good for beginners, especially in light of the frequent bankruptcies. At least many network agencies are among the first to receive information about the financial difficulties of tour operators.

The video also tells about the creation of his own company.

Setting up a business according to the law

Both a commercial organization (LLC, CJSC, etc.) and an individual entrepreneur can engage in travel agency activities. There are no obstacles in the form of licenses, permits, etc. That is, to open a travel agency, it is enough to pass state registration as a legal entity or individual entrepreneur and indicate OKVED 63.30, which is the most general and reflects the main aspects of travel agency activities, and also makes it possible to engage in the provision of information and excursion services, book hotels and provide transport.

Further, in order to sell a tourist product, you will have to contact each of the tour operators of interest enter into an agency agreement. Beforehand, it is better to make a list of the main tour operators working in the areas of interest and find out on the website or by phone the conditions for concluding an agreement with new agencies.

Many tour operators now allow for access to booking systems to send scans of the necessary documents and the signed contract, and either send the original by mail or bring it personally only when booking or even paying for the first tour.

If you are planning to open in the spring or autumn, it is convenient to conclude contracts at major tourism exhibitions that take place twice a year in Moscow. At the same time stock up on promotional materials for the upcoming season!

After concluding an agreement with the tour operator, you can already start working.

room

There are no uniform rules here. You can be guided following principle. If you have enough money, then it is better to choose a room either in a passable place, for example, next to public transport stops or on crowded streets with its own entrance, or in large shopping malls. Such premises cost a lot, but you will see the first customers right on the opening day.

If your start-up capital is limited or if it is generally borrowed funds, then the premises can be chosen much more modestly. The main requirement, meanwhile, remains in force - there should be easy access to the premises, no one will look for a travel agency, especially a new one, when there are a lot of them within walking distance.

The calculation of the area of the premises is carried out based on the estimated number of employees. Each manager must have at least 8 m2.

Next, consider the layout of the room. There are some nuances here. Firstly, visitors to a travel agency often come not one at a time, but with whole families. Consequently, you should be able to accommodate 4-5 visitors comfortably. For this, a sofa, several chairs or banquettes are suitable, which must be placed near the manager's desktop.

Worth thinking about appearance premises. Registration should be bright and catchy enough to attract attention even from the street. Don't be too aggressive color accents, because clients often spend a lot of time in a travel agency, choosing vacation options, so the atmosphere inside should be calm, conducive to confidential communication.

Interesting solutions can be created by stylizing the premises under the country that is a priority for your business.

Equipment

In addition to the usual computer technology and means of communication, for travel agency equipment nothing fancy is required. Here, your imagination is only limited by your budget.

Of course, every manager working with clients, must have a desktop with a computer and telephone, as well as a printer. For the daily work of a travel agency manager, monochrome is enough laser printer, which, in addition, can be made network and provide the ability to print several employees at once. The main thing is that access to the printer is convenient for each of them.

It looks very ugly when managers have to squeeze past customers and other employees to pick up a printed contract. Even better if it's not a printer, and MFP, because in a travel agency quite often you have to make copies of documents or scan to send to partners.

Another nuance that should be taken into account when equipping a travel agency is monitors. Since the manager's working day passes almost completely behind the screen, it should be a high-quality, serviceable monitor. big size. In addition, it should be located in such a way that the potential client does not see the information on the screen (there is no need for a tourist to see, for example, the size of the agency commission). At the same time, the manager should be able to easily turn the monitor towards the tourist to show, for example, photos of a hotel or a country.

Do you need a fax? Today we can confidently say that faxing has practically ceased to be used!

Cabinets are needed for storing documents and promotional materials, which will be many. Also provide a wardrobe for clothes of employees and a hanger for outerwear so that visitors can also sit comfortably.

You will definitely need a safe, because even if you do not accept cash, which is difficult, but it is possible, you will need to leave foreign passports of clients for visa processing, tourist voucher forms, etc.

To work with cash, you will need a cash register.

Concerning software, then the usual office software package and one specialized program for a travel agency are enough, there are several of them on the market and each has its own advantages. All programs allow you to keep track of clients with their data, which greatly facilitates the work of the manager.

Staff

From the point of view of the law, there are no requirements for the staff of a travel agency. Actually, in extreme cases, all the staff can be represented by one individual entrepreneur.

But really, employees must have at least 2, so that they can replace each other in the event of vacations, illnesses and trips on promotional tours. In addition, 2 employees will ensure the work of the travel agency in the evenings and weekends, when the flow of customers is usually the highest.

Are employees required to have special education and work experience? Unfortunately, now a special tourism education is very far from the practice of modern tourism, so having it without real work experience will not give the employee any advantages. But work experience, especially if the founder himself does not have one, will not hurt. If the director has work experience and his own idea of what and how employees should do, then the best option there will be a selection of employees without experience - they will not have to be retrained.

Do I need to hire an accountant? In a small travel agency, there is usually very little financial and accounting activity, so a full-time accountant is usually not needed. A home-based accountant or service by a special firm is enough to ensure the preparation and submission of reports.

promotion

Beginners have the hardest time here, especially independent travel agencies. It is difficult to convince customers of their reliability and competence.

With a limited budget, you need to be careful about expensive outdoor advertising. One bright sign is enough visible from the street.

Better distribution of flyers works, especially with discounts. This is an inexpensive method of advertising that is able to bring in several dozen visitors on the same day. Advertising works well in social networks especially in a small city.

For example, a travel agency negotiates with several cafes. That, together with the bill, each visitor will be given a travel agency discount card. And the travel agency, in turn, will provide its customers with a discount to this cafe as a bonus when buying a tour.

It must be understood that the promotion of a travel agency is a rather lengthy process, few people manage to earn money in the first season. But even if the summer, for example, turned out to be successful, it is difficult to survive the “dead season” (February-March) even for “experienced” travel agencies. Basically, it is possible to pass the break-even point and begin to consistently make a profit only after three to four years.

Profitability

Profitability, in simple terms, is the ratio of profit received to invested funds. Profitability of 30% suggests that each ruble invested in turnover came back and brought another 30 pennies profit.

How to calculate the profitability of a travel agency? Very simple. Count all the funds you have invested in your business. Then count how much you got. Is the first greater than the second? Congratulations, you're at a loss! If you earned more than you spent, then this is success.

In order for the opening of a travel agency from scratch to be successful, you must immediately clearly understand what level of sales you need on a daily, monthly, annual basis in order to at least reach zero. To do this, calculate all your current expenses, leaving aside investments in equipment, furniture, etc. for now. Add up the cost of renting the premises, wages of employees, utility bills, advertising costs. Don't forget to add your salary as well.

Now subtract from this the taxes that you will need to pay. That's exactly how much you have to earn in order to "not burn out." As soon as your sales volume steadily exceeds the costs, you will begin to recoup your one-time investment. And only after that you can talk about the profit. Only then will your business become profitable.

Problems faced by travel agencies

The first problem that creates difficulties is pronounced seasonal nature of the business. Usually people actively use the services of travel agencies in summer season and before the New Year holidays. The rest of the time, clients in a travel agency are "worth their weight in gold" and there is a tough fight for them.

Hence the next problem of the tourism business - discounts, often on the verge of dumping. Not uncommon, especially in the off-season, discounts of 5-8%, which almost completely “eat up” the already small commission, which is the source of income for the travel agency.

Staff incompetence- Another scourge of tourism. In order for the travel agency manager not only to sell package tours, but to be well versed in different directions, to know the conditions of each country and the hotel base, it is necessary to invest in its development (send to exhibitions, seminars, promotional tours), and the travel agency often does not have free funds.

Partner dishonesty. Bankruptcies of tour operators put travel agencies in an unenviable position. After all, they often have to deal with angry customers. And in the case of a trip that has taken place, a dissatisfied client often goes to a travel agency, which in no way can affect the quality of the tourist product. The imperfection of the legislative framework also makes the travel agency business risky.

Do you still want to open a travel agency? This is a really interesting business, not even just a business, but a lifestyle! It suits people who are dynamic, ready to take risks, active. The main thing here is not to rely on quick super-profits and always be ready to apply the “plan B”. We must always look for non-standard approaches, reaching out to new clients, making the most of personal connections and charm. And then you will succeed!

In the video below, Sergey Vatutin, the founder of 1001 tour, shares the secret of his success.

How to open a travel agency from scratch? You can open your own travel agency. It is not difficult to do this if you wish. However, then to oppose your agency to thousands of other agencies of competitors and constantly in the struggle with competitors for the first place to study and control the frantic pace of the tourist market niche is a rather difficult task.

The tourism business niche attracts many small and large entrepreneurs. This is due to the fact that opening such a business does not imply large investments. In addition, there is always a demand for tours - not a single travel agency remains without orders today. That is, this business is quite attractive for businessmen. But there are also “pitfalls” in it, which not everyone can get around.

In connection with the growing number of tourists, the number of travel agencies is also growing. Businessmen are building more and more new restaurants, hotels, airports - the infrastructure of the tourist business niche is developing at a frantic pace. Today there is a rise in the tourism business, because entrepreneurs in Lately there is a wonderful opportunity to try yourself in this interesting labor activity.

This article provides step-by-step instructions on how to open a travel agency from scratch.

Analysis of the tourism market: "pitfalls".

In matters of opening a travel agency, you must understand the state of affairs in the field of tourism business. If you plan to try yourself in this business, then first analyze this market and study the issues of stumbling blocks. This way you can figure out what characteristics this business has.

We list the features that an entrepreneur who wants to open his own travel agency simply must know.

First, from these issues, it is necessary to single out the growth dynamics of the tourism market. Its growth today is 5.8% per year.

Retail travel agents are not sufficiently consolidated. There are quite a few independent agencies in this market. Therefore, the share of large agencies accounts for only about 10% of the volume of this market.

Many new travel agencies are closing today, not having had time to work in this area even for a year. Rotation in the lower tier of this market is approximately 30% per year. This suggests that out of hundreds of such travel agencies, the one that keeps afloat is more than a year only 70%.

Dumping issues today have a strong impact on the tourism business. That is, prices for tours often fall sharply, because small agencies, in pursuit of customers, seek to reduce prices. Thus, even in any season there are always vouchers, tours, at a fairly low price - much lower than the market price.

Weather conditions have a great influence on the prosperity of this type of labor activity. Any whim of the weather - a natural disaster or just hardships force travel agency workers to quickly take action to protect customers.

The travel industry is also affected by external political sentiments, whether it be political instability, any strikes, pickets, terrorist attacks, etc., also force travel agency employees to urgently take measures to protect customers.

These "pitfalls" - the features of the tourism business greatly hinder novice entrepreneurs from working in the field of tourism.

How to start a travel agency

If you are interested in the question of how to open a travel agency from scratch, you should know where it all begins. In the process of planning the scheme of work of your travel agency Special attention should be given to the target audience. Study this first. After all, it is the preferences of the buyers of your tours - their desires - that will determine the questions where to open the main office, how to plan tours, what to offer customers, what should be the range of tours? The same preferences of buyers, ultimately, will determine the name of the travel agency. In other words, defining the target audience will allow you to create the main concept of your entire enterprise.

After you decide on the questions of the target audience, proceed to the preparation of a business plan. When approaching this issue, do not overestimate the possible number of tourists who will buy your tours. They may be less than expected. In your business plan, also try to take into account the fact that sometimes there are unexpected expenses. To ensure that income is not lower than the expected level, do not forget to take into account possible discounts on tours, etc. in the business plan.

Staff Gathering

A business like opening a travel agency initially implies that you cannot do without employees. You will have to look for employees. That is, in matters of how to open a travel agency from scratch, you must remember that you cannot do without employees.

Usually, the staff of any travel agency includes a manager, a manager, a courier and sometimes an accountant. This is the standard state. An incoming accountant may act as an acting accountant.

There is one drawback in this arrangement of personnel: two employees will not cope with doing business if it suddenly happened that one of the employees did not show up for work. Well, or they will work to the detriment of quality. In this regard, experts recommend hiring two managers.

The above staff is a list of employees that a travel agency cannot do without. You must remember that if you decide to open a travel agency from scratch, then you simply must include this staff in the business plan. Further, when you unwind a little, you can hire more employees, of which you will need an accountant-cashier, a cleaner, a secretary-referent.

The tourism industry has seen an upward trend in recent years. wages and partner rewards. This is due to the fact that there is a so-called personnel "hunger". Highly qualified specialists move to other travel agencies because they are offered a higher salary there. The fact that there are not enough qualified specialists leads to the fact that there is a turnover of personnel, which entails an increase in salaries, because in order to lure a qualified specialist to your side, you need to offer him a large salary. In this regard, whether you like it or not, you will have to offer more if you do not want to barely stay afloat.

registration

If you have already considered the question of how to open a travel agency and decide to open your own travel agency, at some stage you should register your business. It is impossible to start such a business without registration. You are required to register it - issue either. If you do not know which form it is better to choose an individual entrepreneur or LLC, we recommend that you study the material - "". Some entrepreneurs treat constituent documents inappropriately. They do not see them as a significant formality. However, they should be treated as necessary documents. After all, these documents are the order that determines the relationship of personnel with the management team. In addition, the legislation of the Russian Federation does not recognize such shadow agencies, since they usually do not pay taxes. And this, in turn, leads to liability, sometimes criminal.

Along with the registration of an LLC or an individual entrepreneur, you will need to obtain a license giving you the right to engage in such a type of labor activity as organizing tours. Licensing of a travel agency is a necessary stage of registration. But, it does not work in all countries. For example, in Russia, it is not required to license it to open a travel agency.

Before starting your agency, do not forget to also choose the taxation option that is convenient for you. As is known, different forms taxation implies different amounts of tax payments. In order not to pay more to the state treasury than we would like, it is recommended to choose the option that is convenient for you. How to do this, we read in the material - "".

Choice of premises and interior

The choice of premises and interior is a separate issue, the answer to which should be for every entrepreneur who wants to open a travel agency.

Choose a small room as the location of the travel agency. In the early stages of your agency's existence, a small room will do. The main thing in these matters is that your agency is not far from large crowded places. It can be any place where people constantly go.

As for the interior of the premises of your travel agency, this is an equally important issue, since those people who will buy tours from you are people of a wealthy class. Average middle-level citizens will also contact you, but wealthy people will contact you more often. Therefore, the interior must match them. It is unlikely that any wealthy person would want to linger in an office that does not have good repair. Therefore, to solve these issues, prepare thoroughly - create a cozy interior.

At the beginning of the work of your travel agency in the client corner, it is enough to put a coffee table, an armchair and a mini-buffet. The very same interior of your office should have form style. Filling it with tourist paraphernalia will not be superfluous. Also properly complete workspaces for employees.

Advertising campaign

All steps to open a travel agency have been completed. You can receive the first visitors. To do this, you need to conduct an advertising campaign.

The first visitors will be remembered for a long time. And where to get them? There are many ways to attract the target audience. In this age - the age of computer technology, it is recommended to create a website for your organization. In addition to other types of advertising, this type of advertising of your services in the tourist environment will not be superfluous.

You can also advertise the services of your travel agency by placing advertising banners in places with a large crowd of people. Along with this, advertising can be placed live on the radio, on television. All these types of advertising are good and can significantly increase the circle of your visitors. At the moment, advertising is an effective tool for finding customers.

By the way, the visitor often has a habit of appearing completely out of nowhere. Therefore, keep a journal in which you record statistical data, through which you can later determine which type of advertising is best for your agency.

Profitability issues: "every hunter wants to know...".

It is interesting for any entrepreneur to know how much you can earn in the tourism business? Is it profitable to open a travel agency? Does the investment in this type of labor activity quickly pay off? It is necessary to dwell on this issue in more detail.

Before you start exploring this issue, you need to remember how much money was invested in opening a travel agency. These questions are strictly individual, therefore preliminary calculations can only be approximate.

According to businessmen, the profitability of this type of business at the initial stage is currently about 300 thousand rubles. per year or more.

The payback of this business depends on the chosen business strategy and today is about half a year.

When you start working in the field of providing services in tourism, strengthen yourself, become recognizable, take, so to speak, your place in this area, the most responsible and reverent moments will come - everyday work. And if you manage to reach the level at which you will already sell about 500 tours per year, your monthly profitability will be approximately 80 thousand rubles. and higher.

Further development

If you do everything right - draw up the right scheme of work in the field of tourism, choose the right business strategy, then business expansion issues will not be long in coming. At this stage, you can already think that your travel agency can change its status - become a tour operator.

In these matters, you, for sure, will have a lot of difficulties and surprises - it is not always easy and simple to turn from a travel agency into a tour operator right away. Therefore, it is recommended not to hurry with the transition to another formation, but to stop at continuing to provide services in tourism to the same already regular customers. By continuing to provide services in the sale of tours, you can gradually transfer the travel agency to the status of a tour operator.

As you can see, opening a travel agency is a good and rewarding business. How to open a travel agency from scratch is a completely solvable issue. If you competently approach the issues of organizing the sale of vouchers, then success and good luck will not keep you waiting. All you need to open a travel agency in Russia is a desire.

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