How to open your travel agency

It was not so difficult to create a travel company before, but with the abolition of compulsory state licensing of the activities of such organizations, it has become even easier. Perhaps, for this reason, there are many travel agencies today, and new ones are constantly opening up - the level of competition in the tourism business is very high. Those who are not afraid of experienced competitors should take the following steps.

You will need

• - office space

• - office equipment, including PBX

• - staff (1-3 people)

• - cooperation agreements concluded with several tour operators

• - a package of constituent and other documents

Instruction manual

1

Equip your office by renting a room that matches the business concept that you have chosen for yourself. If you plan to serve individual "elite" customers, it will be appropriate to settle in a respectable business center. If you see your target audience among the masses, then the best place is the first floor of the building on one of the central streets. When equipping an office, pay special attention to installing a communication system - ideally, a travel agency should have its own PBX.

2

Pick people to whom you entrust work in your new company. The tourism business is a direction that has its own specifics, so selling managers should be hired with experience in this area. At first, a travel company will need two or even one such manager and director, the role of which is often played by the owner himself.

3

Start establishing business cooperation with tour operators, concluding agreements with those of them, which, as your experience suggests, can be trusted. Then do not stop there, actively look for new partners. At the initial level, a travel company works with at least ten tour operators.

4

Fill out and collect the documents necessary for your company to obtain official status. Register as an individual entrepreneur or create a limited liability company.

Useful advice

At first, if you are not sure that you can effectively solve the tasks related to the work of your travel agency (staff recruitment, bookkeeping, development of an advertising strategy), use the services of third-party specialists and outsource these tasks.

To make yourself known and stand out among the mass of other travel agencies, immediately begin to conduct an intensive advertising policy, attracting marketing and PR professionals for this.

An article on the features of the tourism business in Russia.