How to open a travel agency - nothing could be easier! Business plan for opening a travel agency

If you decide to open a travel company, then you may have many questions that can only be answered by specialists with a sufficient level of knowledge and experience. Unfortunately, there are not so many experts in this industry. At the same time, it is very important that all issues regarding the organization of this business are resolved in as soon as possible with maximum accessibility and correctness. Otherwise, you will simply abandon your idea, since opening a travel agency from scratch is quite difficult without the necessary amount of information.

Collecting documents

Opening a business in the field of tourism services requires certain documents. What do you need:

1. A statement that you have state registration.
2. Charter of the company in two copies.
3. Decision on establishment.
4. Original document confirming that you paid for registration. This could be a receipt.
5. The agreement on establishment, as well as a request that will allow you to receive a copy of the charter.
6. Letter of guarantee from the owner of the premises at whose address the company is registered.
7. Original document confirming payment state duty for receiving a copy of the articles of association, as well as the agreement on establishment, for example, payment order or a receipt.

When thinking about how to open a travel agency from scratch, you should first collect all the listed papers. It must be remembered that the application for registration must be certified by a notary and signed by the applicant. After all, he is responsible for the correctness and reliability of all information.

If you open an IP...

If you decide to register as individual entrepreneur then you must provide:

Where is the best place to locate an agency office?

Not everyone decides to start their own business in this area. So, how to open a travel agency from scratch without high costs? You can't do without it here outside help. Of course, it is not only money that plays a decisive role. It is also very important where exactly your company’s office will be located.

While all the documents are being prepared, you can start looking for premises. In order to open a travel company, you will need premises of no more than 20 square meters. There should also be a personal line for connecting phones and the Internet. So, where is the best place to locate an office:

• City center. If you want to attract more clients by providing travel agency services, then ideal place could become the main street settlement. The best space is located in a commercial or residential building on the ground floor. However, it should be remembered that the cost of renting such premises will be very high.
• Business center. Having an office in this building can also have a positive impact on your business. After all, in addition to outside visitors, business center employees can become your clients. The only negative is that you will not be able to place outdoor advertising and signboards.
• Shopping centers. If you decide to open your office here, then you will find a large number of clients. However, renting premises in a popular mall can cost you quite a bit of money.

• Sleeping areas. Here, a new travel company may be one of a kind. Plus, you can save on rent. The only downside is that you will have to put in a lot of effort to get your agency noticed. You can use any marketing strategy for this.

We select the right personnel

Many entrepreneurs who decide to start their own business in this area often do not fully realize that personnel for such work must be carefully selected. After all, the human factor plays an important role in this matter.

The agency is based precisely on the well-coordinated work of the team. And for success, personnel must be selected with special attention.

Who do you need

1. System Administrator.
2. Accountant.
3. Sales Manager.

It is worth noting that the staff must gradually increase if the travel agency grows. Experts recommend hiring two sales managers. After all, they are the ones driving force your activities. Managers promote your tourism product on the market. In addition, sales managers must be able to communicate with people. You should not hope that employment exchanges will offer you real masters. It is better to start searching for an available candidate on your own.

First steps on the path to success

So, the opening. A travel agency ideally requires a thorough study of the entire algorithm for creating a business plan. You don't have to be a professional in a particular industry. To begin with, you should carefully study the structure of this activity from the inside and analyze the real situation of organizations that have been providing similar services for many years.

To make everything clear to you, let's look at a diagram that contains all the components necessary to create a business plan and open a travel agency. It can be divided into several points that are interconnected. Moreover, each stage plays an important role at the very beginning of the activity. That is why you simply cannot skip any of the points.

Company concept

Business plan travel agency starts from this point. The company's concept must fully reflect the type of activity. For example, an organization may be or provide mixed services.

In addition, all documents must fully reflect all possible types company activities. For example, the sale of tickets for railway and air transport, insurance for clients traveling on travel, visa processing, limousine booking, and transfer services.

We determine in advance the list of services

Before opening a travel agency from scratch, you need to decide on the list of services. At the request of clients, the company must provide an interpreter and a guide. Perfect option- an employee who speaks several foreign languages ​​fluently and is able to serve as a tour guide. In this case, the guide must know everything interesting places, which are worth visiting for vacationers.

A travel agency can purchase everything you need for your trip. Travel for tourists in in this case it will be even more enjoyable. After all, they won’t have to think about purchases and try to predict all the little troubles. It is worth noting that representatives of travel companies very often practice such a service as booking tables in a restaurant. Vacationers can visit it immediately upon arrival.

Why is this necessary?

Those who have already started tourism and hotel business, it is mandatory to formalize everything Required documents, if their client receives a foreign passport. In addition, they readily provide an accompanying person or a personal guide.

Very often a person who travels abroad does not know a foreign language. As a result, this can greatly complicate the vacationer’s communication with the local population. To prevent this from happening, many turn to a travel agency for help and hire a translator. It is worth noting that the company must provide a specialist in the field foreign languages at the first request of vacationers.

Scheme of all main stages

Before you open a travel agency from scratch, you need to clearly understand how it operates. Many did not fully work out their plan and, as a result, simply could not engage in this type of activity. Let's figure out how the technology for implementing, promoting and developing a tourism product is built using the example of a specific trip:

1. To begin with, it is worth determining the supply and demand in the tourism services market.
2. Create detailed description services that the agency will offer to its clients.
3. It is necessary to develop and design the content of all company service processes.
4. Work out the route in detail.
5. Form general scheme movements.
6. It is imperative to draw up a list of services that the client can use immediately upon arriving at his vacation spot.
7. Should be carried out full study the route along which the tour will take place.
8. After this, an analysis of the designed tour should be carried out.
9. Then prepare all the documentation.
10. Don't forget about control. It is better to choose the most effective method.
11. After completing the development of the route itself and preparing all the documentation, you should start advertising, various marketing moves and promotion methods. This will make your product popular.
12. It is important to choose the right sales method, as well as methods for receiving payment from clients.
13. Of course, before selling, you should calculate the cost and final price of the tourism product.
14. Only after all this does sales begin, and then control over the quality of services provided and the customer service process.

Travel agency from scratch: pros and cons

Everyone who wants to work in the field of tourism services faces a choice: start everything from scratch or acquire ready business. At the same time, many people forget that both the first and second options have their drawbacks.

A travel agency created from scratch has greater advantages than a purchased company. You won't have to fight the old order and win your respect from your subordinates. In addition, many travel agencies for sale are unprofitable. Statistics show that 90% of those organizations that are put up for sale can be considered completely bankrupt. However, a business started from scratch also has disadvantages. First of all, you will have to spend a lot of effort and, of course, time to develop routes, settle into the new premises and develop a client base. In addition, you will need investors to open a business in this area.

How much do you need to invest?

Opening a travel agency from scratch is a business that requires large investments. So how much money will it cost? Let's calculate:

1. First of all, you need to register as a legal entity - from 25 thousand rubles.
2. To renovate the premises and purchase furniture - from 75 thousand rubles.
3. Install computers and office equipment - from 60 thousand rubles.
4. Develop your own corporate style and solve the issue of printing - from 10 thousand rubles.
5. Create a company website - from 35 thousand rubles.
6. For other expenses, as well as for connecting phones and the Internet - from 50 thousand rubles.

The result is a decent amount: about 255 thousand rubles. This is an approximate cost estimate for a travel company with three employees and an office in Moscow. In other regions the cost will be significantly lower. It is worth remembering that the specified amount will only be needed to get started. Starting a business in this area requires a lot of expenses. In addition, you will have to spend about 150 thousand rubles monthly. Therefore, initially you should have from 500 to 700 thousand rubles in reserve. The travel agency will begin to make a profit only after three months. If there is no such amount, then investors will help. To open a business in this area, it is imperative to have initial capital.

The Most Important Thing: Going to Market

The success of your business depends not only on a well-located office, professional workers, but also from advertising. You should invest a lot of money in this part. Only good publicity will be able to attract potential clients to you. You need everyone to know about your travel agency. So, everything is ready and you celebrated the opening. The travel agency is ready for normal operation. But where can you get clients?

Don’t expect a large flow of people wanting to relax right away. To develop a small tourist base, you need to spend a little time. If you approach the matter correctly, then they will soon start talking about you. As you know, people are more willing to believe their friends and acquaintances than advertising. That is why it is very important for you to at this stage treat your clients with care.

There is another option. You can open an agency based on franchising. Already famous brand does not require promotion, and it will be much easier for you. After all, it does not require much effort in terms of advertising. How to proceed? You decide.

How to open a travel agency: market analysis + 5 steps to start a business + detailed financial plan+ calculation of business profitability.

Capital investments: from 425,000 rubles.

Payback period: from 8 months.

Do you have good knowledge of geography and excellent organizational skills? Or maybe you just want to give people joy and organize an unforgettable vacation that they will want to repeat? Or are you a quick learner and want to experience the joy of financial independence and start your own business?

Then information about how to open a travel agency, will be relevant for you. Today we will find out the intricacies of running this business, as well as how much money will be needed to start it.

Tour operator and travel agency: finding out the difference

Before moving on to the answer to the question of how to open a travel agency, let’s start with the fact that many still work with a tour operator. And knowing the difference between these two categories is useful not only for those who are going on vacation, but also for those who wish to enter this industry.

Firstly, it is the operator who “creates” the tour from start to finish: forms, promotes and sells. Its specialists book a hotel, pay for a flight ticket, select excursions, and provide transportation for tourists.

As for the implementation of the tour, he can do it independently or through agencies. The second one’s responsibilities include selling the ticket. Travel agency selects required option for the client, informs him about all its nuances

Therefore, difference number one: a tour operator creates a tour, and a travel agency only implements it.

Secondly, to start operating as a tour operator, you need to register only as legal entity having certain financial support. While a travel agent can be either an individual entrepreneur or a legal entity.

Difference number two: you can open a travel agency in any organizational and legal form, and it does not need to have financial security, since, unlike a tour operator, it does not pay insurance.

Thirdly, the tour operator is responsible for setting the price. That is, the agency sells a tour at a certain price. And his reward will be a commission, which is set by the company providing the trip.

Difference number three: a travel agent does not influence the cost of the tour; he works for a fee from the tour operator. In addition, sometimes in order to achieve large sales volumes, specialists can reduce the price, unfortunately to the detriment of their commissions.

Fourthly, by default, responsibility for a “failed” tour lies with the operator, who will be subject to claims from clients.

The travel agency is responsible only under the contract, and most often its responsibility is related to the fact that it must fully inform the client, pay for his trip and tell him about all his rights and obligations.

Therefore, difference number four: the tour operator is responsible for the quality of the tour, unless otherwise provided by the contract.

Typical scheme of a travel agency

When you decide to open a travel agency, you need to understand how it works:

1. An existing travel agent is looking for proven operators with whom it enters into a contract for further cooperation.
2. A travel agent studies the tour operator's offers down to the smallest detail and begins to look for clients.
3. If one is found, the travel agent enters into an agreement with him and submits an application to book services with the operator.
4. The tour operator accepts the application and, which must subsequently be paid.
5. After this, received by the travel agent cash minus the established commission (as a rule, it is 10-15%) are transferred to the tour operator’s account.
6. The tour operator transfers all the necessary documents to the agent, who subsequently provides all the information to the tourist.
7. After the transaction is completed, the agency transmits the report to the operator, who prepares an invoice for it.

Note: if the client refuses the trip after payment, then you will be forced to pay the operator a fine. This “pitfall” must be taken into account if you want to open a travel agency according to this scheme.

The situation on the Russian tourism market

Opening a travel agency and not analyzing this industry is extremely reckless. Any business should begin by studying the market situation, finding out its strengths and weaknesses.

The Russian tourism market never ceases to develop. Even in small towns you can find travel agencies that offer their services. They are often approached by those who want to travel abroad for impressions.

But currently, under the influence of many factors (exchange rates, unstable situation in a number of foreign countries, etc.), domestic tourism has begun to be in demand. And this is not surprising, because our country is famous for many beautiful places, which also attract foreign tourists.

Therefore, when you decide to open a travel agency, look for operators who deal with such tours.

It is also worth noting that in 2017 the situation in the tourism market has improved significantly compared to the previous two years. And by the way, Russian tourists began to prefer more exotic countries rather than Europe. Therefore, opening a travel agency is now quite profitable due to the development of this area.

Special attention is paid to online sales. Nowadays, people buy more and more on the Internet, so creating your own website with the possibility of online booking and payment is mandatory.

Concerning strengths business, then everything will depend only on the quality and organization of your work.

Therefore, when deciding to open a travel agency, you need to bet on:

• providing a wide range of services;
• competent employees who are focused not only on the number of tours sold, but also on quality customer service;
• cooperation with proven and well-known tour operators.

Opening a travel agency involves risks that must be taken into account:

• Seasonality - it so happens that for the most part people like to travel abroad in the summer and for the New Year.
• High competition- the tourism business is a fairly filled niche; new players are constantly appearing on the market who can provide customers with something new and of better quality.
• Lack of stability- exchange rate changes, the political and economic situation in the country, inflation affect the work of travel agencies, since as a result of these factors the purchasing power of clients may decrease.

Inability to accurately predict performance results- even with detailed study and analysis of tour sales, it is impossible to accurately calculate the estimated profit.

For this reason, you need to focus on advertising in order to attract as many customers as possible.

Step-by-step instructions on how to open a travel agency

When answering the question of how to open a travel agency, you need to understand that the main expenses will go to setting up an office, creating a website and, of course, promotion.

The process of opening a “tourist” business will consist of the following stages:

When coordinated and correct organized work You can open a travel agency in 3-4 months.

Step 1. Choosing a name for the travel agency and registering the business

So, you have analyzed the market, assessed your capabilities and are sure that this business is for you. Now we need to start taking concrete actions. And the first step is for your travel agency. It should be simple, but memorable, and also evoke associations with relaxation.

You can come up with a sonorous name yourself, or you can use the services of specialists.

After this, you can begin registration. You can open a travel agency as an individual entrepreneur or a legal entity. It all depends on your ambitions, so if your plans include expanding your business and creating an entire network, or you want to start a business with a partner, then choose LLC.

When submitting an application for registration, do not forget to indicate the OKVED code. But remember that the classification is constantly changing. As of 2017 for tourism business looks like this:

As for the taxation system, according to the law “On the Fundamentals tourism activities in the Russian Federation" it is allowed to use the simplified tax system: "Income" 6% or "Income-Expenses" 6-15%.

Step 2. Finding and arranging premises for a travel agency

A well-chosen place is key moment on how to open a travel agency. If you are planning to start your business in big city, then do it only in the center.

In a big city, the choice of premises is more extensive:

• crowded places;
• residential areas where competitors are not yet operating.

The room itself should not be large, 25-35 sq.m. is enough. But at the same time, it must be carefully equipped with furniture, office equipment, and decorative items.

Approximate costs for repairs and arrangement of the premises will look like this:

Step 3. Search for tour operators for cooperation

The next step in how to open a travel agency is to search for operators. This step must be approached with all responsibility, since if any inconsistencies arise, the client will remain dissatisfied with your work.

So, when choosing operators, pay attention to the following factors:

• time spent on the market;
• recognition;
• commission size;
• terms of cooperation.

The most popular tour operators in Russia:

Step 4. Recruiting staff to open a travel agency

The success of a business depends on the quality of staff work. And to begin with, you can hire only two sales managers, who will receive a salary and a percentage of the number of transactions completed.

The responsibilities of these specialists should include:

• selection and consulting of clients;
• monitoring attractive tours and their prices;
• concluding transactions with tourists;
• booking tours and their registration with a tour operator;
• keeping up with new developments in the tourism industry.

If you decide to open a travel agency, then at the beginning, take the reins into your own hands. At the beginning of work, this will be correct and appropriate, since you will be able to fully control the process and instantly identify errors in the work.

Positions such as accountant, System Administrator, the cleaner may not be on the permanent staff. For this you can.

Step 5. Promotion and advertising for opening a travel agency

You can’t just open a travel agency and wait for clients...

No one will know about your services unless you introduce yourself. And you need to engage in active promotion on an ongoing basis, especially if you want to attract tourists not only during the summer and New Year seasons.

You can use advertising tools such as:

• sign at the entrance;
• handing out leaflets on the street;
• advertising in local publications;
• radio advertising;
• advertising on the city’s social networks and on the Internet.

How much does it cost to open a travel agency?

And now we have come to the culmination of the answer to the question of how to open a travel agency - the financial component.

So, capital investments will consist of the following expense items:

But opening a travel agency is not all. You need to constantly invest money in it.

Therefore, the approximate monthly costs of opening a travel agency will look like this:

Calculation of business profitability and payback period for investments in a travel agency

Having in hand approximate costs In order to open a travel agency and maintain it, you can predict the level of profitability of the business.

Successful agencies with two managers can conclude up to 300 transactions per month. But most often such indicators are typical for a business that is already established in the market.

We will imagine that the average cost of one sold tour is 28,000 rubles (we take the current dollar exchange rate into account). The commission on the transaction is 10%. And in order for income to exceed expenses, you need to make at least 70 transactions per month (2-3 transactions per day):

70 * 28,000 * 10% = 196,000 rub. (with expenses of 175,000 rubles)

And with this progress, the profit will be pitiful:

196,000 - 175,000 = 21,000 rubles.

Profit after tax:

21,000 - 3,150 = 17,850 rubles.

But let’s assume that such indicators will only be in the first 3-4 months while you are making yourself known. And soon you will bring them to 120-140 transactions per month.

Then your projected income with the same expenses will be:

130 * 28,000 * 10% = 364,000 rub.

With such work, the profit will be: RUB 160,650

Based on such financial calculations, we can assume that the investment in starting a business will pay off in 8-10 months.

The main emphasis is how to open a travel agency, you need to do advertising and, of course, cooperate only with trusted operators. Also, do not discount the motivation of specialists. Create rewards for a job well done. The simplest thing is to pay a percentage of tour sales.

How to open a travel agency from scratch?

From idea to first profit - in one video:

The tourism business itself is constantly evolving, so be sure to follow the latest developments in this area and fully devote yourself to the business, and then success will not be long in coming.

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Of course, if you do not have the necessary funds and you cannot open a travel agency, then you have an excellent chance to try your hand at tourism. Moreover, regardless of whether you are a beginner or an experienced tourism manager. This article will talk about.

At the time when I opened my travel agency, I had a competitor who worked from his home. He had his own base regular customers(history is silent about where he acquired them), and he worked quite successfully with his clients. When I asked how he concludes his contracts, I was told that he almost “walks out into the entrance in slippers” and gives the contracts to tourists. Nevertheless, he still managed to intercept some clients.

But still, he needed to open an individual entrepreneur, enter into agreements with a numerous list of tour operators, pay taxes and pension contributions, keep accounts, etc. And all this requires, as you understand, additional resources - time and money. Do you need this red tape? Another option is to work “under the table”, as some do. Which I strongly DO NOT recommend to you (there are many serious reasons for this, one of them is the article “tax evasion,” but this is not even the worst thing). But I have a much better, simpler, more profitable offer for you, and this is what it is.

How to open a travel agency at home

What do you even need to open a travel agency at home? Everything is very simple - you need a computer, a phone, a printer and an Internet connection.

Fortunately for us, today a unique service has appeared, which was approved by our President V.V. Putin. And now in the field of tourism services and legal advice, you can be officially employed. Deductions will be made for you Pension Fund, pay taxes, and, at any time, you can get yourself a 2NDFL certificate.

What kind of service is this anyway?

I'm talking about a service like workle (link to resource https://www.workle.ru). After registration, you will be given a short presentation in which they will tell you how to work at workle.

If you already have experience in tourism, great! This means you already have your own customer base. Then you can earn a good commission from the tours you sell. And it will be more than what they offer you at the travel agency (about 8%). If you do not have experience in tourism, then do not despair! Workle took care of you and created free materials and courses that will help you quickly master this craft. And to test your knowledge, you will be given special tests, after which you will no longer doubt your knowledge and will be able to start practicing.

Moreover, you will have career. The more tours you sell, the higher your commission will become. Plus, workle has its own system of rewarding users and bonuses for " best user". Just think how many advantages you get from such a service:

1. you don’t have any paperwork, you don’t need to “reconcile debit with credit”, everyone does it for you;
2. you are officially employed, payments to the pension fund and taxes are deducted for you, you can receive a 2NDFL certificate (for example, for a loan or visa);
3. you do not depend on anyone, you work for yourself and at the same time you do not need to go to work in the morning, you can work where you want or where it is convenient for you;
4. you don’t need to rent your office and pay employees for work, this significantly reduces your costs;
5. you receive a larger commission than working for an agency;
6. you have career growth, thanks to which you increase your income, you don’t need to be someone’s relative, flatter your boss, etc., everything depends only on you;
7. you do not have any risks, you do not risk your funds and property (in the case of an individual entrepreneur);
8. you have the opportunity to improve your skills thanks to the courses that you will find on the service;
9. you don’t need to fulfill your sales plan, you earn and work as much as you need;
10. you can use this service as additional income, etc.

And many other advantages that you can get by working in the workle system. Plus, I will give you several Skype consultations that will help you: negotiate correctly, attract tourists from the Internet, and many others useful tools that will make you good manager on tourism. I will do all this completely free of charge if you join my team at workle.

To do this you need to click on the link https://www.workle.ru/?code=ACADA5D3 and register on the website. After registration, you need to write to info@site, and indicate in the subject line “I joined your team at workle”, and write your skype username. After verification, I will send you a Skype invitation and we will discuss a time convenient for you.

I hope we answered your question how to open a travel agency at home.

I wish you a great day and great sales!

Tourism is a profitable and promising business sector, which you definitely won’t regret taking up. This case will allow you to learn a lot of useful and important information, meet many interesting and useful people, as well as inexpensively travel around the world on “hot” packages. Let's look at how to open a travel agency from scratch and what you will need for this.

Introduction

If you decide to enter the travel business, then you should distinguish between the concepts of a tour operator and a travel agency.

1. The tour operator draws up his own route, books transport, hotels and resolves all organizational issues.
2. A travel agency sells tours from tour operators, receiving a percentage for it.

A travel company is an excellent and profitable business

You will start your business as a tour operator - this is the easiest and most inexpensive way. A travel agency can sell different tours from different tour operators - usually there are no restrictions on this. Tours can be both international and domestic.

How to open a travel agency

Don't know where to start the opening procedure? From registration with the tax office. You can register as an individual entrepreneur or as an LLC. Individual entrepreneur allows you to save time and simplify the reporting system, but LLC opens more possibilities in front of the client.

Then you will need to come up with a name, preferably directly or indirectly related to travel. Of course, you can name a travel agency after your wife or beloved dog, but this is unlikely to bring him popularity. It's better to choose something thematic. You will also need to choose a premises, hire staff and launch an advertising campaign.

Room

Suitable for office use small room an area of ​​about 20 square meters with 2-3 employees - this is quite enough in most cases. It is better to choose an office in a crowded, walkable place in the city center. Be sure to do good repair indoors, install comfortable furniture, order a quality sign. Travel is booked by wealthy people who value comfort and coziness, so you shouldn’t skimp on comfortable chairs and sofas.

To equip your office, you only need computer equipment

Equip your employees comfortable tables, buy computers, chairs, various office supplies, shelving, etc. You will also need a photocopier, printer and fax. Pay special attention to the Internet - the channel must be of high quality and stable.

Read also: How to open a recreation center (camp site)

Staff

In order to open a travel agency from scratch, you will need qualified personnel who understand the specifics and know how to convince people. It is best to recruit people who have work experience, have a pleasant voice, good appearance and goodwill. Usually tour managers receive a minimum wages+ percentage of sales from each tour, which encourages them to work harder and with better quality. To begin with, you will only need two or three managers who can cover the main areas of tourism.

Where to take tours

Now let's move on to the question of where to actually look for tours. To begin with, you will need to enter into an agreement with 6-8 tour operators, of which 3-4 should work in key areas. Usually the agency receives 5-15 percent of the cost of the trip. At the first stages, earnings are minimal, but after you sell 10-20 trips, your commissions will increase significantly. All operators want to sell more, so it is beneficial for them to work with permanent agencies that implement their programs.

You will need computers in order to access operator tour databases. The most common ones are tour-box and tourindex. Access to them is paid, but you can easily pay for the annual subscription by selling 3-5 tickets.

Search for clients

Any means are good for finding clients. Be sure to create your own website - now most tourists look for tours via the Internet. Indicate your contact information, main routes, and price range. Create a newsletter for registered users via Viber or mail, use website promotion services and contextual advertising.

1. In the media (local radio, television, newspapers, magazines).
2. IN in social networks of your city.
3. Classic outdoor advertising (banners, boxes, leaflets, billboards).

A travel agency sells tours that are designed and provided by a tour operator

Don’t forget about classic marketing techniques: offer discounts, make promises Better conditions for attracting customers, create a discount program. You can launch an advertising campaign several weeks before the opening - this will only fuel interest in your company.

Profitability

Unfortunately, we cannot provide a ready-made business plan for a travel agency - in this business everything is quite individual and depends on the specific city. But it is still possible to give approximate figures.

To open an office you will need approximately 400 thousand rubles. This amount includes furniture and office equipment. Renting a room for a year will cost you about another 400,000. Add here advertising, other expenses and taxes - another 100,000 per year. Staff salaries based on 2 managers – 250 thousand per year (excluding interest, net rate). In total, you will need approximately 1.15 million rubles to open.

The tourism sector, despite the fact that it has been experiencing certain difficulties for several years, remains quite profitable. Any person who does not have large savings can start a tourism business. In addition, such entrepreneurial activity brings a lot of positive emotions, because it becomes possible to help people organize their vacation. However, there are still some nuances that should be taken into account in order not to lose the funds invested in this business. We will tell you all the intricacies of how to open a travel agency from scratch, so that you do everything right.

Features of the tourism business

Before opening a travel agency, you need to understand what a travel agency is and what the essence of its activities is. First of all, it is necessary to understand the meaning of certain concepts.

A travel agency is an institution that plays an intermediary role between the tourism operator and the person who wants to go on a trip. It can fulfill the following obligations:

• Tourist operator - a company that must develop and advertise through the media various tours that are in greatest demand among the population;
• A travel agent is a company that implements tourist tours: makes transfers, sells tickets, worries about accommodating clients and organizing excursions for them.

You should also know before opening a travel agency in Russia what the responsibilities of your company will be. Typically, a travel agency provides the following services:

Issue visas to clients in accordance with the requirements of the tour operator with whom the contract is concluded. If something is done incorrectly, the travel agency should be held responsible.

Provide clients with a complete package of documents necessary for the trip:

• Tickets (air and railway);
• Medical insurance;
• Accommodation voucher;
• A reminder about the country to which the tourist is traveling;
• Book all services requested by the client;
• Make timely payments for the work of the tour operator.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of the tourism business include:

1. It is developing rapidly, which means that you will be able to provide services to people not only in Russia, but also abroad, which will also bring you great profit;
2. You will have big choice tourist operator, in addition, you will be able to conclude cooperation agreements with more than one operator, with several at once - this is the first thing you need to open a travel company;
3. The flow of people wishing to go on a trip is constantly growing, and it does not end all year round;
4. The paperwork is simple, done quickly and quite cheaply.

Now let's look at a few negative points that you should know about before opening a travel company:

1. Quite a high level of competition - many novice entrepreneurs are thinking about how to open a travel agency from scratch, because they understand the profitability of this business;
2. If you don't pay enough attention advertising campaign to promote your travel agency, you can completely lose clients and be left without orders (in this case, the risk of losing invested funds increases);
3. In the warm season, the demand for tourist trips is much higher than in cold period year, however, this is a controversial issue, because there are also winter resorts where people happily go for the New Year and Christmas holidays.

Registration of activities

If you want to open a travel agency, you need to carefully read the State Law “On Tourism”, which describes all the requirements for how to open a travel agency from scratch without work experience. We will list for you in detail what you need to open a travel agency:

A travel agency can be registered as a legal enterprise LLC or as a private institution of individual entrepreneurs.

To register in state register a new institution, one resident is enough, who can sell tours within the country and abroad.

You will have to obtain a written commitment from anyone banking institution, who will guarantee to pay for the services of the travel operator in the event that the travel agency cannot do this (without this guarantee, no operator will agree to cooperate with the agency). However, the bank will issue an appropriate guarantee only if the founder of the travel company provides a package of documents, which will include:

• Certificate of state registration;
• Charter;
• Current account information;
• Copies of contracts confirming the lease of the premises where the company is located (if the premises personally belong to the owner, then you must provide a document confirming ownership);
• Passport;
• A copy of the manager’s tax identification number;
• Certificate of registration with the tax service.

It is necessary to develop special client agreements that you will conclude with clients who will order tours from you. These contracts must specify everything: the date of payment, the date of issue of the tourist voucher.

It will also be necessary to develop rules for tourists: who will meet them in the country where they are going, accompany them, and conduct excursions. It is advisable to include these rules in the client agreement so that the tourist signs the document after reading them.

It is also recommended to conclude an agreement with an insurance company, however, this is not mandatory. If you want your clients to be insured, it is better to provide them with a medical policy and other types of property insurance (for example, a car).

We recommend concluding a subagency agreement with any airline through which you will purchase tickets for your clients. This is very beneficial because in such cases, airlines offer many lucrative bonuses.

Make a rough business plan on how to open a travel agency so that you know what expenses await you, how you need to act so that they are quickly reimbursed and begin to turn into consistently high income.

Criteria for choosing a location

If you do not have your own premises, then the main thing you need to open a travel agency is to find appropriate place to rent it. We've put together a few location options you can consider before opening a travel agency in 2018:

You can open a travel agency in the central area of ​​the city. It is advisable that:

• The room had an area of ​​at least 20 m²;
• It should be located on the ground floor of any apartment building, but it is still better to select an office building;
• You need to hang a bright advertising sign on the premises so that people passing by can see what services you provide (the fact that your travel agency is located in the city center will make them confident in your prestige and high level client service).

You can open a travel agency in the building of a business center. What is needed to open a travel agency in such an institution:

1. The room must be fresh modern renovation to make the agency look presentable and respectable;
2. You will be able to serve not only tourists who will come to you from other parts of the city, but also employees of a huge business center;
3. However, you will not be able to advertise in such a territory;
4. At the checkpoint in any business center there is a permit system, which will repel customers.

You can choose premises for your company in a shopping center. We will give you some basic recommendations in such an establishment:

• Choose a boutique where there are always a lot of people (it is better to consider departments that sell clothes, shoes or electronic equipment);
• You need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to pay in such an establishment. high price for rent.

You can open a travel agency in a residential area of ​​your city:

• There is always a large crowd of people here who can become potential clients your agency;
• You won't have to pay much for rent;
• There won't be much competition in an area like this.

Room and interior equipment

There are still very important point, which you need to know before opening a travel company from scratch - it must be designed in a modern, fashionable style. You must understand that if you have an old premises at your disposal, then renovation is where you should definitely start opening your own travel agency. All costs for this must be provided for by you and included in the business plan.

The premises of your company should always be clean and comfortable. This is necessary so that your clients, when coming to the office, can completely relax and unwind. This is especially true for situations when there is a queue of people. Needs to be placed on tables various magazines, catalogs, coffee makers. Also hang interesting things on the walls that will inspire your customers to travel.

To open a travel agency from scratch without work experience, you need to purchase furniture and necessary equipment. It is not necessary to choose expensive models; economical option, as long as it all looks decent and beautiful. You will need:

• Computers with printers and necessary software;
• Office tables, chairs;
• Soft sofas;
• Armchairs and coffee tables;
• Air conditioner;
• Coffee makers with appropriate utensils;
• Telephones;
• Wifi.

Financial investments

Of course, if you decide to get into the tourism business, you need to know exactly how much it costs to open a travel agency from scratch. Let us note right away that you will not have to make large investments. Your main expenses will be:

• When renting premises;
• For the purchase of equipment and furniture;
• During an advertising campaign;
• To pay the fee if you decide to open a franchise travel agency.

It is important to consider that the answer to the question of how much it costs to open a travel agency depends largely on the city in which you live. After all, if you live in a metropolis, then the rent for premises will be higher than in the provinces. You will only have to spend about 30–60 thousand rubles per month on rent.

In order to put the selected room in order (it must meet certain standards), buy it the necessary furniture, equipment and complete all the necessary documents, you will need to have approximately 200,000 rubles at your personal disposal.

To promote your travel agency, you will need at least 100,000 rubles. However, we note that this amount is relative; it depends more on the channel that will carry out the advertising campaign.

Also, when considering the question of how much it costs to open a travel agency, you need to know that you will also have to pay wages to your employees. As a rule, it should be 15 thousand rubles stable and another 20% of the monthly profit of the travel agency.

Also keep in mind that for the next 6 months after you open the agency, it will not bring you any profit. Therefore, you need to have some in stock financial resources, through which you can build a business.

Approximate profit

Living in conditions economic crisis, you will probably have a question about whether it is profitable to open a travel agency and whether others will use your services. There definitely will be, because, as a rule, people who could afford to travel earlier will be able to do so now. Therefore, do not hesitate to open a travel agency in 2018 if you have a desire to work in this interesting field and required amount savings.

If you learn to sell more than 500 trips per year, then your travel agency will make a profit of 50-100 thousand rubles every month. This is enough to establish itself as a popular segment of the tourism business. The more tours you sell, the more you can earn. If you are satisfied with such arrangements, then do not hesitate for a long time whether it is worth opening a travel agency, and get down to business right away.

Travel agency as a business model

Business payback period

The second most important question for those who decided to open a travel agency in 2018 from scratch is how long it will take to pay for itself. Here you need to be aware that this moment largely depends on how you start. If you create a large turnover of your tour from the first days, then in the first year of work you will earn 600-800 thousand rubles, which means that you will return your invested personal funds.

However, experienced entrepreneurs who have been in this field for a long time claim that the payback period for a travel company is at least 2 years. But we do not advise you to look up to someone else's achievements. If you are serious about the question of how to open a travel agency from scratch in Russia, then you will find a way to quickly get promoted in order to get your investment back and start making a profit.

At the end of this article on how to open a travel agency, we want to give you a few useful tips How to quickly promote your business and receive a consistently high income from it:

• If you are wondering how to open a travel agency at home, then for promotion you only need to have an official website at your disposal, through which you will carry out all the work. Opening a travel agency from scratch at home is much easier and more economical. At least you can save an extra 200,000 rubles. It is better to invest part of this money in creating a unique website. Consult with experts on how to open a travel agency at home so that your activity is official and in demand;