No crises, political battles in the country will force a person to give up his favorite and pleasant hobby - tourism. Travel business at all times has remained and will remain the most constant and demanded type of service provision. Why not take advantage of this popularity and build a successful business?

There are a lot of travel agencies. The competition is huge. But the flow of potential tourists is endless to one tour operator, while the other is in constant shortage. There is a desire, potential, then everything will work out and you will be able to become successful in this type of entrepreneurial activity.

Well, how open a travel agency, tips can be found here. The main thing is, armed with this idea, to make all the calculations correctly, to think over all the steps, using the tips presented here:

• What is the tourism business;
• Features of tour operator activities;
• Registration of a travel agency;
• Business plan for a travel agency;
• Operator search;
• Office space;
• Furniture, equipment, interior;
• An important component of success is employees;
• Site - the face of a travel company on the World Wide Web;
• Count on prestigious beachfront resorts;
• What are the prospects for such a business.

This story doesn't have to be the basis for starting a business. But many tips can come in handy.

What the article is about:

What is the tourism business

There are many types of entrepreneurial activity hidden under the concept of tourism business. This is one of the most profitable destinations. Therefore, travel agencies are opening up everywhere that are destined to be successful.

You shouldn't think: that's it, this is my niche and I decided open a travel agency. It remains to find an office, hire employees, place advertisements and the flow of clients is guaranteed. Haste, thoughtlessness of all steps, are the main mistakes of novice businessmen, and not only in the tourism industry. For all its seeming simplicity, it is quite difficult to survive and become the best in the world of tough competition.

Choosing a tour that suits the customer is not enough for future success. First of all, it is necessary to realize in what direction the future travel agency will work and what services to provide. After all, each travel agency can carry out activities in several directions:

• tour operator activity;
• travel agency;
• timeshare.

If the first two types of activities are a little familiar to the common person, then many do not even have the slightest idea what a timeshare is. To put it simply, this is the sale of rights to club recreation. But even this gives little idea to a person whose activities were not related to tourism.

Moreover, a travel agency can be outbound, domestic, or inbound.

1. Outbound tourism is recreation and travel of citizens on the territory of other countries.
2. It is already clear that the inner is a journey or rest on the territory of one's own country.
3. Accordingly, entry is the rest and travel of citizens of other countries on the territory of our country.

The modern tourism business, in general terms, has a solid capital, provides a large number of well-paid jobs, and is closely interconnected with a variety of industries. After all, tourism is the combined activity of a huge network of hotels, restaurants, transport companies, recreation centers, sanatoriums, health and sports centers, entertainment establishments, excursion companies, private translators and travel companies themselves. The close relationship between these companies guarantees future success. Opening a travel business and working alone will not work. Read more: What is network marketing. MLM business on the Internet.

Features of tour operator activities

Such a travel business implies the work of a legal entity or individual to provide intermediary services between a tourist and a travel agent for a commission. The peculiarity of this type of activity is that the tourist operator buys a tourist product (tour) and provides it to the latter, that is, directly to the tourist.

Recently, the travel business has been combining the roles of a travel agent and a tour operator. So, acting as a tour operator, the company independently forms a tour or offers a tour that was formed by another tour operator. Then such a company already acts as a travel agent.

If it is difficult to deal with such puzzles at first, then before opening a travel company, an entrepreneur must understand that the activity is carried out on the basis of current legislation. This requires:

• legal form of ownership;
• financial security in the form of a bank guarantee;
• liability insurance contracts;
• a license to conduct this type of activity, although not always.

All travel agencies must be included in the Unified Register.

It is more difficult to register an agency than to simply open a travel agency. Therefore, it is best to read and carefully study all the step-by-step instructions. Despite the fact that this type of activity does not always require a license, the procedure itself to open a travel agency is not simple. If in doubt, it is best to seek help from a reliable law firm, which, for a small fee, will help you to go through this not so much complicated but painstaking procedure without hindrance.

In the meantime, the lawyer will deal with the preparation of the papers, the future travel operator or agent can deal with other preparatory issues.

Registration of a travel agency

Registration of a tourist business provides a number of features. An inexperienced person faces a lot of problems when registering their agency. After all, this is not just a procedure for registering an entrepreneurial activity. There are many more questions to be resolved:

• determine the legal form of business ownership;
• leave a sensible business plan;
• develop a marketing concept;
• choose an office space;
• pick up staff;
• employee training;
• define the style of the company;
• organize document flow and reporting.

These are by no means all the questions that have to be addressed at the first stage. A person who has no experience in this can simply panic at the first failure and give up everything, but having achieved the main thing.

And failures will and will have to be overcome not so much because of their own ignorance, but because of the negligence of some officials. No one in state-owned companies, where registration and business registration takes place, will explain anything. In such offices, you are more likely to encounter rudeness and this must be foreseen, embarking on a difficult journey to create your own travel agency.

It is more profitable to contact a legal or consulting company that will help in solving these and many other complex issues even at the moment when the agency starts its activities. These are professionals for whom such a routine, paper bustle is a familiar daily work. Or build a travel business using a franchise.

Business plan for a travel agency

A well-thought-out business plan is not some kind of clever paper. This is a personal, step-by-step program to promote your own business. With such a plan, it is easier to carry out activities and analyze possible errors, causes of failures and ways to eliminate them. When drawing up such a plan, it is necessary to enter the most important points into it, using only real data and opportunities. These items may include:

• financial opportunities;
• operator selection;
• office and its renovation;
• marketing and advertising;
• office equipment and software;
• recruitment and training of personnel;
• forthcoming expenses, including rent, utility bills, salaries, taxes, contingencies;
• estimated profit.

There can be many more items. It all depends on the personal preference of the manager. But without experience, you can make mistakes or simply not take into account important points. Such as financial risks, strategic development of the company, tools for expanding the client base, and so on. nothing to worry about. Drawing up a plan, as well as registering a company, can be entrusted to a consulting company or lawyers.

These are people who are worried about the development of the company under their care. Therefore, in case of failures, they conduct an audit and look for ways to eliminate errors. It is like a reliable teacher in the vast world of competitive business. But even an absolute beginner is quite capable of solving some of the questions on his own. These simple but important questions from the strategic business plan will be discussed below.

Operator search

The task of the future successful operator is not only to open a travel agency, but also to make it prestigious and in demand, popular. It is difficult even at the preparatory stage, but it is possible. Testimonials from grateful customers will benefit in the future better than any advertising. Therefore, it is important to take care of the prestige of your company, which depends not only on a bright sign.

Initially, especially if there is no experience, it is necessary to carefully choose a tour operator. This is a company that develops tours, approves routes, book tickets, pays for excursion programs and guide services. In a word, it provides the future tourist with everything necessary to make the vacation memorable, full-fledged, interesting and, of course, at a reasonable price. A new entrepreneur who is just planning to open a travel agency will have to offer all these formed tours to potential clients. The more tours are sold, the higher the commission. It's simple. Such joint activities should not be carried out on oral agreements.

This is preceded by an officially signed contract. Oral can only be a preliminary agreement, which is sealed on paper with signatures and seals after it turns out to collect all the documents and open a travel agency.

When choosing a tour operator, you need to understand that this way you provide not only income, but also earn the prestige of the company. They must be reliable companies with a good reputation.

Office space

Such a company cannot provide its services simply by telephone. The presence of an office with a prestigious, comfortable atmosphere is a must. Having come to the office, a person should see the happy faces of the welcoming employees. After all, he is sure that this person has seen everything offered with his own eyes, so he talks about this tour with such enthusiasm. It is important to captivate, interest, prove that this particular offer is the best for him.

If such a conversation takes place in a shabby office, then it will not inspire confidence in the client. It may be a rented space, but in a crowded area with many offices and businesses. As practice shows, a modern person prefers to select tours during lunch breaks or during a window in a busy work schedule. In sleeping areas, you can find an office. But the flow of people will be much smaller.

Well, the most profitable is to open offices of your company in large shopping centers. Walking in such a center in his free time, a potential client can simply see a bright sign and ask for proposals for the near future. Not the fact that he will immediately buy the tour. But the contacts of the company will certainly be taken into account if the conversation went exactly as it was described.

Do not be upset if a hundred of the past couples did not choose a single tour and only the one hundred and first agreed to buy. 80 percent of those who passed today will try to charmingly return and purchase what was recommended here.

If the office space does not have proper repair, then it is worthwhile to provide for such an item of expenses. Presentability is the prestige of a travel agency. It is equally important to take care of advertising. This is not only an advertisement in the press and its own website on the Internet, but also a bright catchy outdoor advertisement, a prestigious sign. There is no way to create a layout for this yourself, you can ask the designer for help.

It is beneficial to place posters with the best resorts in the office, and to distribute brochures with the best deals to each visitor. Brochures, booklets, catalogs will definitely be reviewed at home more than once. And not only by the owners, but also by their guests. The name of the company with the address of the site, legal address, contacts should appear on almost every page. Therefore, you need to think about the name. It should be simple, sonorous and simply memorable.

Furniture, equipment, interior

If you have to promote a new name in the huge world of the tourism business, you cannot save on the interior. This is how the first impression is made. After all, the client should not know that a huge fortune was spent on this chic, prestigious, comfortable environment. Maybe it was the last money. The visitor is sure that he has ended up in the office of a reliable, prosperous company that provides its services at a high level. This is a costly undertaking, but it is future prestige and glory.

The technical equipment is several telephone lines, computers with the Internet, a printer or MFP. It's important to have software. Which will help you select the most profitable tours and book them.

Employees are an important component of success

These are people who, in the very near future, should become reliable partners who can be completely entrusted with their business. It is advisable to select employees from among people with experience in this field of activity. But, as practice shows, having gained experience in another travel company, such people open their own travel agencies. But, if you set yourself a goal, then you can find such reliable assistants.

For the first time, you will need at least two managers. If the flow of clients increases, then you can expand the staff at any time. At first, it is not advisable to educate and train your own personnel. This can be done a little later, registering such newcomers as trainees at lower salaries. It is important that these are sociable people with a pleasant appearance and voice, who know how to conduct business or have negotiations, depending on the situation.

It is desirable that the leading manager has access and has information about all the most prestigious and beneficial directions for both parties. It should be recalled that prestigious travel agencies often send their employees on sightseeing tours at the expense of the firm. This practice greatly simplifies the work of a manager and broadens his horizons. The tour, which the manager knows everything about, sells much faster.

Moreover, it can be used as a reward system for your best employees. It is not necessary to pay a colleague in full for the tour. It could be a family trip with a decent discount. At the beginning of its activity, it is rather expensive to give such gifts to employees. There is also the tax and other government services, which are very counting on such gifts.

In addition to professionals of this level, you will need another specialist who monitors the financial condition of the company and not only. This is an accountant who is rightfully considered the boss's right hand. Business cannot be successful without high-quality accounting. Read more: How to open a coffee shop from scratch.

Site - the face of a travel company on the world wide web

A prestigious travel agency cannot do without a website. So you can declare yourself not only within one city, region. The site will help to increase the client and base around the world. It is important to trust the creation of a site to professionals who are not only able to create a beautiful site with a convenient navigation system, but will also constantly promote it on the web. It is necessary for it to be in the first positions of all search engines on the Internet.

Website design shouldn't be too flashy, but attractive enough. So that just one glance will cause the desire to go to him. The navigation system is important to visitors. It is simple and understandable even for children, so that in an instant it would be fashionable to find a suitable tour with complete information about it.

Count on prestigious beachfront resorts

In general, the following directions are considered the most popular in the tourism business:

• beach tourism;
• business;
• sightseeing.

Beachfront accounts for over 50 percent of the entire share. It should be emphasized, especially at the very beginning of the activity, giving preference to inexpensive and most popular resorts in Egypt, Bulgaria, Turkey, UAE, Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, Malta. Part of this list can be given to tours to Spain, Italy, southern France. Several months of work I will help to determine what is most in demand.

And another equally important aspect is the cost of the tour. It is easy to guess that resorts are more popular, the cost of vouchers for which does not exceed $ 500. This is economy class for people whose income is no more than $ 800 a month. There are most of them, respectively, this is the most demanded segment of the market.

What are the prospects for such a business

The prospects for this business are quite large, even despite the huge competition. It is developing rapidly and makes it possible to develop a personal agency. With such a rapid growth, in a couple of years there will be a real opportunity to create not just an agency, but to become a full-fledged travel operator with great fame.

This opens up even greater prospects. In this case, it is already possible to independently create tourist tours and implement them through other travel companies not only in your city, but also around the world. If possible, it is necessary to register with the Unified Register, to insure legal liability. If such a prospect is frightening, you can remain in the status of a travel agency, but expand your network, choosing not only one city. This is an activity in which you need to constantly grow. Otherwise, a lot of competition will simply survive from this prestigious market.

New travel agencies are mushrooming. But not everyone is able to withstand the fiercest competition, and after a year, no more than thirty percent of last year's newcomers remain on the market. These are not simple words, but static data. But having survived this struggle, new prospects and stable, highly profitable business are opening up. Don't stop there. Only constant movement and the search for new, even more interesting directions will allow development and advancement. Good luck in a difficult, but promising and such an interesting field!

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

Capital investments: from 425,000 rubles.

Payback period: from 8 months.

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

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

Tour operator and travel agency: find 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 of them are 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 in 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 transport for tourists.

As for the implementation of the tour, he can do it on his own or through agencies. The second is to sell the ticket. The travel agency selects the necessary option for the client, informs him about all its nuances

Therefore, the number one difference: the tour operator forms the tour, and the travel agency only implements it.

Secondly, to start a tour operator, you need to register only as a legal entity with certain financial support. While a travel agent can be both an individual entrepreneur and 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 support, 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 the tour at a certain price. And his reward will be a commission, which is set by the company that provides the trip.

Difference number three: the travel agent does not affect 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, the operator is responsible for the "failed" tour, and the claims from the clients will be brought against him.

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 ticket 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 travel agency work scheme

Having decided to open a travel agency, you need to understand the scheme of its work:

1. The current travel agent is looking for proven operators, with whom he signs a contract for further cooperation.
2. The travel agent studies the offers offered by the tour operator to the smallest details and starts looking for clients.
3. If one is found, then the travel agent concludes an agreement with him and submits an application for booking services with the operator.
4. The tour operator accepts the application and, which must subsequently be paid.
5. After that, the funds received by the travel agent minus the established commission (as a rule, it is 10-15%) are transferred to the account of the tour operator.
6. The tour operator transfers all the necessary documents to the agent, who subsequently issues all the information to the tourist.
7. After completing the transaction, the agency sends the report to the operator, who prepares an invoice for him.

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

The situation on the Russian tourist market

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

The tourist market in Russia does not stop constantly developing. Even in small towns you can find travel agencies that offer their services. Often they are approached by those who wish to travel abroad for impressions.

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

Therefore, deciding to open a travel agency, look for operators who are engaged in such tours.

It is also worth noting that in 2017 the situation in the tourism market has improved significantly compared to the two previous years. And by the way, Russian tourists began to prefer more exotic countries 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 are buying more and more on the Internet, so creating your own website with the possibility of online booking and payment is mandatory.

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

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

• providing a wide range of services;
• competent employees who are focused only on the number of tours sold, but also on high-quality customer service;
• cooperation with trusted and well-known tour operators.

Opening a travel agency is associated with risks that must be taken into account:

• Seasonality - it so happened 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 better.
• Lack of stability- changes in the exchange rate, 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 customers may decrease.

Inability to accurately predict the results of work- even with a 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 costs will go to the arrangement of the office, the creation of a website and, of course, promotion.

The very process of opening a "tourist" business will consist of the following stages:

Stage	1 month	2 month	3 month	4 month
Choosing the name of the travel agency	+
Business registration	+
Search for premises and its arrangement	+	+
Operator search		+
Site creation			+
Recruitment			+
Advertising				+
Business start				+

With well-coordinated and properly organized work, it will be possible to open a travel agency in 3-4 months.

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

So, you have analyzed the market, assessed your capabilities and are sure that this business is for you. Now you need to start taking specific 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 that, you can proceed to 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 a whole network, or you want to start a business with a partner, then choose an LLC.

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

As for the taxation system, according to the law "On the basics of tourist activity in the Russian Federation" it is allowed to use the simplified tax system: "Income" 6% or "Income-Expenses" 6-15%.

Step 2. Search and arrangement of premises for a travel agency

A well-chosen location is the key point in how to open a travel agency. If you plan to start your business in a small town, then do it only in the center.

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

• crowded places;
• sleeping areas in which 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, decorative items.

The approximate expenses for the repair and arrangement of the premises will look like this:

Name	Quantity, pcs.	price, rub.	Total cost, rub.
Total:	-	-	RUB 147,000
Worker table	2	4 000	8 000
Chairs	4	1 000	1 000
Customer sofa	1	10 000	10 000
Rack	1	10 000	10 000
Laptops	2	30 000	60 000
IFIs	1	15 000	15 000
Electric kettle	1	1 000	1 000
Modem	1	2 000	2 000
Phone line	2	15 000	30 000
Internet	1	3 000	3 000
Decor items	1	2 000	2 000
other expenses	-	-	5 000

Step 3. Search for tour operators for cooperation

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

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

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

The most popular travel operators in Russia:

Step 4. Recruitment of personnel for opening a travel agency

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

The responsibilities of these specialists should include:

• selection and consulting of clients;
• monitoring of attractive tours and prices for them;
• conclusion of transactions with tourists;
• booking vouchers and their registration with a tour operator;
• tracking novelties in the field of tourism.

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

Positions such as accountant, system administrator, cleaning lady 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 if you do not declare yourself. And you need to engage in active promotion on an ongoing basis, especially if you want to lure tourists not only in the summer and New Year's season.

You can use advertising tools such as:

• sign at the entrance;
• distribution of leaflets on the street;
• advertising in local publications;
• radio advertising;
• advertising in social networks of the city 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 items of expenditure:

Expenditure item	Amount, rub.
Total:	RUB 425,000
Business registration	25 000
Payment for the first month of renting the premises	20 000
Indoor renovation	50 000
Room equipment	147 000
Website development	30 000
Payroll for the first month of work	40 000
Outsourcing	40 000
Advertising costs	60 000
other expenses	13 000

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

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

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

Having in hand the approximate costs of opening and maintaining a travel agency, you can predict the level of profitability of the business.

Successful agencies with two managers can conclude up to 300 deals per month. But more often than not, such indicators are characteristic of an already established business in the market.

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

70 * 28,000 * 10% = 196,000 rubles. (at an expense of 175,000 rubles)

And with this course of business, the profit will be penny:

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

Profit after tax:

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

But let's suppose that such indicators will be only in the first 3-4 months, while you declare yourself. And soon you will bring them to 120-140 transactions per month.

Then your projected income for the same expenses will be:

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

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

Based on such financial calculations, it can be assumed that investments in starting a business will pay off in 8-10 months.

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

How to start a travel agency from scratch?

From idea to first profit - in one video:

The tourism business itself is constantly evolving, so be sure to keep an eye on the novelties in this area and fully devote yourself to the business, and then success will not be long in coming.

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More and more often, the citizens of our country spend their holidays abroad, travel to different countries. But tourist trips around the country do not stop. following this trend is also developing. New agencies, tour operators are appearing, hotels are being built. not a very complicated process. The biggest challenge is huge competition. And before joining their close ranks, you need to decide in the role of whom you will act. Currently, the most common two types of organizations: Tour Operator or Travel Agent. So who are they.

What is a tour operator and travel agent

Tour operator - a legal entity that is engaged in the formation, promotion and sale of a tourist product, in accordance with the law of the Russian Federation "On the basics of tourist activities in the Russian Federation." Simply put, it is an organization that prepares and promotes travel offers. The tour operator will arrange for meals and hotel accommodation. Provides transportation, excursions, etc.

There are several ways to implement a tourist product. For example, using travel agencies. In this case, all responsibility for the quality of the service provided lies with the tour operator.

A travel agency is an organization that promotes and sells a tour operator's tourism product. In accordance with the law of the Russian Federation "On the basics of tourist activities." A travel agency can be opened by both a legal entity and an individual entrepreneur. It is an intermediary between tourists and the tour operator who receives their commission. The travel agent buys the formed and ready-to-sell travel product from the operator. And offers it to the end consumer. Receiving a monetary reward for this sale.

Quite often, a travel organization combines the functions of a travel agent and a tour operator. For example, a tourism organization organizes and offers a tour of Italy, acting as a tour operator. And at the same time, this travel agency acts as a travel agent, implementing a tour to France, formed by another tour operator.

It is important to know that tourism is:

• entry - travel on the territory of the Russian Federation of people who do not permanently reside in Russia;
• outbound - travel of citizens of the Russian Federation abroad;
• domestic - travel within the Russian Federation of Russian citizens.

Back to the table of contents

For the opening and operation of a travel agency, special permits are not required by law. Therefore, this type of tourism business, as practice shows, is more widespread. Let's take a look at the main stages of creating a travel agency (travel agent).

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Business plan

At the first stages of starting any business, it is necessary to draw up a business plan. First, you need to decide for what purpose it is being compiled and for whom. For example, to obtain a loan, for a private investor, for oneself. It is necessary to calculate the amount of capital investment for a year, half a year, or a month. A business plan can be drawn up independently or ordered from a consulting company.

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Choosing the name of the travel agency

Much depends on the successful name of the travel company. It helps to promote the company's services on the market, creates an associative array and style associated with the company. A good name is well and quickly remembered, which is very important when there is a lot of competition.

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Site creation

Nowadays, in order to organize your business, you need the support of the Internet. Take care of creating your own company website. This service can be ordered from professionals, but it is possible to make a simple website on your own. To do this, you need to select a hosting (place of "physical" storage of your site) and a domain name. This is the address of your page, which should overlap with the name of your company. This will make it easier for potential customers to remember and find you.

There are many free and highly detailed website builders out there. Choose one and follow the instructions and tips to create your site. To begin with, it is enough to make a website one-page reader, which will contain information about you, contacts, a short list of services.

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Selection of tourist destinations

As experts advise, a narrowly focused business sells its goods and services better. Shoppers are more likely to go to specialty stores. The same rule applies in the tourism business. It is better to offer your clients specific tours. For example: "Our agency selects medical tours around Russia using a unique method for children and adults." Instead of the offer "We will pick up any tour". The first option is more informative and understandable.

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How to choose partners of tour operators

When signing a cooperation agreement with a tour operator, pay attention to the availability, duration and amount of financial security. To the number in the Federal Register of Tour Operators. For the duration of work in the tourism business. Pay attention to the number of employees in the staff of this company, to the availability of diplomas and awards. Find out where the tour operator's office is, its size and presentability, the availability of guide information, etc. There are no exact criteria for selecting the best and most reliable partners. Try to learn as much as possible about them.

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Where does the tourism business start?

So, where should you start when starting a travel business:

• selection of an office. In order to organize a tourism business, it is necessary to find a suitable premises. It is worth choosing an office space in places with maximum traffic. In a promoted shopping center, in a business center, on the central streets of the city, next to the metro;
• preparation of a business plan;
• recruitment. According to experts, decency and diligence are the most important criteria in the selection of personnel. Quite often, start-up entrepreneurs hire their friends and relatives. This may not be such a bad choice in the travel business;
• Advertising: Print business cards, advertise on the internet, post or distribute flyers. Students can be hired for this job;
• paperwork. Find out what documents you need to issue to open your own travel business in the appropriate authorities. The main thing is to arrange everything legally.

Opening a travel agency is not as difficult as opening a car dealership or insurance company. But keeping up with the crazy pace of the market, opposing yourself to thousands of competitors is not an easy task.

The travel business is very attractive for start-up entrepreneurs, because it does not require large financial investments, and the demand for tours is always great. But only a few, the most prepared, manage to avoid the pitfalls, of which there are a great many in the "recreation industry".

Today tourism is massive, according to forecasts, the number of travelers will only grow every year. The number of travel agencies is increasing, new hotels and restaurants are being built, new airports are opening, and the tourist infrastructure is developing rapidly. The tourism business is experiencing a significant upsurge, and for many businessmen there is a real opportunity to become a participant in this interesting business.

So let's take a step-by-step look at how to start a travel agency from scratch for a budding entrepreneur.

Before deciding to start a business, you need to at least in general terms imagine the state of affairs in the industry in which you plan to work.

So, what are the characteristics of the tourism business today:

• The average market growth dynamics over 10 years is 5.8% per year.
• The retail market (travel agents) is poorly consolidated, the market is dominated by independent agencies, large chains account for no more than 8-10% of the market volume.
• The competition in the retail (travel agency) market is very high.
• A large percentage of new travel agencies close before even one year. Average rotation in small tourist business is 30% per year. That is, out of 100 agencies created at the beginning of the year, no more than 70 companies survive until the end of the first summer season.
• Tourism is subject to dumping, that is, an artificial decrease in the offer price on "last minute" destinations, even in the high season, you can find tours and air tickets much lower than the average price.
• The travel business is highly susceptible to external influences, be it bad weather, natural disasters, strikes, political instability or terrorist attacks. Each such event forces travel companies to respond quickly and take emergency measures to protect their customers and not suffer financially themselves. Unfortunately, this is not always possible. At the same time, every event in the world can become a reason for a tourist boom. Sports competitions, festivals, exhibitions, concerts, mass celebrations, the opening of new hotels and resorts - just countless. Therefore, the tourism industry has the opportunity to constantly develop, and its participants make a profit from the skillful use of tourism resources.

Where to begin

At the stage of planning the activities of the company, you need to determine the target audience of buyers. This is necessary to create the concept of the project, since the characteristics and preferences of your potential buyers will influence the choice of the location of the office, the range of tours, it is very likely that the name of the travel agency, and then the means and methods of promoting services.

Business plan

Then you need to write. What should you pay special attention to when drawing up a business plan?

• Do not overestimate the number of tourists - there may be fewer of them than you expect.
• Build the maximum possible amount for unforeseen expenses, perhaps they will be more than you expect.
• When calculating income, take into account possible discounts for clients, which are deducted from the agency fee.
• Do not underestimate the figures related to the organization of the travel agency, set prices slightly above average. By following these simple rules, you will avoid problems associated with a lack of funding or an increase in the expected payback period of the project.

Company name

The next stage is the name of the future travel agency. The name of the company should reflect the essence of its activities and be unique. It should also be understandable for your customers and easy to remember.

Domain and site

Having chosen a name for a travel company, you need to choose the most sonorous, easy to remember name (domain) of the site. As a rule, the domain coincides with the name of the company or reflects the specifics of the activity. If the company name is long, more than 8-10 characters, then abbreviations are used, they are easier to remember and less likely to make a mistake when typing an address on a computer. If you register a domain consisting of two words, we recommend paying for two domains, with and without a hyphen, this will reduce the number of errors and protect you from competitors.

When ordering a site, do not make quick decisions - the site is not completed in one day. First, decide what functions it will perform: a simple business card or information resource with the ability to search and order tours, with online modules (airport displays, currency rates, world weather), a block of regional studies, a photo gallery, maps and diagrams of resorts, catalogs hotels, etc.

Selection of major tourist destinations for sale

How to choose which packages your agency will sell? Here are some examples of how, in practice, the first tourist destinations for work are determined.

1. Your project already implies certain tourist destinations based on the name of the company (TA "Africa Safari").
2. You hire managers with experience in certain destinations and put them in the lead.
3. You have personally visited some countries, have an idea of ​​them and will be able to successfully sell tours.
4. By a strong-willed decision, choose interesting, in your opinion, countries and carefully prepare for the sale of tours.
5. Nothing comes to your mind, you don't know which countries to sell tours to. Pay attention to the seasons and seasons, they determine the sales of certain directions and the preferences of your first customers.
6. In addition to focusing on countries, you can choose the types of tourism, for example, beach holidays, medical tours, children's holidays, active tourism, ecological tourism, etc.
7. Research the demand and fashion trends in tourism using open sources.

There is another approach: the more destinations to offer to clients, the more tourists can be attracted. But statistics and polls show that consumers prefer those companies that specialize in a certain direction, and travel agencies, which can tell in detail about the chosen vacation spot. If you are a diversified company, you will have to promote each area separately.

Selection of tour operators

To start a travel agency, you must select partner tour operators. It is advisable for each tourist destination to have signed contracts with at least three tour operators, since not always one operator will have confirmation of all hotels and arrival dates that suit tourists.

How to choose a tour operator:

• make a list of tour operators for a specific tourist destination, using professional ratings, the press, travel guides and other specialized publications, the Internet (unfortunately, the frequency of mentioning a tour operator in ratings, reviews, articles is often due to financial investments in the operator's image and does not always correspond to the quality of the offered product) ;
• familiarize yourself with the services of tour operators, price offers, conditions for working with agencies through Internet sites, catalogs of tour operators;
• if possible, inquire about the quality of work, using the recommendations of colleagues, professional forums and reviews of tourists on travel agencies on the Internet.

The choice of premises for the office of a travel agency

The search and selection of premises for a travel company is one of the most important issues in starting a business. First of all, you need to decide what kind of office you need for your project - its size, location, equipment.

What are the offices of travel companies:

• the first line of houses, the second line of houses, inside the residential complex;
• in a business center, administrative or office building;
• in a specialized tourism business center;
• in a residential building;
• in a shopping center, hypermarket;
• in the lobby of the hotel complex;
• in the building of railway stations and airports;
• in the building of professional institutions: medical centers, fitness clubs, educational institutions, etc.;
• within walking distance, transport accessibility from the metro.

After the office is found and the documents are properly drawn up, it is necessary to prepare it for the sale of tours: organize and equip workplaces, think over convenient places for visitors, arrange so that every client who enters the office understands that this is a travel agency.

Agency registration

Carrying out entrepreneurial activities in the field of tourism without registering a legal entity or registering a citizen as an individual entrepreneur is illegal. Therefore, it will be necessary to register an LLC or individual entrepreneur.

Unfortunately, among entrepreneurs there is a widespread attitude towards the constituent documents as a kind of insignificant formality. Meanwhile, this is a very dangerous delusion. The constituent documents are, first of all, the order that determines the relationship of the founders of the company with each other and with its hired management. Formally drawn up, so-called standard, constituent documents can lead to serious conflicts between business partners and the management of the company or can protect the interests of the founders, save the organization from a hostile takeover and solve many other problems.

Also, depending on the country in which you will open a travel agency, it may be necessary to obtain a special license for this type of activity. In Russia, the law does not provide for compulsory licensing for the activities of a travel agent.

Before a travel agency starts operating, you need to choose a tax regime. To maintain accounting, you need to use the services of a professional accountant, it is very difficult to independently figure out all the intricacies of tax legislation. While your company is not yet sufficiently developed, you can hire an "incoming" accountant, but when the number of transactions exceeds 100-200 per month, it is better to hire a permanent employee or get a subscription accounting service.

Staff

The minimum staff of a travel agency, as a rule, consists of: a manager who is involved in sales, a manager and a courier. In this case, the accounting is kept by a legal company or a visiting accountant. This kind of staffing is very common in travel agencies. What are the disadvantages of this option? If for some reason the leader or manager does not come to work, one employee will not be able to cope or he will work to the detriment of the quality of the services provided. This option can be “saved” by hiring a second manager with no work experience or a part-time student of a tourism university.

The optimal staff of a small travel company looks like this: a manager, two managers, a secretary with extended responsibilities, a courier, an accountant-cashier, and a cleaner.

In the tourism business, there is a general trend towards an increase in wages. This is due to the existing personnel "hunger". Experts with work 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. The lack of qualified personnel leads to staff turnover and higher salaries in order to entice employees.

Professional universities do not train personnel as well as the market requires, so managers without experience have to be taught in the work process. At the same time, managers with work experience "rise in price" every month and, unfortunately, not always justifiably.

There is no standard generally accepted wage scheme in travel agencies. Each agency develops its own system of bonuses, fines, mandatory sales volumes and the number of tours sold, and on the basis of these data calculates the salaries of employees.

Advertising

To start a travel company, you must have a minimum set of promotional materials that are issued to potential clients, business partners and help in the implementation of tours.

A travel agency can do without outdoor advertising, but if there is such an opportunity, be sure to use it. Outdoor advertising attracts tourist clients from the street, from nearby offices and homes, who will learn about the travel agency by seeing an attractive sign. As a rule, travel companies use the following outdoor advertising media: a signboard, an information board on the front door, a signpost on a roadside post, a floor pillar, advertising banners in windows, advertising on transport.

Now you know how to open a travel agency from scratch and what first steps you need to take. Start making your dream come true and building a successful business!

* Calculations are based on average data for Russia

Fragment of the book by Julia and Georgy Mokhovykh "Travel agency: where to start, how to succeed" by the publishing house "Peter. Published with permission from the publisher.

Do I have enough money to open a travel agency? Risking your last savings or not? How long will the investment in the tourist business pay off? 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 business plan for a travel agency? What are the requirements for a travel agency office? How many employees will you need to hire? Where to find personnel? Which tour operators to work with? Which countries to sell tours to? Limit yourself to a narrow specialization or sell everything? To open air and railway ticket offices immediately or later? How to attract customers? How much to spend on advertising? Do tourists have a lot of complaints? And still…

TO OPEN A TOURFIRM FOR ME OR NOT?!.

We will try to allay 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 scheme that reflects the main parameters and cost items that can be used when drawing up a business plan for a travel company (agency).

1. The concept of a travel agency

Kind of activity:

• travel agent;
• tour operator;
• mixed activities.

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;
• sale 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;
• by the cost of the tours;
• by country;
• by type of tourism.

2. Organizational plan

Travel agency office location:

• Centre;
• outskirts;
• remoteness from the metro.

Office status:

• rent;
• own premises;
• other.

Office type:

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

Office size:

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

Office furniture (cost estimate):

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

Office equipment (costing):

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

• building;
• district;
• cities;
• countries (if necessary).

The predominant competitive qualities of the future travel agency.

4. Production plan

Staff:

• staffing table;
• wage formation 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.

Range of travel agency services:

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

Travel agency pricing policy.

Features of the tours for sale.

Corporate identity development:

• contractor;
• list of required items;

Website creation:

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

Office decoration for sales.

• signboard;
• pavement sign;
• pointers;
• a plate with the operating hours and company details.

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

• booklet;
• Business Cards;
• letterhead.

Opening presentation.

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

The structure and rules for maintaining a client base.

6. Legal aspects of opening a travel company

Legal form of a legal entity.

Taxation system.

Registration of a lease agreement.

Required permits depending on the type of tourist activity.

Registration of a trademark.

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

Order forms of strict reporting "Tourist voucher".

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

Legal support of activities

7. Financial plan

Sources of funds.

The size and duration of the investment.

Initial cost plan.

Fixed expenses plan.

Income plan.

Payback plan.

8. Conclusion

Long-term development plan.

9.Applications

Estimated costs of setting up a travel agency in Moscow,
one-time:

Registration of a legal entity and execution of the necessary permits for travel agency activities: 20,000-25,000

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

Office equipment and communications 100,000-150,000

Development of corporate identity 15,000-25,000

Website development and registration 20,000–45,000

Registration of a trademark 50,000-100,000

Employee training 5,000-30,000

Additional possible costs

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

The cost of tours even in one 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 prices of the season for the selected destinations with the data of 3 *, 4 *, 5 * hotels and compare them with the expected amount of income.

An approximate plan of the monthly expenses of a travel company in Moscow (rubles)

Office and infrastructure

Rent of premises 25 m2 - 50,000

Communication services 3000

Internet 5000

Water (cooler) 500

Stationery 2500

Other administrative expenses 6,000 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 services RUB 7,000 month
• Payment for the online booking and tour search system 1200 rubles / month.
• Refueling of cartridges 400 rubles / month.

Unforeseen expenses 10,000 rubles.

Total RUB 241,500 + percentage to salary

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

After the licensing of tour operator and travel agency activities was canceled 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 a tour product formed by the tour operator. At the same time, 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 operator's activities and take the necessary legal actions on time. The fact is that the law establishes a 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 a tour operator in case of non-fulfillment or improper fulfillment of an agreement on the sale of a tour product, insurance of its civil liability to consumers by tourists.

From the financial means, the injured tourists are reimbursed for the real damage they 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 support is provided by an insurance company or a bank guarantee. 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 and exit) and 500,000 rubles. for domestic tourism.

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

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For example, from the minimum amount of financial support for international tourism at 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 the travel agent's work in the implementation of tours is approximately as follows:

1. the tour operator concludes an agency (commission) agreement with the travel agent, according to which the agent is instructed to sell (sell) tours formed by the tour operator for a fee;
2. the 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 registration of the tour;
3. 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;
4. the tour operator confirms the travel agent's application and issues an invoice for payment;
5. the travel agent gives the tour operator the documents (or information) necessary for the tour (for example, for a visa);
6. the travel agent accepts the final payment from the tourist (in case of cash payment, he issues a cashier's receipt or a strict reporting form);
7. the travel agent pays the tour operator minus the remuneration due to him (by bank transfer or in cash at the tour operator's cash desk);
8. the tour operator issues to the travel agent the travel documents necessary for the tourist to travel;
9. the travel agent issues the tourist documents for the tour and all the necessary information to the tourist;
10. the travel agent reports to the tour operator - sends the agent's report (act) indicating the amount of the tour sale and the amount of remuneration;
11. the tour operator signs the agent's report and issues an invoice for the services provided under the agency agreement.

But it should be borne in mind that the outlined scheme reflects only the ideal version of the document flow.

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

secondly, 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, after paying through the ticket office of the tour operator, you will be given a cash receipt voucher for a physical
a person stamped "paid" without a seal of the organization.

Travel company staff

The optimal staff for a small travel company looks like this:

• ¦ leader;
• ¦ manager1;
• ¦ manager2;
• ¦ secretary with extended terms of reference;
• ¦ courier;
• ¦ accountant;
• ¦ 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 selling managers.

A manager can be a chief accountant, a cashier, sign documents and register the receipt of funds.
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 work experience to work and together with them develop a strategy, assortment, advertising policy of the company.

Travel company manager.

His responsibilities include: negotiating with clients and partners by phone and in the office, arranging tours with tourists, booking tours and preparing documents with tour operators, monitoring the execution of orders, changing prices, requirements for the documents provided, terms of cooperation, special offers.

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

A manager with no work experience should at least strive to work in tourism and have a secondary specialized or higher (incomplete higher) education, since this significantly affects the general level of culture. On
teaching someone who strives for knowledge is a rewarding business, 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 to get to you?" , carries out orders of the head, receives visitors and guests of the office. It should be understood that sometimes it is very difficult to do without the help of a secretary, especially in the high season - in summer, when the phone rings and the client is sitting in the armchair at the same time.

Secretaries are also charged with filling out questionnaires, accounting and registering incoming and outgoing mail, answering corporate emails, ICQ, Skype.

As a rule, a secretary is hired after several 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. By the forces (feet) of this person, money, passports, documents must go to the tour operator. Therefore, when choosing a candidate for this position, be guided by a simple rule: a person must be checked in all possible ways - call the previous place of work, confirm the correspondence of the place of registration and place of residence, call your home phone and talk with relatives, ask for recommendations. These measures are not superfluous. The problems that may arise from 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 an 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. Such a personnel solution allows to reduce the costs of accounting by at least three times.

Remuneration schemes and bonuses in the tourism business

In the tourism business, there is a general trend towards an increase in wages. This is due to the existing personnel "hunger". Experts with work 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 Payroll 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% off 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 proceeds from sold tours, divided among all managers.
Salary 18,000–20,000 rubles. + 5% off the tours sold by the manager.
Salary 18,000–20,000 rubles. + 10% of all sold tours, divided among all managers.

3. Planning system: fixed wages are paid when the plan is fulfilled; for example, from 50,000 rubles. (this refers to the company's income, not the total cost of the tours). If the plan is overfulfilled over 50,000 rubles. + 10%, more than 100,000 rubles. + 15%, more than 250,000 + 20%.

During the low season (January, February, May, June), the plan is 50%. In this case, the previous fixed salary is paid.

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

• ¦ 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 the fixed payment (30,000–39,000 rubles - 20%; 20,000–29,000 rubles - 30%).

In the first months after the opening of a travel agency office, the planned payroll system is usually not applied.

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

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

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

During the high season and the increase in sales, it is customary for couriers to give a bonus of 20-30% of their salary. The courier is an important employee of the travel agency, so it is 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 anywhere
cities, they enter into an official contract, bear full financial responsibility for the funds 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 deducting expenses.
3. 12,000-15,000 rubles. + 5-10% of monthly income after deducting 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, organizing document circulation, taxation, recommendations for promotion, working with a client base and many valuable links to specialized Internet resources for practitioners of the tourism industry.

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