How to start your travel business from scratch. How to open a travel agency

In the tourism business, not only the financial side of the issue is close, but also his idea of the possibility of traveling around the world. This business makes it possible to make new acquaintances and learn a lot of new things.

What does it take to open a travel agency from scratch?

Before deciding to open a travel agency, it is important to understand that there are two types of services in this market:

services of a tour operator who develops the route and takes care of all organizational issues
travel agency services. It sells ready-made tours of the operator and receives a percentage of the commission for this.

In turn, the agencies work in two directions:

domestic tours
international tours

It is necessary to immediately determine the priority line of business. Choose the main category of tourists with which you are going to work.

More cost effective for big city is the opening of a car wash. Read the instructions about: what difficulties await, what profitability and how to build a business process.

When opening a travel agency, a guide to an LLC will undoubtedly come in handy: where and how to register, which premises to rent, which tour operators to choose and whom to hire.

How to start opening a travel agency?

1. Choosing an organizational and legal form. The Tax Code offers two optimal options:

registration of a travel agency as LLC ( entity)

No tour operator will refuse to work with a legal entity. LLC registration is a more solid and fundamental approach to maintaining entrepreneurial activity... The level of trust among clients is higher than in a travel agency registered as an individual entrepreneur.

The presence of the authorized capital is required. As a result, LLC registration requires more financial investment than registration of an individual entrepreneur.

registration of a travel agency as an individual entrepreneur ( individual)

Low costs compared to opening an LLC, the package of documents is minimal.

But not all tour operators work with travel agencies that are registered as individual entrepreneurs. The level of trust among clients is lower than in a travel agency registered as an LLC.

Special documents for opening a travel agency are not required.

2. When we have decided on the form of registration, there are still several organizational issues.

Necessary:

choose a suitable name
decide on the registration address
choose activities in accordance with the classifier
pay the state fee
sign the registration application in the presence of a notary

Additionally for LLC:

determine the size of the authorized capital (minimum - 10,000 rubles)
if there are several founders, it is necessary to fix the size and par value of the share of each founder

Choosing a room

For a newly opened travel agency, it is better to choose a cozy room of modest size. The best option for a travel agency is rent small spaces Enough 20 square meters in a passing place with developed infrastructure and convenient parking.

The city center or a place where potential tourists gather is the most the best option office rental for a travel agency.

Particular attention should be paid to the sign. It should be bright and vibrant colors. A neon light box or volumetric letters will do.

We decorate the interior of a travel agency

If the room requires repair, then it will have to be done. The important thing to remember here is that travel agency clients are not poor people. They highly value coziness and a comfortable environment.

For the client's corner, for the first time, it is enough to put coffee table and a sofa. V general interior office to add corporate identity and travel merchandise.

Workplaces need to be prepared for employees. For 2-3 people, you will need desks, chairs, computers, telephones, stationery, one rack for the office and a multifunctional device with a copier, printer and fax.

Take your choice of Internet service provider very seriously. This link with the outside world can very well spoil the business if there is a weak Internet speed or, even worse, systematic accidents.

After all the preparations, you can take the staff.

What to be guided by when recruiting

A rule that applies to any business.

Don't hire your relatives and best friends! This is not a field where they can help you as much as possible. Friendly relations very rarely develop into business. Accept people from whom there will be returns.

Ideally, if they already have experience working in a travel agency. But first of all, try to discern the personal qualities of the candidate:

his manner of speaking
how much correct speech and competent presentation of thoughts
does he know how to separate the main from the secondary
can I focus on the task at hand
how serious about the case
how he presents himself to others
how to communicate with strangers
how wide is his outlook
how to relate to conflicts.

Travel agency is about working with people. Therefore, the qualities of the applicant are more important than the accumulated experience.

Enough 2-3 managers who will be involved in sales, search and customer service. At first, you can do without an accountant, programmer and cleaner.

The salary that motivates the staff consists of the minimum wage salary (5554 rubles). Everything else is interest (bonuses) from the conclusion of contracts with clients. You should not save on this part of the salary if you want to have productive employees in your agency.

Choosing a tour operator

The question is no less important than the choice of an Internet provider. The wrong choice of operator can also cause great losses to the company.

To minimize all risks, it is worth concluding an agreement with at least ten tour operators. Half of them should specialize in your main area.

For example, if a travel agency operates on a route to Egypt or Bali, then half of the operators with whom you are going to sign a contract must work strictly in this direction.

When choosing a tour operator, do not forget to be guided by his degree of fame, reliability, how long he has been working in this market. The percentage of the travel agency's remuneration for the sold vouchers is 5-16% of their value.

Initial rewards are small. But as soon as the first group of tourists returns from the trip, the percentage of commission increases depending on the sold tours. Any tour operator is interested in increasing sales, so the terms of cooperation with promising travel agencies are being revised.

A good help is a single database for searching for tours and tour operators. The most common tourindex.ru. Acquiring access to the database will greatly facilitate the work. The cost of annual maintenance on the site is about 26,000 rubles.

Registration on the site tour-box.ru will help a young travel agency. After registration, you will be given access to the tour booking system.

Everything preparatory work finished. You can accept the first clients, but where can you get them?

Attraction of clients

The first clients are remembered for a long time. There are many ways of attraction and ... a lot.

Even at the stage of opening a travel agency, it is advisable to create your own company website. This will greatly facilitate the work of finding clients. Today is the most effective tool to find clients.

Professionally designed and well-run contextual advertising can dramatically increase the flow of people wishing to use tourist services.

It is equally important to master e-mail marketing and build your own subscriber / customer base.

Do not neglect and write off the well-known search options:

media advertising
advertising on banners and billboards
radio announcements
broadcast on television
connection of promoters for distribution of leaflets
word of mouth

Customers sometimes have a habit of showing up suddenly, from where you don't expect them at all. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly maintain an electronic journal of the channel of new customers. On its basis, conduct analytics and statistics.

In order for new customers to become regular, more often provide discounts, bonuses, periodically hold promotions.

Is it profitable to open a travel agency: payback and profitability

Three main questions before opening a travel agency.

How much does it cost to open a travel agency?
How quickly will the investment pay off? Is it profitable?
What kind of return should you expect?

Before answering the first question, it's worth remembering how much money was spent. Each has its own investment size. Everything is individual, so the numbers are very approximate.

According to the most conservative estimates, investments range from 300,000 rubles. and higher.

With a correctly chosen strategy and the absence of "pitfalls", you can count on the return on business in six months.

And then the most crucial moment comes. Hold on, gain a foothold and confidently take your place in the business of providing travel services.

An indicator of confidence that you have reliably strengthened your position is the sale of 500 vouchers per year. When this figure is reached, you can count on a stable monthly net profit in the range of 50,000-100,000 rubles.

What is the profit made up of?

This is a percentage of the tours sold by the travel agency of the tour operator with whom the contract was concluded. After the sale, the travel agency takes its interest and transfers the remaining amount to the operator's account or vice versa. First, he gives the entire amount to the operator, and the operator then transfers the percentage to the agency.

A fairly wide corridor of the border of the net profit range depends on the season. The travel business is a seasonal type of business.

Off season: forewarned is forearmed

For a newly minted travel agency, the off-season is the most big test... For the first two years, planning losses will be the wisest decision. But this is not enough.

If you approach this issue wisely, then you need to start preparing for winter in April, before the upcoming May holidays.

During the off-season, there is a system of discounts. This is specifically done in order to somehow attract tourists and stay afloat.

Additional types of income when there are no people willing to go on vacation:

visa processing services
self-sale of air tickets

The main work is to build up the client base. During the low season, you can always offer your clients vouchers to holiday homes and domestic tours in Russia.

How to develop a travel agency: further strategy

When the travel agency is firmly on its feet, it is worth switching to new stage development. It makes sense for a travel agency to move to a new status by registering as a tour operator.

There may be some difficulties with mass tours due to the great competition. Therefore, first it is better to focus on the formation of an individual tour for your regular clients. Here you are free to set your own prices.

Additionally, you will need:

purchase a liability insurance policy
enter the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators

How to open a travel agency franchise

A very good option for beginners in the travel business. There are two types of franchising:

independent travel agencies of federal significance with a developed regional network
tour operator retail

Isn't it easier to buy a travel agency franchise?

This is by far the simplest solution. With the acquisition of a franchise, you have all the conditions so as not to go bankrupt in the first year and not fly out of this market.

You are getting:

a ready-made business model
ready brand
contact with the tour operator
streamlined business processes

You just have to choose a quality franchise. It costs money, of course, but this investment is guaranteed to keep your travel agency safe from bankruptcy.

On Russian market there are famous travel franchises:

Hot tours (http://www.hott.ru)
Orange (http://apelsin.travel)
Tour 1001 (http://www.1001tur.ru)

And in order to keep abreast of developments in the tourism business market, do not forget to follow the news of Rostourism, keep your finger on the pulse and periodically look into the Law "On Tourism".

How to open a travel agency at home?

Unfortunately, experts advise against doing this. There are practically no successful examples. Opening a travel agency at home is not solid, does not inspire the trust of tourists and creates additional minor problems. And inviting people to the office is much more respectable than to your apartment. Of course, you can make appointments with tourists in public places, but the effect of such meetings is questionable.

Travel agency is considered a relatively easy business, even if it is a beginner in the industry. Starting a business on a franchise () or on your own, you can snatch your market share even with a superficial analysis of competition. But advertising and thinking over a system of working with a client for his return is a significant part of the costs.

Choosing a field of work for a travel agency

In the tourism direction of services, there are two areas:

tourist operators;
travel agents.

The job of the former is to deal with the organizational issues of travel:

Reservation of tickets in one or two directions for a certain period;
Hotel or hotel reservations;
Delivery of goods and escorting tourists to their destination;
Organization of excursions;
Additional services.

It is obvious that operators are large-scale businesses that often cannot withstand competition. Travel agents are another matter. Their work includes:

Sale of ready-made services;
Cooperation with tour operators;
Communication between the tourist and the tour operator;
Providing discounts to tourists.

Travel agencies may well be the business of one person, therefore, investments will be required significantly less compared to opening a tour operator company.

Opening an independent company

The simplest agency format is an independent firm. Usually this is an enterprise of two people and a visiting accountant. It is enough for a travel agency:

Develop a logo and corporate identity;
Build relationships with suitable travel operators;
Choose an office;
Hire employees;
Launch ads.

Depending on the size of the city, you can manage on your own and periodically invite an accountant. The manager, at the same time managing the company, receives calls, registers vouchers and monitors tourists' trips, being in touch with the tour operator.

Opening a franchise company

The work of a franchise organization is the registration of a company according to the template of a large-scale network business. The peculiarity of a franchise company is that the entrepreneur enters into an agreement with a travel network and acts under the agreement. A quick start and network connections give an easier profit, but at the same time limit the independence of actions - everything, up to the design of the office and the course of advertising, is subject to an agreement.

Despite the limited choice in doing business, using a franchise network is convenient and often correct solution.

The advantages are too obvious and suitable for newcomers to the field:

The company immediately has a brand that does not need to be spent and thought out, which means that the company is easy to recognize, and it already has a certain trust among customers;
The travel agency will immediately have promotional materials for advertising, and this is also a significant part of the costs that can be avoided by using the brand under a franchise;
The network provides software for registration of vouchers, which facilitates and automates the process;
The company will always have informational support of the network in case of questions.

In the case of choosing a franchise, the network usually has courses that you can take even before registering a business, which is useful if you need to learn about the pitfalls of a 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;
v 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):

tables with reception areas, chairs for employees, chairs for visitors, bedside tables with keys, a rack for catalogs, a wardrobe, hangers, a hanger rack,
information board and special offers, a sofa for visitors, a coffee table, a safe, blinds, a 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:

Ready ideas for your business

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

The predominant competitive qualities of the future travel agency.

4. Production plan

Staff:

staffing table;
formation policy wages;
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.

Development of corporate identity:

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

Ready-made ideas for your business

Buying a ready-made tourist business, payment legal services on transaction support
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 abolition of the licensing of tour operator and travel agency activities in 2007, mandatory state order installed only for tour operator activities. Any legal entity or individual entrepreneur... 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. In this case, the travel agent must comply with whole line 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 point is that the law establishes mandatory requirement- all tour operators registered on the territory Russian Federation are required to have financial security. 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 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.

Ready-made ideas for your business

For example, from minimum size financial support for international tourism in the amount of 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:

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;
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;
the travel agent sends the tour operator an application for booking specific travel services for the client (tourist) - indicating the dates, number and data of tourists, hotel, level of transportation, excursions and other components of the tour;
the tour operator confirms the travel agent's application and issues an invoice for payment;
the travel agent gives the tour operator the documents (or information) necessary for the tour (for example, for a visa);
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);
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);
the tour operator issues to the travel agent the travel documents necessary for the tourist to travel;
the travel agent issues the tourist documents for the tour and all the necessary information to the tourist;
the travel agent reports to the tour operator - sends the agent's report (act) indicating the amount of the tour sale and the amount of remuneration;
the tour operator signs the agent's report and issues an invoice for the services provided under the agency agreement.

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

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
from another company or, by paying through the ticket office of the tour operator, you will be given a receipt cash order on the 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 decides a large number of issues, both economic and strategic, but in addition to it, 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, lack of bad habits, presentable appearance, competent Russian speech, communication skills, initiative, ability to solve conflict situations, a 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

accepts incoming calls, distributes them according to the specialization of managers, answers questions general("How to get to you?" household goods, monitors the courier's work schedule, carries out orders from 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 simple rule: a person needs to be checked by everyone possible ways- call the previous place of work, confirm the compliance 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 every day. Most the best way- this is a relative or an acquaintance, but, unfortunately, such candidates are not always found.

Accountant-cashier,

undoubtedly, required 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, 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.

356 people are studying this business today.

For 30 days, this business was interested in 32355 times.

Calculator for calculating the profitability of this 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.

TO OPEN A TOURFIRM FOR ME OR NOT?!.

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):

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):

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:

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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

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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

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:

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;
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;
the travel agent sends the tour operator an application for booking specific travel services for the client (tourist) - indicating the dates, number and data of tourists, hotel, level of transportation, excursions and other components of the tour;
the tour operator confirms the travel agent's application and issues an invoice for payment;
the travel agent gives the tour operator the documents (or information) necessary for the tour (for example, for a visa);
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);
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);
the tour operator issues to the travel agent the travel documents necessary for the tourist to travel;
the travel agent issues the tourist documents for the tour and all the necessary information to the tourist;
the travel agent reports to the tour operator - sends the agent's report (act) indicating the amount of the tour sale and the amount of remuneration;
the tour operator signs the agent's report and issues an invoice for the services provided under the agency agreement.

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

Travel company manager.

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.

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

Tourism Manager Payroll Options

The tour is considered sold at 100% payment.

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

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.

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

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".

83 people are studying this business today.

For 30 days, this business was interested in 32082 times.

Calculator for calculating the profitability of this business

Do you want to open a travel agency? Introducing best advice to help you open your own travel agency hassle-free! Let's take a note.

Do you love to travel?

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

It is likely that you are not averse to it.

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

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

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

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

At successful work you will be able to earn, but it will not be "crazy" money.

As, in fact, they will not be in other areas, if you do not deal with weapons, drugs and smuggling.

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

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

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

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

The courses are weekly, are relatively inexpensive, useful in terms of the legal framework.

But if you do not have the opportunity, do not be discouraged, be patient and persistent and devote ten days to independently study all legislative documents in this area.

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

But knowing all the laws is a must!

Tip # 4: Choosing an office location for your company is one of the critical success factors.

The firm must be located in through place, preferably with windows facing the street.

The presence of a nearby bus stop, metro, a large supermarket is almost mandatory.

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

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

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

Tip # 5: You can choose the franchise option, that is, go under the name of a well-known travel agency network.

In this case, there are both disadvantages and advantages.

Pros: already famous name, booking program, co-advertising.

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

For those who are fired up with the idea of opening their own travel agency,

Where should you turn your attention?

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

There is no need to recruit managers right away, because at first you can probably handle it yourself.

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

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How to start your travel business from scratch. How to open a travel agency

What does it take to open a travel agency from scratch?

How to start opening a travel agency?

Choosing a room

We decorate the interior of a travel agency

What to be guided by when recruiting

Choosing a tour operator

Attraction of clients

Is it profitable to open a travel agency: payback and profitability

What is the profit made up of?

Off season: forewarned is forearmed

How to develop a travel agency: further strategy

How to open a travel agency franchise

How to open a travel agency at home?

Choosing a field of work for a travel agency

Opening an independent company

Opening a franchise company

Development of a business plan for a travel company.

1. The concept of a travel agency

2. Organizational plan

4. Production plan

8. Conclusion

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

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

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

The contractual scheme of the travel agent's work in the implementation of tours is approximately as follows:

Travel company staff

Director.

Travel company manager.

Travel agency secretary

Courier

Accountant-cashier,

Remuneration schemes and bonuses in the tourism business

Development of a business plan for a travel company.

1. The concept of a travel agency

2. Organizational plan

4. Production plan

8. Conclusion

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

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

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

The contractual scheme of the travel agent's work in the implementation of tours is approximately as follows:

Travel company staff

Director.

Travel company manager.

Travel agency secretary

Courier

Accountant-cashier,

Remuneration schemes and bonuses in the tourism business

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

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

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