What do you need to open a travel company? How to open a tourism business. Where is the best place to locate an agency office?

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

Collecting documents

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

A statement that you have state registration.
Charter of the company in two copies.
Decision on establishment.
Original document confirming that you paid for registration. This could be a receipt.
The agreement on establishment, as well as a request that will allow you to receive a copy of the charter.
Letter of guarantee from the owner of the premises at whose address the company is registered.
An original document that confirms payment of the state fee for receiving a copy of the charter, as well as an agreement on establishment, for example, a payment order or receipt.

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

If you open an IP...

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

Where is the best place to locate an agency office?

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

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

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

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

We select the right personnel

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

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

Who do you need

System Administrator.
Accountant.
Sales Manager.

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

First steps on the path to success

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

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

Company concept

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

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

We determine in advance the list of services

Before opening a travel agency from scratch, you need to decide on the list of services. At the request of clients, the company must provide an interpreter and a guide. The ideal option is an employee who speaks several foreign languages fluently and is able to act as a tour guide. At the same time, the guide must know all the interesting places that vacationers should visit.

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

Why is this necessary?

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

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

Scheme of all main stages

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

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

Travel agency from scratch: pros and cons

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

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

How much do you need to invest?

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

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

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

The Most Important Thing: Going to Market

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

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

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

After long months spent at work, people are looking forward to vacation. They are ready to pay any money to rest and recuperate during this short period. They want exotic things, and people are happy to devote their vacations to traveling to other countries. For this reason travel business is becoming increasingly popular among entrepreneurs.

How to create your own business in the tourism sector?

Where to start a tourism business? This question worries many entrepreneurs. First you need to understand the types of tourism. It happens:

Traveling . This type includes traveling abroad.
Entry . This includes travel into the country by persons who do not reside here.
Internal . This type of tourism includes travel of citizens within the territory of their own country.

Then you should understand the types of activities that can be carried out in the tourism sector. There are:

Tour operators, who organize trips;
Travel agencies , which implement trips, i.e., conduct only trading activities.

For a successful start, a businessman must:

Decide on the geography of your business . You should not choose a region that is too large to start with. You can provide travel services to a specific country or location.
Choose a business direction . Currently, there is a whole list of directions. In demand different types tours, ranging from relaxation to extreme. To achieve success, you should carry out activities in only one direction.
Decide on partners . It will not be possible to run a tourism business without partners. Tour operators act as such. Partners should be selected before the organization starts functioning.

Choosing a form of ownership

Having thought about how to organize a tourism business, an entrepreneur must choose a form of ownership. If you plan to carry out tour operator activities, which represent the promotion and sale of a tourism product, then an LLC should be registered. The law stipulates that this type of activity is available only to legal entities. LLC fits this requirement, because it has the status legal entity. If you plan to carry out activities only in the sale of tours, then you can go through the registration procedure as an individual entrepreneur.

Portfolio of documents and taxation

Business is subject to mandatory licensing. To obtain a license, you will need to provide the following documents to the State Committee for the Federal Trade of the Russian Federation:

statement;
copies of constituent documents;
a copy of the registration certificate;,
confirmation of payment for processing the application;
registration document.

In addition to a license, you will need a certificate of conformity to run a business. It confirms the safety of the services provided. Without it, it will not be possible to carry out activities in the tourism sector

The license and certificate of conformity are issued for 3 years. Then you will have to get the documents again

Then you should choose the appropriate form of taxation. Business in the tourism sector falls under the simplified tax system. This is one of the most profitable and simple taxation systems. An entrepreneur can choose from 2 bets:

Rate 6%. The object of taxation is income. The rate is fixed.
Rate up to 15% . The object of taxation is income minus expenses. The bet size may vary depending on various factors.

Usually the first type of bet is preferred. The second is used when a business assumes the presence of a whole range of costs.

Choosing an office location

The premises for an organization operating in the tourism sector should be located as close to the center as possible. The right location will ensure an influx of potential customers. If placement in the center is not possible, then the street on which the building is located must be passable. You can rent space in a shopping center.

The size of the room should not be too large. 15-20 sq.m. is quite enough. m. However, there must be a place where the client can rest if he has to wait.

The premises must undergo high-quality repairs. This will increase the prestige of the organization in the eyes of clients.

Particular attention should be paid to the design of the room. Everything inside should emphasize the atmosphere of the organization’s reliability, because the client pays money now and receives the service later.

Type of equipment

The business does not require specific equipment. You will need to purchase:

two - three computers;
Fax;
two - three telephones;
two - three printers;
furniture.

To work you will need:

two - three managers;
administrator;
accountant;
cleaning woman.

Employees of the organization must be able to communicate with clients, look neat and be able to be attractive.

The staff would benefit from knowledge in English. The requirement is especially relevant if the organization provides travel abroad.

An administrator will be required. He exercises control over managers and resolves controversial issues that arise during the work process. His position can be filled by a business owner.

An accountant deals with the financial affairs of a company. His record includes keeping records. If the company is small, then it is enough if the accountant comes and deals with the affairs of the organization two to three times a week. This will allow you to save significantly on wages.

Travel agency advertisement

You can advertise in the press. However, before this, you should decide on potential clients and their areas of interest. This will allow the company to target specific publications, which will significantly increase the effectiveness of advertising and reduce advertising costs.

It is necessary to organize the production of printed materials. The list includes:

catalogs with services;
information booklets and brochures.

Costs and return on business

The size of investments depends on the planned level of the organization and its location. To open a tourism business you will need about 400 thousand rubles.

Costs of creating a tourism business (average):

Table. Capital investments

The average monthly profit will be about 100 thousand rubles. The organization's profitability is at the level of 60-65%. The company can pay for itself in 6...12 months.

Experts advise not to forget about the seasonality of business. The peak of sales is in the summer. In autumn and spring there is a lull. During this period, an organization engaged in tourism business can provide related services. For example, assisting in the preparation of documents for traveling abroad or helping people going on a business trip find suitable travel packages.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

A fragment of the book by Yulia and Georgy Mokhov “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? Should I risk my last savings or not? How long will it take for investments in the tourism business to 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 have to hire? Where to look for footage? Which tour operators to work with? Which countries do you sell tours to? Limit yourself narrow specialization or sell everything? Should we open air and railway ticket offices immediately or later? How to attract clients? How much to spend on advertising? Do tourists have many complaints? And still…

SHOULD I OPEN A TRAVEL AGENCY OR NOT?!.

We will try to dispel all your fears and support your 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 or omission.

Development of a business plan for a travel company.

We offer for your reference a diagram that reflects the main parameters and expense items that can be used when drawing up a business plan travel company(agencies).

1. Travel agency concept

Kind of activity:

travel agent;
tour operator;
mixed activity.

Additional services:

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

Priority tourist destinations:

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

2. Organizational plan

Travel agency office location:

center;
outskirts;
distance from the metro.

Office status:

rent;
own premises;
other.

Office type:

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

Office size:

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

Office furniture (cost calculation):

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tables with reception places, chairs for employees, chairs for visitors, bedside tables with keys, rack for catalogues, wardrobe, hangers, hanger rack,
a board for information 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 (cost calculation):

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

Office design project:

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

3. Competitive environment

Competitors in selected tourist destinations.
Competitors within the radius:

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

Advantageous competitive qualities of a 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;
processing payment for tours;
document flow;
delivery and issuance of documents.

Range of travel agency services:

by season;
by directions;
by country;
by price;
By target audience.

Travel agency pricing policy.

Features of the tours sold.

Development corporate identity:

contractor;
list of required items;

Website creation:

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

Office design for sales.

signboard;
pillar;
signs;
a sign with operating hours and company details.

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

booklet;
Business Cards;
letterheads.

Opening presentation.

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

Structure and rules for maintaining a client base.

6. Legal aspects of opening a travel company

Legal form of a legal entity.

Tax system.

Drawing up a lease agreement.

Required permits depending on the type of tourism activity.

Trademark registration.

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

Ordering strict reporting forms “Tourist voucher”.

Maintaining accounting(independently, with the assistance of an accountant, consulting company).

Legal support activities

7. Financial plan

Sources of funds.

Amount and duration of investment.

Initial expenses plan.

Fixed expenses plan.

Income plan.

Payback plan.

8. Conclusion

Long-term development plan.

9.Applications

Approximate costs for creating a travel agency in Moscow,
one-time:

Registration of a legal entity and preparation of 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

Trademark registration 50,000-100,000

Employee training 5,000–30,000

Additional possible costs

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

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

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

Office and infrastructure

Rent of premises 25 m2 - 50,000

Communication services 3000

Internet 5000

Water (cooler) 500

Stationery 2500

Other administrative expenses 6000 Staff salaries

Wage

Director 35,000 +%

Manager 19,000 +%

Manager 16,000 +%

Secretary-manager 12,000 +%

Courier 16,000

Accountant (outsourcing) 10,000

Cleaning lady 3000

Advertising budget

Legal subscription service RUB 7,000. months

Payment for the online booking and tour search system is 1200 rubles/month.

Refilling cartridges 400 rub./month.

Unforeseen expenses RUB 10,000.

Total 241,500 rub. + percentage of salary

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

After the abolition of licensing for tour operator and travel agency activities in 2007, a mandatory state procedure was established only for tour operator activities. Travel agency activities can be carried out by 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 the tour operator, according to which the travel agent, on behalf of and at the expense of the tour operator, sells the tourism product generated by the tour operator. At the same time, the travel agent is obliged to 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 activities and to carry out the necessary activities on time. legal actions. The fact is that the law establishes a mandatory requirement - all tour operators registered in the territory Russian Federation, are required to have financial security. Financial security is a guarantee of the tour operator in case of non-fulfillment or improper execution contracts for the sale of a tour product, insurance of its civil liability to consumer tourists.

From financial support, injured tourists are compensated for the actual damage they suffered, for example, the cost of the tour if it did not take place, or the difference in cost if the vacation time was shortened. Financial support is provided Insurance Company or banker. 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(entry and exit) and 500,000 rubles. for domestic tourism.

The cost of servicing financial security averages 1–1.5% per year of the amount of security.

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For example, from the minimum amount of financial support for international tourism of 10,000,000 rubles. the cost of insurance compensation will be 100,000–150,000 rubles. This is the 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 a travel agent’s work when selling tours looks something like this:

the tour operator enters into an agency (commission) agreement with the travel agent, according to which the agent is instructed to implement (sell) tours generated by the tour operator for a fee;
a travel agent attracts a client (tourist) and enters into an agreement with him on the sale of a tourism product, receives the documents necessary to register the tour;
the travel agent sends a request to the tour operator to book specific travel services for the client (tourist), indicating the dates, number and details of tourists, hotel, level of transportation, excursions and other components of the tour;
the tour operator confirms the travel agent’s request and issues an invoice for payment;
the travel agent provides the tour operator with the documents (or information) necessary to process the tour (for example, for a visa);
The travel agent accepts the final payment from the tourist (if paying in cash, he issues cash receipt or strict reporting form);
the travel agent makes payment to the tour operator minus the remuneration due to him (by bank transfer or in cash to the tour operator's cash desk);
the tour operator issues the travel agent with tour 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 presented scheme reflects only the ideal version of document flow.

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

secondly, when making a payment under a tour operator agreement, you suddenly discover that the invoice has been issued for payment to
another company or, making payment through the tour operator’s cash desk, you will be given a cash receipt order for a physical
a person with a “paid” stamp without the organization’s seal.

Travel company staff

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

¦ leader;
¦ manager1;
¦ manager2;
¦ secretary with an expanded range of responsibilities;
¦ courier;
¦ accountant and cashier;
¦ cleaning lady.

Director.

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

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

Travel company manager.

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

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

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

Travel agency secretary

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

Secretaries are also tasked with filling out questionnaires, recording and registering incoming and outgoing mail, and responding to corporate emails, ICQ, and Skype.

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

Courier

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

Accountant-cashier,

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

Remuneration and bonus schemes in the tourism business

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

Options for calculating salaries for a tourism manager

The tour is considered sold when 100% payment is made.

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

2. Salary + interest:
Salary 10,000–15,000 rub. + 10% of 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 revenue from sold tours, divided among all managers.
Salary 18,000–20,000 rub. + 5% of tours sold by the manager.
Salary 18,000–20,000 rub. + 10% of all tours sold, divided between all managers.

3. Planned system: fixed salary is paid when the plan is fulfilled; for example, from 50,000 rub. (this refers to the company's income, not the total cost of the tours). If the plan is exceeded by more than 50,000 rubles. + 10%, more than 100,000 rub. + 15%, over 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 met, with the exception of the low season, there is a system of fines:

¦ the first month - no penalties, an analysis of the reasons associated with the 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, a planned payroll system, as a rule, is not used.

Options for calculating wages for a travel company courier

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

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

During the high season and increased sales volumes, it is customary to give couriers 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, issue bonuses and work calmly.

On the market you can find offers from courier companies that deliver documents anywhere
cities, they enter into an official agreement, bear full responsibility financial responsibility for cash and documents in the parcel.

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

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

This was just a small fragment of the book by Yulia and Georgy Mokhov, “Travel Agency: Where to Start, How to Succeed,” published by Peter Publishing House.

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

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The tourism business today, despite the competitiveness, is quite promising direction. But how not to get lost among powerful agencies and rating companies, where to start a tourism business? I will answer all these questions further.

Travel agency and tour operator: what is the difference

Before you open your own tourism business, you should know that all companies in this area are divided into two large groups: travel agencies and tour operators.

A tour operator is a company that is directly involved in the development of tours, organization and sales through a network of travel agencies.

Thus, the tour operator himself creates the product, enters into agreements with foreign partners, and thinks through routes and tour details. However, such companies very rarely sell their products independently. This work falls on the shoulders of travel agencies.

Travel agencies are companies that are exclusively engaged in the sale of tours developed by tour operators, while receiving a percentage of each transaction.

It is worth mentioning that it is more profitable to organize trips yourself. But at the same time, there are many more risks in this area. Therefore, to start, people often choose to create travel agencies.

As a rule, a travel agency receives 7-10% of each transaction. However, if sales managers are able to properly advertise the product, then the income can be many times higher. For example, the cost of a tour stated by the operator is $1,500, but the agency sold the same trip for $2,000. Thus, the income from the transaction is 7-10% of the declared value plus $500.

Company registration

So, you have decided on the format of your company. What's next? Further actions for tour operators and travel agencies are slightly different. A travel agency can act as a private entrepreneur or a legal entity (the second option is still preferable).

But the tourism operator must register in the Unified Register and receive a certificate certifying that the company’s services comply with the law and all regulations.

In addition, the tour operator must have financing or a bank guarantee of funds for activities such as domestic, outbound and international tourism.

Also, if you plan to organize international travel, then you will need to regularly make contributions to Tourist Assistance (an organization that provides assistance to tourists who find themselves in difficult situations abroad).

Start-up capital and business plan

Like any other business, tourism also requires a certain starting capital. The main cost items at the initial stage are:

Renting premises.
Office equipment.
Advertising.
Salaries of company employees.
Registration of insurance.
Payment of state fees.
Payment of utility services.

Also, before starting work, you will need to draw up a business plan, which should include the following points:

Characteristics of types of activities.
Organizational and legal form of the company.
Organizational structure of the company.
Production plan.
Financial plan.
Technical equipment plan.
Marketing plan.
Employee salary plan.
Possible risks.

Find out more about where to start a tourism business:

Search and equipment of premises

The next important stage in opening a tourism business is finding and equipping premises. Remember that the office is business card each travel agency, since this type of activity involves permanent job and communication with people.

Your office should be located in a walkable location, close to a metro station or transport stop. Also, there must be parking in front of the entrance. The best option for renting the building is business center city, since that is where it is located most of target audience.

When equipping an office, you should pay great attention appearance buildings and outdoor advertising. It is advisable that the agency have its own unique banner above the entrance.

The office must have high-quality renovations, since any agency focuses on wealthy clients. It is necessary to equip tables and sofas for waiting, as well as places for employees. Also, you should purchase powerful computers, printers, a projector and enter into an agreement with a reliable Internet provider.

It is worth noting that most tourists are accustomed to looking for suitable offers via the Internet. Therefore, already at the initial stage it is necessary to start developing and promoting your own website.

Search for colleagues

When looking for employees for a company, be sure to pay attention to the following points:

availability of specialized education;
experience in tourism sector at least a year;
knowledge of foreign languages;
pleasant speech and ability to persuade;
pleasant appearance;
responsibility.

You should not hire relatives or acquaintances, since it will be very difficult to initially build business relationships with them.

Advertising

A new travel agency will in any case need quality advertising company, because not only recognition, but also the image of the enterprise depends on it.

Advertising on the Internet. First, you need to create your own website and then promote it. This could be SEO promotion or contextual advertising. Also, it is worth paying attention to other ways to attract an audience: working in in social networks, work on brand awareness on the Internet, reputation management, crowd marketing, work on review sites.
Signboard. High-quality outdoor advertising is the face of your company. Entrust the creation of your banner to a trusted advertising agency.
Booklets and catalogues. Such advertising can be distributed not only in the office, but also on the streets. To do this, you will only need to hire several promoters.
Advertising in the media. This is a fairly expensive type of advertising, but nevertheless very effective. He will allow in short time make your brand recognizable and attract potential customers.

When organizing a tourism business, many points need to be taken into account. And it is impossible to consider all of them in one article. Therefore, I would like to give some tips to beginners that will help you not get lost among your competitors.

People have different ideas about vacation: for some, the ideal option would be a week spent on a tropical beach, others prefer traveling and sightseeing, and still others cannot imagine leisure without hiking and rafting on mountain rivers. In all this diversity there is one common feature: When going on vacation, everyone tries to change the environment and spend time away from home.

Given such demand for tourist trips, many entrepreneurs are thinking about how to open a travel agency from scratch: step-by-step instruction in this case assumes two possible ways creation and development of business. In the first case, an entrepreneur can focus on the mass sale of popular travel packages and take part in active competition, and in the second the emphasis is on expensive individual and exotic tours. Considering that hundreds and thousands of destinations are currently available to consumers both within the country and abroad, it can be assumed that anyone who takes a sufficiently balanced and responsible approach to creating their own travel company can find and occupy their own unique niche in this market.

Features of the tourism business

Before opening a travel agency in Russia, an entrepreneur should consider the features of this business, get an idea of the structure of the tourism services market and assess the state of affairs in the industry, which today is determined by the following factors:

In popular areas, agencies offer similar or identical products, thereby creating a high level of competition;
Dominate the market independent companies- despite the large number of offers, no more than 8–10% of entrepreneurs want to open a travel agency as a franchise;
About 30% of newly created entities close during the first year of operation;
Market leaders use dumping in competition, artificially lowering prices for popular tours;
Business is subject to both positive and negative external influence- championships, festivals and public holidays attract the attention of tourists, while natural disasters, political and military actions, terrorist threats cause a significant decrease in demand.

Travel company formats

Taking into account the size of the start-up capital and his own ambitions, an entrepreneur can open a travel agency in 2020 from scratch in one of the following formats:

Independent company. This option is more suitable for specialists who have personal connections, experience in the industry and contacts with tour operators. Among what is needed to open a travel company are registration of SPD, renting an office, purchasing equipment and recruiting personnel;
Home agency. For entrepreneurs who do not have the required start-up capital, this option is preferable, since you can open a travel agency at home with minimal investment: all you need to do is have a computer, a printer and a phone. The home agency format is also not suitable for beginners, since it presupposes the presence of its own client base and a wide circle of contacts. How to open a travel agency at home: you need to register an individual entrepreneur, ensure a presence on the Internet and social networks and organize a platform for meeting clients in a nearby cafe;
Internet agency. Such a sales channel can be either additional for an independent company or the main one for a home-based business format. To open a travel agency in 2020, you need to develop an online store, attract programmers to organize access to tour operator offers, connect payment systems and think through a mechanism for providing online consultations.

Purchasing a franchise. For beginners who do not have sufficient experience, if they have starting capital of the required size, it is easier to buy a ready-made business model and open a franchise travel agency, since network agencies usually provide their partners with:

Software, systems for viewing and booking tours;
Training;
Opportunity to open a travel agency from scratch without experience using famous brand and a recognizable corporate identity;
Legal and advertising support;
Increased commission rate;
Support in resolving conflicts with tour operators.

Franchises costing from 150 to 450 thousand rubles are available on the market. It should be noted that the companies offering them have certain requirements for office space, interior design, and stipulate a mandatory sales plan: such factors must be taken into account in order to understand whether it is worth opening a travel agency in this way.

Choosing a tour operator

An entrepreneur considering how to open a travel agency should also understand the technologies for creating and implementing tourism products. In fact, the tasks of travel agencies are limited to finding buyers and selling ready-made tours, which are developed by more large companies- tour operators. They are the ones who form tourist packages, which include:

Visa support and paperwork;
Delivery of tourists to their holiday destination by plane, train or bus;
Transfer (transportation of clients from the airport to the hotel and back);
Accommodation and meals;
Health insurance.

When concluding contracts with one or more tour operators, the agency’s income will be generated from a commission of 9–12% of the cost of each tour sold, which the product supplier pays to intermediaries. Interest rate is revised twice a year, thanks to which large travel agencies that sell a large number of tours seek to increase the size of deductions to 15%.

How to open your own travel agency, where to start? First of all, you need to choose 8-10 reliable tour operators. Half of them should sell tours corresponding to the company’s profile (for example, to Turkey or Egypt), and the rest should close other destinations, including individual programs and tours to exotic countries; This division allows us to offer customers interesting products even after the end of the tourist season. When choosing operators, it is recommended to pay attention to the following factors:

Duration of existence and active work;
The presence of positive and negative reviews clients;
Financial support of the operator and the amount of the insurance contract;
Priority areas of work;
Availability of purchased rooms in popular hotels;
The presence of branches nearby, which significantly simplifies the document flow and the procedure for obtaining visas for tourists.

Advantages and disadvantages

Is it worth opening a travel agency in 2020? To answer this question, an entrepreneur must carefully weigh all the advantages and disadvantages of this type of activity. TO positive aspects tourism business can be classified as:

Wide selection of tour operators offering profitable terms cooperation;
Loyal requirements for the amount of starting capital, the opportunity to open a travel agency from scratch at home if there is a shortage of funds;
Simple company registration process, no licensing;
The development of the tourism industry in Russia, the emergence of many budget and exotic tours within the country (for example, to Karelia or Kamchatka);
Formation potential buyers the belief that one should take a vacation every year, if possible away from home or abroad;
The opportunity to cooperate not only with private consumers, but also with corporate customers.

Speaking about whether it is profitable to open a travel agency, it should be taken into account that today the market is 85–90% full, as a result of which only companies offering non-standard services and opening new destinations survive. Thus, in addition to the high level of competition, the disadvantages of the tourism business include:

Unpredictability of demand and the impossibility of accurately forecasting profits;
Exposure to economic and political factors;
Seasonality (between November and March, sales drop by 40–50%).

Registration of activities

Business in the tourism sector without legalization of the enterprise is not only illegal, but also virtually impossible: tour operators will simply refuse to enter into cooperation agreements with private individuals. Therefore, before opening a travel company, you need to select one of the available organizational and legal forms (individual entrepreneur or LLC) and submit an application for registration to the appropriate authority, indicating the desired taxation system. Depending on the expected profit structure of the company, the preferred simplified tax system is 6% (income) or 15% (income minus expenses).

Obtaining a license for this moment does not apply to what is needed to open a travel agency: only the activities of tour operators are regulated by the state. However, the owner of an intermediary agency, in order to increase consumer loyalty, can also officially confirm his status: to do this, he should submit an application to Rostourism, attaching documents about financial security responsibility. In addition, the staff of the licensed company must consist of employees with secondary specialized or higher education in the field of tourism, and the manager will additionally be required to have at least three years of work experience in the industry.

Selecting a location

Experienced entrepreneurs consider finding suitable premises one of the most important tasks in the tourism business: when considering what it takes to open a travel agency, you should take into account not only the format, but also the target audience of the agency. When selling exclusive services, the company is located in business district in a building with convenient parking, while when selling mass tours, priority is given to places where people with average incomes gather - central streets, shopping or entertainment centers, stops and metro stations. Before opening a travel agency in a chosen location, it is advisable to make sure that it is possible to place a sign that can be seen from afar, increasing the flow of clients by 25–30%.

In the city center, a rented space of 20–25 m² on the ground floor of a residential or administrative building is used as an office: such a location will help improve the agency’s status in the eyes of clients. Other advantages of this option include high cross-country ability and transport accessibility, while disadvantages include a possible lack of parking and increased rent.

When considering how to open a travel company from scratch in a business center, the presence here should be mentioned as a positive aspect ready-made offices with repairs, connected utilities, communication channels and maintenance, including cleaning and security. The disadvantages of this location are the presence of an access system and the impossibility of placing a sign on the facade of the building.

IN shopping centers You can also find a suitable place to open a travel agency: what needs to be done first of all is to assess the traffic and purchasing power of visitors in order to select the most popular offers. There are two main disadvantages in this case: high rents and a shortage of free space in popular shopping complexes.

In a densely populated residential area, the number of potential clients is most often limited by the walking distance of the office. When calculating how much it costs to open a travel agency from scratch, you need to take into account the relatively low rent and the possibility of purchasing an apartment on the ground floor with its subsequent transfer to non-residential use. In the absence of direct competition, the main task of the company is to regularly inform local residents about popular offers by posting notices and placing advertisements in mailboxes.

Room and interior equipment

After concluding a lease agreement, the premises must be renovated, managers’ workplaces must be equipped with desks and computers, and the waiting area for visitors must be equipped with comfortable sofas, coffee tables, a water cooler or coffee machine. Total costs preparation of the premises include:

Preparing the premises

Expense item	price, rub.	Qty	Cost, rub.
Rental during renovation	1200	25 m²	30 000
Office design project	1500	25 m²	37 500
Repair work	2 000	25 m²	50 000
Construction materials	1 500	25 m²	37 500
Plumbing	7 000	1	7 000
Lighting	1 500	6	9 000
Air conditioner	25 000	1	25 000
Illuminated sign	25 000	1	25 000
Total:			221 000

It is better to entrust the development of a unified corporate style for signage, exterior and interior design of the office to a designer: when calculating how much it costs to open a travel agency, you should take into account such design costs. Geographic maps and souvenirs from different countries, exotic masks, globes, aquariums with bright tropical fish: the visitor should understand at first glance that this is where a travel company is located.

When choosing furniture, you can choose one of the standard options or order the production of cabinets, tables and shelving in a workshop: the difference in price will be insignificant. Before opening a travel agency from scratch, you additionally need to purchase:

Equipment

Name	price, rub.	Qty	Cost, rub.
Furniture
Work desk	15 000	3	45 000
Worker's chair	3 000	3	9 000
Chair for client	1 000	6	6 000
Corner sofa	28 000	1	28 000
Coffee table	5 000	1	5 000
Rack	5 000	2	10 000
Filing Cabinets	8 000	1	8 000
Safe	12 000	1	12 000
Information board	4 000	2	8 000
Hanger	4 000	1	4 000
Office equipment
Computer	18 000	3	54 000
Specialized software	9 000	1	9 000
Leased line	2 000	1	2 000
Office network with switch	10 000	1	10 000
Phone line	6 000	2	12 000
Office mini-PBX	5 000	1	5 000
MFP network	15 000	1	15 000
Telephone set	2 000	2	4 000
LCD TV for presentations	18 000	1	18 000
Promotional Products
World map 150x200 cm	4 500	1	4 500
Globe 40 cm	5 000	1	5 000
Catalogs and advertising	15 000	1	15 000
Shelves for souvenirs	1 500	4	6 000
Stationery	10 000	1	10 000
other expenses	20 000	1	20 000
Total:			324 500

Before opening a travel agency, the business plan should also be supplemented with the costs of purchasing specialized software, which automates the work of the company and provides quick viewing of offers from all tour operators: a manager who manually opens dozens of sites is unlikely to be able to quickly serve the client. The price for the program is 8–9 thousand rubles, and subscription fee for access to the tour selection system - 2100 rubles per month.

Staff

You can open a travel agency on your own from scratch without work experience only in a home format - in all other cases, the company requires sales managers. A novice entrepreneur is unlikely to be able to lure experienced workers from other companies, so it is better to invite young specialists to work and train them in the future in a year to get a professional team.

To get acquainted with the product, employees are regularly sent on short familiarization tours, compensating them for expenses after selling a certain number of trips to these destinations. It is logical to assume that an employee who has seen the resort and hotel with his own eyes is able to talk about it much more colorfully and convince even a skeptical client.

The director of the company (who is also the owner) can perform administrative functions, do advertising, search for new partners and replace managers during their absence. Hire an accountant system administrator and a full-time cleaner is not practical: visiting specialists can handle a small amount of work. When calculating how much it costs to open a travel agency, you need to provide for labor-related expenses:

Agency staff

Financial investments

When considering how to open a travel agency, where to start the company’s activities, you should understand that without detailed cost planning, the chances of business success remain small. Investments in a travel agency include:

Initial costs

The amount of current expenses depends on many factors: motivation schemes for managers, format advertising campaign, taxation systems and intensity of use of communication channels (with per-minute payment for telephone calls and traffic limitation by the Internet provider):

Approximate running costs

Profit and payback periods

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“I want to open a travel agency, what kind of profit can I expect?” Beginning entrepreneurs are primarily interested in the answer to this question. Meanwhile, the income of a travel company can be calculated based on the average cost of tours sold to typical representatives of the target audience. For example, in a large city, the main consumers (75% of sales) will be single and family tourists, who mainly buy trips to Turkey, Greece, Spain and Egypt at a price of 35–55 thousand rubles per person. The remaining 25% is the budget corporate segment, as well as expensive tours to tropical countries and island resorts.

When learning how to open a travel agency from scratch in Russia, you need to understand that at first a large influx of visitors is not expected: the newly created agency will conclude 45–60 contracts in the summer months and 25–30 in the winter months. TO next season Customers satisfied with the service will return, which will lead to an annual increase in the number of orders by 1.5–2 times.

So, when selling 50 vouchers per month with a commission of 4 thousand rubles for each, the agency’s income will be 200 thousand rubles. Considering current expenses of 154,600 rubles, you can expect a monthly net profit at 45,400 rubles. Thus, with a profitability of 29%, the payback period for the business will reach 12–13 months.