Starting a Travel Agency
That’s why travel agents are so important: they help bring our vacation dreams to life and build memories that will stay with us forever.
Even with the rise of online travel booking, many vacationers want the reassurance of a travel expert to talk them through countries, destinations, hotels, flights, tours, and more.
If you have the expertise to understand travel itineraries and match the right people with the ideal experience, then opening a travel agency could be a great business move.
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We’ve helped over 1,000,000 people form their business and provided answers, guidance and support to transform them into entrepreneurs. We’ll guide you through what you need to know to start your travel agency business and get it off the ground.
To get you started on the right foot, here’s our simple guide on how to become a travel agent. From highlighting important facts to validating your ideas, and from choosing the right structure to managing and running your business, you’ll find the answers you need.
Read on for some insight into creating your own travel business and becoming an entrepreneur. In this guide we will cover:
Facts and figures on the success of travel agencies
Choose the right business structure for your travel agency
Learning if a travel agency business could be right for you
Ideas for the type of travel agency that you could form
Groups, forums, and support for travel agency owners
Helpful software for travel agency business owners
Proving your travel agency can work
Travel agency business planning
How to start your travel agency, with information on equipment, employees, location, permits, finances, taxes and more
Why This Industry?
Why You Should Start a New Travel Agency
The demand for travel and expert travel agents is growing.
900B
Is spent on private construction in the U.S. every year
$17B
Projected revenue a year for the travel agency industry in the U.S. by 2020
$15B
Significant growth of annual revenue in 2015
Travel agency profits have also doubled from around 6% of revenue to 12%
Just over three-quarters of travel agent business revenue comes from commission, with the remainder from service fees
Over the last five years, the number of travel agency businesses has grown by almost 4 percent
The time to take advantage is now — we’ll help you be a part of that success!
Is This Business For You?
Is a Travel Agency Business Right for You?
Before deciding to start a travel agency, it’s important to understand the skills and approach you’re likely to need.
A Day in the Life of a Travel Agent
Here are some of the typical tasks you’ll be performing for your travel agency business on a daily basis:
Dealing with inquiries through your website
Creating itineraries, destinations and activities for customers
Keeping up to date with the latest offers from tour operators
Understanding available activities and travel options for specific locations
Booking and administering travel and other vacation plans
Answering questions and providing information to customers
Skills Needed by a Travel Agent Entrepreneur
The following skills will be very useful in your role as a travel agency small business owner:
Amazing administration skills to stay on top of every customer’s travel plans
Great interpersonal skills for dealing with customers, tourism operators, airlines, hotels and more
The ability to take in and analyze large amounts of information to help customers make the right choice
Understanding the vacation experience from the customer’s perspective and working to make that as good as possible
Willingness to spend lots of time on travel research and destination websites finalizing details
What Your Travel Agency Customers Are Looking For
Customers come to a travel agent because they want a really great experience, and they want a travel agent to help them achieve that. Some customers simply don’t want to deal with all the administration themselves and use a travel agent to take away that burden. Other customers have specialized needs that a dedicated travel agent can help them to meet.
What Type of Travel Agency Business Should You Start?
If you want to start a successful travel agency business, it’s important to know what your options are. Here are some of the more popular business ideas:
Specialize in Travel to a Specific Destination
Some travel agents have deep expertise in a particular part of the world. For example, some travelers may want to go to Japan and will need an experienced guide who can explain all of the cultural differences and idiosyncrasies. Other travelers may want a specialized trip to the Baltics and Scandinavia.
Specialize in a Particular Type of Vacationer or Traveler
Some vacationers will seek out a travel agent that can help with their particular needs. For example, some travel agents may provide specialized services to people with disabilities, choosing locations and activities that can be enjoyed from a wheelchair.
Specialize in Particular Dietary, Cultural or Other Needs
Other travelers may have preferences when it comes to diet, culture, religion or other aspects. A travel agent may choose to specialize in vegan or artisanal food and tours, while another may focus on all-female tour groups.
Specialize in Types of Travel and Tourism Activities
There’s another niche for catering to vacationers who want to experience specific activities. For example, some tourists may want high-adrenaline activities, while others will want a deeply artistic experience.
Validating Your Travel Agency Business Idea
The travel and tourism ideas above are all great starting points, but you will need to build on them to make the business your own. You have unique skills and insight that you can use to create a travel agency business that will really stand out. Your travel agency business will have dozens or hundreds of competitors, and you need to deliver superior travel and tourism services and excel in your chosen travel niche.
Identify your travel agency business’s unique selling points (USPs)
When you know the travel niche you want to go into, make sure you have a compelling and unique tourism proposition. Your USPs set you apart from competitors and encourage customers to come to you.
Look at who your travel competitors are in the space
Having competitors is a good thing as it shows there’s a market, but if there are too many, you’re likely to struggle without a really good unique selling point. See how many other tourism experts operate in your chosen niche.
Understand your travel and tourism market
Clearly identify exactly who your vacation and travel customers are likely to be, where they hang out and how you’re going to reach them. This will be essential to your marketing, communications, sales and customer support.
Talk to clients
Speak with potential vacationers to understand what they want from your travel and tourism services. Ask about what they need from you to plan the perfect vacation or getaway.
Get involved with business communities and discussion groups
Get involved with business communities and discussion groups
Your Travel Agency Needs a Business Plan
Profit margins in travel agency businesses can be tight (between 6 and 12 percent), so you need to stay on top of your finances and business planning.
A business plan will help you decide and define how you’re going to run your travel agency business, where you will get money, how you will market your tourism services, how you will create your sales plan and what you envision for your profitability and future growth.
All travel agencies need a solid business model, which is how you will generate sales, provide services and make money.
Think about your travel and tourism business model now, because it’s better to have that in place so you can start acquiring customers and generating revenue from day one.
Business plans do vary slightly, but they should all cover the following areas:
An executive summary with the most important points from your business plan
Your goals and what you hope to achieve with your travel agency business
A description of your travel agency business, including background information, your chosen niche and context
A market analysis and likely demand
An overview of how your travel agency business is structured
Your business model
How you will market and sell your offerings
Financial projections, revenue and profitability
Appendices
We’ve got the perfect guide to writing your business plan.
Setting up Your Travel Agency Business Operations
Once you've legally created your travel agency business, you’ll need to get some other things in place.
Location of Your Travel Agency
Many new tourism entrepreneurs choose to be work-from-home travel agents. In almost all cases this is the right choice, as you will be able to prove out your travel agent business model before investing in separate or shared office space. Don't forget that if you work from home, you can write off part of your utility and housing costs against your taxes.
Finances and Taxes
You will need a separate business bank account for your travel agency business. You might also want to consider a business credit card. Additionally, you will also need to keep careful bookkeeping records and file business and personal taxes. Here at Bizee we can even help you file your taxes.
Marketing Your Travel Agency
Marketing is everything to a travel agent, and you will want the right mix of marketing channels to target your specific niche. Email, social media and your travel agency website are the most popular channels for travel agents, although newsletters, community events and local networking are also useful ways to reach new customers.
Software and Processes
The right software and processes will make running your travel agency business much easier. See our list of the best apps and software at the end of this guide. You may also want to look into specialized travel agency software that can integrate with major tourism providers and make planning your itineraries and bookings that much easier.
Use the Right Social Networks
The equipment needed to run a travel agency business is likely to just be a computer and a smartphone. Of course, you will also need to invest in good travel agency software that will make administering your tourism business that much easier.
Employees
To begin with, you probably won’t need to hire anyone else for your travel agency business, especially if you’re a good administrator.
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Rules, Regulations and Taxes for Your Travel Agency
It’s very likely that your travel agency business must meet certain regulations. You achieve this through acquiring licenses and permits and complying with regulations. You will need to explore local, state and federal licenses and permits, and we can also help out with researching your travel agent business licensing needs.
Taxes
Taxes are a fact of life if you’re in business, and there are various ways you will need to file and pay them. This can include self-employment tax, state income tax and federal income tax. Depending on where and how you’re selling products and services, you may also be liable for sales and use tax.
As a rule of thumb, we recommend holding back around a third of your earnings to pay your taxes. We can also prepare and file your tax returns for you.
Insurance for Your Travel Agency
Most travel agency businesses should have comprehensive business insurance. There are various types.
Workers Compensation Insurance
Workers’ compensation insurance provides coverage for job-related illnesses, disabilities or injuries that affect employees. Regulations for this insurance vary from state to state. It typically covers areas like medical costs, loss of earnings, compensation and retraining. If you’re not employing others, you may not need this insurance.
General Liability Insurance
This insurance protects your travel agency from claims due to being sued. This may include injury to members of the public, property damage, personal liabilities, legal defense and more. It can help protect your travel agency business from financial penalties and bankruptcy.
Home and Auto Insurance
If you are working from home on the administration of your travel agency or driving a vehicle for work, check whether your existing home and auto policies cover you for work use of your home or car. If not, you should either expand your policy so you’re covered or get dedicated business insurance.
Maintaining Your Travel Agency Business
There are certain forms and legalities you need to follow to keep your travel agency in good standing.
File an Annual Report
Depending on the state you’re located in, you will probably have to file a report every year. This report tells the state about any major changes to your business, and we can file your Annual Report on your behalf.
Pay estimated taxes
You will be expected to pay estimated taxes on what you plan to earn in the current business year. Typically, you will need to pay estimated taxes in April, June, September and January (of the following year).
Renew Business Permits and Licenses
Your federal, state, regional and city licenses and permits may need to be renewed on a regular basis, typically once a year.
File your taxes
You will need to file your taxes once a year.
Pay payroll and sales taxes
If applicable, you will need to make payroll and sales tax payments on a regular basis.
Prepare your taxes
You will need to work with your accountant to prepare all the taxes you need to pay.
Useful Online Tools for Your Travel Agency
Here are some really great online tools for managing your travel agency business. They will reduce the time you spend on administration, help you to collaborate with others and free up your time to grow and manage your new venture.
Collaboration
Social Media Management
Communication
Email Marketing
Advertising
Marketing Automation
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Customer Support
Human Resources
Website Development
Analytics
Hiring
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Conclusion
The internet has lowered the barriers to finding the perfect vacation, but many people still need the experience and expertise that a great travel agent provides. Find the right niche, get your marketing right and you could see huge success as a travel agent.