How to open a travel agency step by step instructions. How to open a travel agency from scratch in Russia. Opening a franchise company

Below we will describe the features of opening a travel agency. You will also learn how to properly organize the work of your travel agency in order to attract many clients.

It is worth registering a case as OOO to increase customer confidence.

Basic codes OKVED: 79.11. – “Activities of travel agencies”, as well as 79.12 . – “Activities of tour operators.” Other codes:

79.90. — “Other booking services and related activities”;
79.90.3. – “Activities for the provision of travel services related to booking”;
79.90.21. – “Activities of travel agencies in providing excursion tourism services”;
79.90.1. – “Activities for the provision of tourist information services.”

The work of travel agencies is regulated by law“On the basics of tourism activities in the Russian Federation.”

The registration procedure will require $200 and a month of time.

Choosing tourist destinations

Where to start? From developing proposals and searching for tour operators. Tours are divided into domestic and international.

A more promising direction is international. First, you need to develop 5-6 basic proposals, and then supplement them.

Current methods of choosing a direction

Hire managers with extensive experience in selling certain tours and create an appropriate offer for clients;
You have personal travel experience. You can safely recommend to customers places you have visited yourself;
Choose destinations based on an analysis of competitors and market demand (for example, Turkey, Egypt, Thailand, near Europe);
At your own peril and risk, choose countries and cities that seem promising and interesting to you, and purposefully promote them.

There are agencies that specialize in literally 1-2 areas and work with VIP tours. But to start with this, you will need good advertising and sales skills, because preference is always given to travel agencies with experience.

It’s not worth chasing a mass audience by offering 10-20 options at once. The consumer trusts highly specialized companies that know everything thoroughly.

In recent years, themed travel has become increasingly popular. By dividing them into categories (children's and beach holidays, active recreation, eco-tourism, medical tourism, etc.), you can attract more attention to your company.

Choosing a tour operator

The profit and success of the company greatly depends on the operator organizing the tour. Your task is to sell this tour and, if necessary, take on the organization of additional services (tickets, excursions).

Agency profit - commissions from the sale of vouchers (5-15%) and bonuses for a large number of sales. Financial relations are negotiated when signing a partnership contract.

A reliable tour operator is an important point. If the client is dissatisfied with the trip, then he will complain specifically to the company that sold the trip.

Therefore, try to select 10-12 proven, experienced tour operators in advance, at least two or three for each destination. This is necessary in order to be able to select a trip exactly for the dates that the customer wants.

Where to find and how to choose a tour operator

Thematic exhibitions;
Specialized sites ( tourindex.ru, tour-box.ru, sletat.ru).

Among the well-known tour operators in Russia are CoralTravel, Alean, Sunmar, TUI.

Room

It is best to locate a tourism business in the city center, in a prestigious residential area, in a business center or shopping center.

Important attract attention with a bright sign, promotional offers, and creative exterior design.

The office of a small agency occupies 30-40 square meters. This is 500-600 dollars for rent per month, and about 1000 $ for repairs.

When decorating the room, pay attention to thematic attributes(bright posters, souvenirs), which should set you in the appropriate mood and entice you to travel. It is worth setting up a comfortable waiting area for visitors with a sofa, coffee table, cooler, and magazines. This will require a cost of $100-150.

Equipment

The arrangement of a travel agency office includes the purchase of furniture, office equipment and the necessary communications:

Desks and chairs;
Filing Cabinets;
Several telephones, personal computers and a laser printer;
High-speed Internet;
Software for obtaining information about tours and bookings.

The costs of setting up an office are in the area 800-1000 dollars subject to the purchase of used laptops and printers.

Staff

A small business will need two sales managers. It is better to outsource accounting.

The services of a system administrator as an outsourcer are also required. You need $1000-1500 for a monthly salary.

Advertising and promotion

So, what does it take to attract clients? Outdoor advertising (banners and railings) works well, always with a specific indication of the offer.

Inexpensively and effectively promote yourself on the Internet. Create your website with current offers, advertise it in search engines, and actively promote it on social networks. About $200-250 is spent on advertising per month.

Costs and profits

But the business will not pay off immediately, and in the first months you sometimes have to work at a loss. That's why you need to have an emergency fund and first take on the responsibilities of the manager.

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

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

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

How to open a travel agency at home

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

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

What kind of service is this anyway?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I wish you a great day and great sales!

A travel agent is actually a tour sales manager. The latter are a ready-made travel program compiled by the operator company. The tour includes hotel reservations, excursion programs and carrier services (airplanes, buses, cruise ships). The difference between a freelance travel agent and a tourism agency is that he does not need an office or a large number of employees. He can do all the work online.

The agent's remuneration consists of a sales commission, which is paid by the operator for each attracted buyer. It can range from 5% to 10% of the cost of the trip. Thus, your future income determines the number of sales you make. A novice travel agent should not count on quick and high profits. For a stable income, you will need a permanent client base, which may take several months to build. The average salary for a home-based agent is between $500 and $1,000 per month.

How to become a travel agent from scratch at home

You can start working as a travel agent without a specialized diploma, but this does not mean that you will not need knowledge. First of all, you should familiarize yourself with the legislation regarding this type of activity and tourist (foreign) trips in general. You should also study the terminology, classification of tours, features of choosing a tour operator, methods of communication with the client and, of course, geography.

Legalization of the activities of a tourism agent

Without official registration, neither tour operators nor clients will work with a travel agent. You can register as an individual entrepreneur (FOP) or LLC. In the first case, maintaining documentation and registering activities is much easier; in the second, there will be more trust in your company.

When registering, it is very important to select the correct activity codes. AND For Russia(OKVED-2), and for Ukraine(KVED 2017) these will be:

11 Activities of travel agencies;
90 Reservation services and related activities.

When registering, it is better to choose a simplified taxation scheme.

To work as a tour sales agent, you do not need to obtain a license, and therefore you can start working immediately after registration. But here one more point should be taken into account. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, travel agents, unlike operators, are not included in a unified register and are not required to have financial security (guarantees). If you are considering options for becoming a travel agent from scratch in Ukraine, you need security in the amount of at least 2,000 euros. Moreover, if this amount is not enough to cover losses associated with the failure to provide paid services due to the fault of the agent, as a private entrepreneur you risk not only guarantee funds, but also personal property.

As a rule, banking organizations act as guarantors. They provide security for up to 5 years. In some cases, you can conclude a deal for up to 2 years. Registration of a guarantee is expressed in the opening of a deposit account (collateral under the guarantee) and regular insurance contributions to the bank, which, in case of occurrence, will be used to pay compensation. The deposit itself will not be withdrawn and upon expiration of the contract with the bank it will be returned to the agent. Confiscation of the deposit can only occur if the travel agent did not adhere to the regular payment schedule.

In most cases, no one checks the availability of security from a travel agent, and you can start your business without it. On the other hand, large and reputable tour operators may refuse you if the guarantee is not confirmed.

A travel agent at home, in most cases, does not process travel documents (passports, visas, powers of attorney). However, in order to advise your clients, you must know the list of required papers for crossing the border, the list of items and medicines allowed for transportation, as well as the rules for staying in the country to which your client is traveling.

Choosing the direction of activity and target audience

Before becoming a travel agent, you must decide on the category of travel products (tours) that you will sell. This will determine your future target audience.

The modern tourism business offers a large variety of tours. They are divided into three large groups:

Domestic- traveling within your own country. This activity is suitable for beginners. It does not require knowledge of foreign languages. The disadvantage of this direction is the relatively low level of income and relatively low demand. The main buyers are older people and families with average incomes.
Visiting- travel on vacation to other countries. A traditional type of tour that is in high demand among a wide range of consumers.
Entry- travel for foreign tourists to your country. Requires good knowledge of foreign languages (English).

Most operators work in all areas, and therefore you can expand the scope of your activities at any time.

In addition, tours differ according to the type of organization:

Stationary- classic tours to one country (city) with permanent accommodation in a specific hotel. This could be a beach holiday at sea, ski resorts, holidays in forest sanatoriums, children's holiday camps. The main buyers of such tours are families with children, newlyweds and older people.
Mobile- tours during which several countries and regions (cities) are visited. These include boat cruises, bus tours, hiking trails and camping. This type of tour is in demand among young people (students).

How to find a tour operator for cooperation

To get started, you need to enter into an official contract with the tour operator, otherwise you will not receive a commission, even if you sell the tour. At the same time, you can choose either one operator or several as your partners, which will allow you to provide clients with a wider choice of tours.

Likewise, when considering how to become a home-based travel agent, you need to choose your travel destinations. It is very difficult to do everything at once, especially for a novice agent, and therefore, to begin with, it is better to choose several countries that are most interesting to you personally.

There are many resources on the Internet that allow you to find a suitable tour operator. Some of them themselves offer direct cooperation. For example, if you are looking for a quick way how to become a travel agent from scratch in Russia, you can register in the Workle.ru tour operator system and start earning money literally right away. To work in this system, you do not need to register with the tax office, since the company itself makes all contributions to the Pension Fund and the Federal Tax Service for you.

In addition, you can find partners in the Unified Federal Register of Tour Operators on the official website of Rostourism (russiatourism.ru).

If you are a registered entrepreneur, you can also use online services for selecting and booking tours (with receiving a reward). Agents from the Russian Federation can use the following resources:

Booking Center (ecenter.travel) - provides training opportunities and selection of tours around the world.
Sletat.ru (sletat.ru) - in addition to selecting tours, offers assistance and free creation of a website for the automatic sale of tourism products (vouchers).
1001TUR (1001tur.ru) - selection of tours from the largest operators with increased commission and bonus accruals.

Independent travel agents from Ukraine You can search for operators and tours on IT-Tour (ittour.com.ua). The service allows you to select and compare the cost of tours from various operators. There is the possibility of selling canceled vouchers and assistance in creating your own website. As a rule, such resources allow you to conclude cooperation agreements with the operator online.

How to check the reliability of an operator

In most cases, tour operators are responsible to tourists, but if force majeure occurs, the agent who carried out the sale also falls out of favor. This means that your reputation with clients is directly related to the integrity of your chosen partners, and therefore, when considering the question of how to become a travel agent from scratch at home, it is important to learn to recognize conscientious partners.

You can find a tour operator suitable for your working conditions and evaluate its reliability in special online catalogs (turbiz.turistua.com, tursvodka.ru), which provide the opportunity to view ratings. It is also necessary to monitor reviews of users and agents on specialized sites (otzyv.ru, turpravda.ua, obnovlenie.ru).

You can draw your own conclusions by analyzing the operator according to the following criteria:

Availability of a partner host company in the tour country. If the operator has its own representatives in the city or country where your clients are going, this increases the reliability of service provision. You can find out this information on the operator’s official website.
Agreement with airlines and carriers. The more companies that are partners of the operator, the greater the opportunity to replace the service in emergency situations.
Partner insurance company level. If an insurance company works with an operator with a high level of trust and the percentage of payments under insurance policies, the higher the reliability of the operator.
Number of directions. If a tour operator operates in a narrow segment of destinations, it will not be able to quickly provide a replacement tour in the event of unforeseen situations (natural disasters, military and political conflicts).

According to statistics, several thousand new travel agencies are opened in Russia every year. This type of business has one of the lowest entry barriers, that is, opening a travel agency from scratch requires very little investment. Therefore, this type of business is quite attractive for beginners.

However, not everything is so smooth. The same statistics claim that almost 100% of newly opened travel agencies close in the first three years, and more than half generally operate only for one season. And only a few gain a foothold in the tourism services market. What is the reason for these unpleasant statistics and how can a novice businessman avoid joining the ranks of losers? Let's figure it out.

The disappointing results are largely due to the seeming ease of this type of activity, which attracts people who are very far from business and have a very vague understanding of tourism activities in general, business planning and payback. Such entrepreneurs often do not have any, even the simplest, financial plan and have no idea how exactly they will attract clients.

Meanwhile, the tourism sector is one of the most dynamic; it is very susceptible to the influence of a variety of factors - from weather to politics. You need to be constantly aware of the latest events, quickly respond to changes, show mobility and flexibility and always have a “back-up option”.

Types of travel agencies

First, let's figure out what a travel agency is from a legal point of view. The basic law defining all activities of organizations specializing in tourism is Federal Law “On the fundamentals of tourism activities in the Russian Federation.” Here a clear concept of travel agency activity is given, which consists of promoting and selling a tourist product. That is, a travel agent can only sell a ready-made tourism product created by a tour operator. A tourism product is understood as a complex consisting of several services sold to the end user for a common price.

Based on the provisions of the law, a travel agency can not only sell so-called “package” tours created by a tour operator on the mass tourism market, but also provide tourists with additional services for an additional cost. For example, such additional services may include ordering air and train tickets, hotel reservations, selling concert tickets, etc. But organizing a trip to the theater, which in addition to tickets also includes delivery by bus, strictly speaking, is already a complex tourism product, for the creation of which you need to become a tour operator with all the ensuing consequences in the form of financial guarantees, inclusion in the register of tour operators, etc.

Often travel agencies get around such restrictions by concluding an agreement with the tourist for each service separately or, for example, by receiving a commission from a transport company. Which, in turn, enters into an agreement to organize the trip. However, such an organization of activities is unlikely to be recognized as legal in the event of a trial, and therefore is very risky.

Actually, a travel agency, at the very beginning of its activities, can choose one of two development paths - to remain independent or to join any network of travel agencies. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages.

An independent travel agency does not owe anything to anyone, more free in his choice of partners, can choose the location and design of the office. But at the same time, be prepared that your commission will be minimal (at least until you ensure a large sales volume for each tour operator). You will also deal with your problems yourself.

Those who want to join the existing network will still have to make a choice which network to prefer. You can join one of the independent travel agency networks(1001 tours, Last Minute Travel Shop, etc.). Each network has its own requirements and conditions, which should be carefully studied. In addition, there is often a mandatory initiation and/or annual fee. For this, you will have an increased commission from many tour operators, legal support (very conditional, of course), in case of problems, as well as a recognizable brand, which increases confidence in beginners.

You can also open a travel agency under the franchise of a tour operator. Coral, Intourist, Sputnik, etc. have their own networks, but here the requirements for a travel agency are even stricter; they often require a fairly large volume of sales of tours from a given tour operator or a guarantee of such sales. All networks impose certain restrictions on their participants in choosing partners, which may even be a good thing for beginners, especially in light of the increasing frequency of bankruptcies. At least many network agencies are among the first to receive information about the financial difficulties of tour operators.

The video also talks about creating your own company.

Registration of business from a legal point of view

Both a commercial organization (LLC, CJSC, etc.) and an individual entrepreneur can engage in travel agency activities. There are no obstacles in the form of licenses, permits, etc. That is, to open a travel agency it is enough to undergo state registration as a legal entity or individual entrepreneur and indicate OKVED 63.30, which is the most general and reflects the main aspects of travel agency activity, and also makes it possible to provide information and excursion services, book hotels and provide transport.

Next, in order to sell a tourism product, you will have to contact each of the tour operators you are interested in enter into an agency agreement. It is better to first make a list of the main tour operators working in the areas of interest and find out the terms of concluding an agreement with new agencies on the website or by phone.

Many tour operators now allow you to send scans of the necessary documents and a signed contract to access booking systems, and either send the original by mail or bring it in person only when booking or even paying for the first tour.

If you are planning to open in the spring or autumn, then it is convenient to conclude contracts at large tourism exhibitions, which are held twice a year in Moscow. At the same time, stock up on promotional materials for the upcoming season!

After concluding an agreement with a tour operator, you can start working.

Room

There are no uniform rules here. You can be guided by the following principle. If you have enough money, then it is better to choose a premises either in a public place, for example, near public transport stops or on crowded streets with its own entrance, or in large shopping centers. Such premises cost a lot, but you will see your first clients right on the opening day.

If your starting capital is limited or it is borrowed funds, then the premises can be chosen much more modestly. The main requirement, meanwhile, remains in force - the premises must have easy access, no one will look for a travel agency, especially a new one, when there are plenty of them within walking distance.

The room area is calculated based on the estimated number of employees. Each manager must have at least 8 m2.

Next, you should think about the layout of the room. There are some nuances here. Firstly, visitors to a travel agency often come not one at a time, but with whole families. Hence, you should be able to comfortably accommodate 4-5 visitors. A sofa, several armchairs or banquettes, which should be placed close to the manager’s desk, are suitable for this.

It is worth thinking about the appearance of the room. Decor It should be bright and catchy enough to attract attention from the street. You should not make too aggressive color accents, because clients often spend a lot of time in a travel agency, choosing vacation options, so the atmosphere inside should be calm, conducive to confidential communication.

Interesting solutions can be created by styling the premises according to the country that is the priority direction of your business.

Equipment

In addition to the usual computer equipment and communications equipment, for travel agency equipment nothing fancy is required. Here your imagination is limited only by your budget.

Of course, every manager who works with clients must have a desktop with a computer and telephone, as well as a printer. For daily work, a travel agency manager needs only a monochrome laser printer, which, in addition, can be made networked and provide printing capabilities for several employees at once. The main thing is that access to the printer is convenient for each of them.

It looks very unsightly when managers have to squeeze past clients and other employees to pick up a printed contract. It's even better if it's not a printer, and an MFP, because in a travel agency quite often you have to make copies of documents or scan them to send to partners.

Another nuance that is worth considering when equipping a travel agency is monitors. Since a manager’s working day is spent almost entirely behind a screen, it must be a high-quality, working monitor of a sufficiently large size. In addition, it should be located in such a way that the potential client does not see the information on the screen (there is no need for a tourist to see, for example, the size of the agent’s commission). At the same time, the manager should be able to easily turn the monitor towards the tourist to show, for example, photographs of a hotel or country.

Do you need a fax? Today we can confidently say that the fax has almost ceased to be used!

Cabinets are needed to store documents and promotional materials, of which there will be a lot. Also provide a wardrobe for employees' clothes and a hanger for coats so that visitors can also sit comfortably.

You will definitely need a safe, because even if you do not accept cash, which is difficult, you may need to leave clients' foreign passports for visas, travel forms, etc.

To work with cash you will need a cash register.

As for software, a regular office software package and one specialized program for a travel agency are sufficient; there are several of them on the market and each has its own advantages. All programs allow you to keep records of clients with their data, which greatly facilitates the manager’s work.

Staff

From a legal point of view, there are no requirements for travel agency staff. Actually, as a last resort, all personnel can be represented by one individual entrepreneur.

But actually, You must have at least 2 employees, so that they can replace each other in case of vacations, illnesses and trips on promotional tours. In addition, 2 employees will allow the travel agency to operate in the evenings and weekends, when the flow of clients is usually maximum.

Should employees be required to have special education and work experience? Unfortunately, now special tourism education is very far from the practice of modern tourism, so having it without real work experience will not give the employee any advantages. But work experience, especially if the founder himself does not have one, will not hurt. If the director has work experience and his own idea of what employees should do and how, then The best option would be to recruit employees without experience - they will not have to be retrained.

Do I need to hire an accountant? A small travel agency usually has a very small volume of financial and accounting transactions, so a full-time accountant is usually not needed. A home-based accountant or service from a special company that will ensure the preparation and submission of reports is sufficient.

Promotion

This is where it's hardest for beginners, especially independent travel agencies. It is difficult to convince clients of your reliability and competence.

If you have a limited budget, you need to approach expensive outdoor advertising with caution. One bright sign is enough visible from the street.

Better Distribution of flyers works, especially with discounts. This is an inexpensive advertising method that can bring in several dozen visitors on the same day. Advertising on social networks works well, especially in a small city.

For example, a travel agency negotiates with several cafes. That along with the bill, each visitor will be given a travel agency discount card. And the travel agency, in turn, will provide its clients with a discount to this cafe as a bonus when purchasing a tour.

You need to understand that promoting a travel agency is a rather lengthy process; few people manage to make money in the first season. But even if the summer, for example, turned out to be successful, surviving the “off season” (February-March) is difficult even for “experienced” travel agencies. In general, it is possible to pass the break-even point and begin to make a stable profit only after three to four years.

Profitability

Profitability, in simple terms, refers to the ratio of the profit received to the invested funds. A profitability of 30% means that every ruble invested in turnover came back and brought another 30 kopecks of profit.

How to calculate the profitability of a travel agency? Very simple. Count all the funds you have invested in your business. Then count how much you got. Is the first one bigger than the second? Congratulations, you are at a loss! If you earned more than you spent, then this is success.

In order for the opening of a travel agency from scratch to be successful, you must immediately clearly understand what level of sales you need daily, monthly, annually in order to at least break even. To do this, count all your current expenses, leaving aside for now investments in equipment, furniture, etc. Add up the cost of renting the premises, employee salaries, utility bills, and advertising costs. Don't forget to add your salary too.

Now subtract from here the taxes you will need to pay. This is exactly how much you should earn in order not to go broke. Once your sales volume confidently exceeds your expenses, you will begin to recoup your one-time investment. And only after that can we talk about the profit received. Only then will your business become profitable.

Problems faced by travel agencies

The first problem that creates difficulties is pronounced seasonal nature of the business. Usually people actively use the services of travel agencies during the summer season and before the New Year holidays. The rest of the time, clients in a travel agency are “worth their weight in gold” and there is a tough fight for them.

Hence the next problem of the tourism business - discounts, often on the verge of dumping. It is not uncommon, especially in the off-season, for discounts of 5-8%, which almost completely “eat up” the already small commission, which is the source of income for the travel agency.

Staff incompetence– another scourge of tourism. For a travel agency manager to not just sell package tours, but to be well versed in different destinations, know the conditions of each country and the hotel base, it is necessary to invest in its development (send to exhibitions, seminars, promotional tours), and the travel agency often does not have free resources for this funds.

Dishonesty of partners. Tour operator bankruptcies put travel agencies in an unenviable position. After all, they are the ones who often have to deal with angry customers. And even if a trip has taken place, a dissatisfied client often goes to a travel agency, which in no way can influence the quality of the tourism product. The imperfection of the legislative framework also makes the travel agency business risky.

Do you still want to open a travel agency? This is a truly interesting business, not just a business, but a lifestyle! It suits dynamic, risk-taking and active people. The main thing here is not to count on quick super-profits and always be ready to apply “plan B”. We must always look for non-standard approaches, reach new clients, and make maximum use of personal connections and charm. And then you will succeed!

In the video below, Sergei Vatutin, the founder of the 1001 Tour company, shares the secret of his success.

Last year, more than 50 million Russian tourists traveled around the country and the world. Compared to 2016, outbound tourism has grown by almost a third; many new destinations and routes have been opened in the domestic market. Many aspiring entrepreneurs are interested in where to start a tourism business and how to open an agency from scratch? How much money do you need to invest in the enterprise? How to register? The answers to these questions are in our article.

How to open a tour desk

Pros: This direction requires virtually no investment. Even a student can try himself as a tour guide if he knows the sights of the city, talks captivatingly and easily finds a common language with different people.

Minuses: short season. There are much fewer tourists in winter.

Step 1. Choose a route

It is necessary to carefully consider excursion routes: take tourists around the city or organize off-site excursions. Choose a theme for city routes. For example, “Temples and monasteries”, “Beauty of the city at night”, “Historical places”, etc. Car owners organize individual tours around the city and surrounding area.

In order to open a travel company from scratch and conduct field trips, it is not necessary to buy a bus. Enter into an agreement with the local bus fleet, they will provide transport at the start of the excursion.

In addition to excursions, the entrepreneur conducts hiking trips, takes vacationers fishing or to mushroom and berry places.

Step 2. Organize a company

If you don’t want to get into trouble with the tax authorities, it’s better to immediately open an individual entrepreneur and register with the Federal Tax Service and the Pension Fund.

Next, you have two options: keep your books and submit reports to the tax office yourself, or hire a specialized one. There is quite a wide choice on the market - from single accountants to large holdings. When choosing, you need to focus on the range of services, guarantees and customer reviews. It’s better to contact reliable companies, for example. The cost of such services can be viewed

Develop a price. The cost of tourism business services differs from the route and additional services. If you organize an hour-long walking tour, then its price starts from 150 rubles per person; if a bus trip includes visiting museums, the price will be over 1000 rubles. But part of the profit must be paid for renting buses and tickets to the museum.

As long as you work without assistants, you don’t need an office. Applications are accepted through social networks or a personal website.

Prepare a package of documents:

Contract for services.
Reminder for tourists.
Description of the route.

Step 3. Calculate investments and payback

The minimum investment is 800 rubles for the state fee when registering an individual entrepreneur. The rest depends on the budget: spend money on contextual advertising or promote services for free; rent an office or work from home; buy a car for individual excursions or organize walking routes.

It is beneficial to develop a route and offer it to a travel agency. The company attracts clients, and you only guide the groups along the route.

After you have opened a mini-travel agency, you can calculate your profits. The price of a walking tour is 150 rubles, the average group is 20 people. Income per hour of work is 3000 rubles. You can conduct 3-5 excursions per day and earn up to 15,000.

How to open a travel agency from scratch as a franchise

Pros: a well-promoted brand and a ready-made business plan. Anyone can open it without experience in the travel industry and without knowledge of how to open a travel agency from scratch. The entrepreneur receives from the franchisor partner a ready-made scheme for the company’s operation and assistance during launch.

Minuses: additional costs for lump sum and royalties.

Step 1. Choose a franchise

There are many dummy franchises offered online, so choose your partner carefully.

The selection criteria are presented below.

How long has the company been on the market? Newcomers do not guarantee the viability of the franchise, since they themselves have just opened. To start a tourism business in Russia, it is better to choose a brand that has existed for more than 5 years.

How many franchise companies have been open and for how long? If the network is developed and franchisees have been working for at least 1 year, you can count on success.
How much does a franchise cost? The seller usually only names the lump sum fee and royalty. You need to ask what other expenses are ahead and in what amount.
What support does the franchisor promise? If you don’t know how to open a travel agency from scratch on your own, it’s better to get support for the first 2–3 years.

More than 7.5 million tourists visit St. Petersburg annually