The project’s goal is to open a travel agency that sells pre-planned tours and trips to foreign countries as well as domestic attractions.

Introduction

In today’s society, it is regarded as prestigious and fashionable to spend vacations in foreign resorts rather than in the village with your grandmother. Despite the fact that the crisis has worsened people’s well-being, travel agencies’ services continue to be in high demand. And there’s a lot of competition in this niche.

As a result, even at the early stages of developing a business plan, you must consider what will be your travel company’s primary competitive advantage over dozens of others. The main forces in the first year of activity should be directed to:

• Increasing brand awareness;
• Creation of own customer base;
• Creation of a positive reputation of the company as a reliable partner.

Market Overview

The majority of your customers will be middle-class people who want to travel to new places. Tours to local attractions can also be included in the list of services provided, which are designed for low-income people or those who enjoy domestic attractions and history.

With a well-planned advertising campaign, you can be sure that the service of taking a short trip (up to 5 days) to nearby recreation centers and sanatoriums will be in high demand. Agreements with schools, universities, and other educational institutions can be made to promote local attractions.

Business nuances

Customer trust is the foundation of the travel industry. The majority of people prefer to contact a company whose services they have previously used and found satisfactory. As a result, the agency’s top priority is to grow its clientele. It will take 1-1.5 years, according to analyses.

Almost all travel agencies work with tour operators on a long-term basis. The commission is the same size across the board – around 10%. In order to attract new customers and expand your customer base, it is advisable to reduce prices slightly in the beginning due to commissions.

Low prices can, of course, attract customers for your competitors. As a result, it’s critical to identify a distinguishing feature that will help your travel agency stand out among dozens of others. Your “highlight” could be a catchy name, a catchy advertising slogan, a lovely agency history, or a well-designed logo.

Seasonality is one of the most prominent characteristics of the tourism industry. The months of May to October are the busiest for travel. In order to avoid being bored during the winter, trips to ski resorts, as well as tours of local sanatoriums, interesting programs for the Christmas and New Year holidays, and sightseeing tours of local attractions for schoolchildren, should be included in the list of winter holiday services.

Because many clients look for information about travel agencies on the Internet, developing and promoting a company’s own website is critical.

Premises selection

Clients are frequently guided by the location of the office when selecting a travel agency. As a result, you’ll need to look for office space near metro stations, in congested areas, and accessible by at least two modes of transportation. It’s not so bad if you can park close to the office. If your office is in the backyard, make sure to put up signs.

To start a travel agency, you’ll need the following items:

• Buying or renting an office (at first, you can limit yourself to 2 rooms);
• Purchase of office equipment. To save money, you can buy used equipment;
• Office furniture.

The office is the company’s public face. Its appearance will attest to the company’s legitimacy. You must use the services of a qualified designer to design the premises.

Staff

The travel agency’s staff consists of the following individuals:

• Head. Its functions can be carried out by the company’s owner;
• Accountant. You can get by with the help of a temporary accountant in the early stages.
• Manager who answers calls, and makes out orders;
• Cleaning woman.
• With the company’s growth, an administrator to oversee the website may be required.

Advertising strategies

Almost any source that can reach the greatest number of potential customers is appropriate for running a marketing campaign for the company’s services. Consider the following means of communication:

• TV ads. Advertising can be very effective, but it can also be very costly.
• Local radio stations can be used to promote your business. It’s crucial to have an easy-to-remember phone number and a catchy website name.
• Advertising on the Internet. Typically, they employ banner or contextual advertising, which appears on regional websites and social media platforms.
• Indirect advertising on the Internet. Many people look for reviews online before booking a trip or contacting a travel agency. As a result, you should prepare ahead of time by posting positive reviews about your company on relevant websites and forums.

As a result, the type of advertising to use will be determined by the amount of money invested.

Conclusions

The profitability and success of a travel agency’s business are heavily reliant on a well-thought-out non-banal advertising campaign, credibility, correctly building customer relationships, and establishing a positive reputation.