How to open a travel agency: step by step instructions. Development of a business plan for a travel company

Develop your personal qualities. To become a successful travel agent, you must be sociable, confident and well-versed in the Internet. You must be able to convince customers that you offer them the most best holiday, which only can be.

• Be bold and adventurous. Part of your job may involve choosing and exploring sometimes dangerous and exotic places.
• Sharpen your communication skills. Your work is connected not only with research “on the ground”, but also with office duties, when you have to communicate a lot often by phone or using Email. Your level of success depends on your ability to communicate with other people.
• Pay attention to details. Everyone has their own perception of the perfect vacation. Make sure everything from the curtains to the air conditioner on the bus is up to standard, and your customers will come back to you again and again.
• Be organized. You will be dealing with dozens of different routes at the same time. The ability to keep everything in order and meet deadlines will lead you to success.
• Make useful connections. To get money, you need customers. Offer your services to friends and family when it comes to travel and travel agencies. Start making connections today.

Travel a lot. You can't sell well a product you don't know yourself. Travel helps you see things through the eyes of your customers and prepares you for the unexpected.

• The ability to present first-hand information is invaluable. Clients are more interested in first-hand advice, whether it's questions about service, accommodation, or geographical features. For this reason, many travel agents receive a discount when traveling (because, for example, hotels benefit from being recommended).
• Knowledge of at least one foreign language will greatly simplify the work.

The creation of a travel agency involves the provision of travel services to individuals. It is divided into two types: services that are provided in the form of a package tour or differ in individual selection. In the article, we will consider how to open a travel agency from scratch, what documents are needed, what payback and profitability. Let's start with the advantages and disadvantages of a business.

Advantages and disadvantages of opening a travel agency

We list the main difficulties and advantages that you may encounter in this business.

Registration of a travel agency: documents

Registration of a travel agency consists of three parts:

1. Registration of a legal entity.
2. Registration of a tourist license.
3. Obtaining a certificate of conformity.

To register with the tax office, select the code of the main activity (OKVED) - 63.30 Activities of travel agencies(grouping includes: activities of organizers of tour operators, activities of travel agents, activities of tour guides, guides).

The tour operator, due to greater responsibility, can only register an LLC, while the travel agency is given the choice between an LLC and an individual entrepreneur.

In most cases, the choice legal form- OOO. This is explained by the fact that clients do not particularly trust individual entrepreneurs in the field of tourism, therefore they prefer LLC. Travel agency activities falls under the simplified taxation system (USN). In this case, the tax rate is calculated in one of two ways:

1. The tax is defined as 6% of income.
2. The difference between income and expenses is taken into account, from which 15% is taken towards tax payments ( the method is preferable if the costs are high).

When opening travel agency there is no need to obtain a license. In 2007, the licensing of the tourist industry was terminated. Now the entrepreneur voluntarily decides whether to obtain a license or not. If you have free funds, then the acquisition of a license will be a positive factor in your business, since this document has a positive effect on increasing the degree of trust on the part of customers.

Obtaining a license (optional)

Consider the next point - obtaining a license in accordance with federal law About Licensing certain types activities”, which stipulates the licensing of tour operator and travel agency activities. The license is issued by the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia ( regional tourism committees can only issue licenses for travel agency activities).

The license is issued for a period of 5 years

List of documents for obtaining a travel agency license

The following notarized copies and/or documents are provided to the Department of Tourism of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia:

1. Inventory of all documents in two copies.
2. A document confirming the payment of the license fee.
3. Statement.
4. Register card.
5. A copy of the certificate of state registration of the enterprise.
6. A copy of the certificate of registration of the license applicant with the tax authority.
7. Copies of constituent documents regulating the activities of a legal entity.
8. A copy of the staffing of the agency, certified by the seal and signature of the head of the organization.
9. A copy of the work book and the corresponding diploma of the head of the organization.
10. Copies work books or relevant diplomas confirming that 30% (for tour operators) or 20% (for travel agents) of employees (according to the staffing table) have a higher, secondary specialized or additional education in the field of tourism, or at least 5 years of experience in tourism (for tour operators) or at least 3 years (for travel agents).
11. Information note on used for implementation license type activities of facilities and premises.

The cost of payment for consideration of one application is 300 rubles, the license form costs 1000 rubles. Payment is made after the applicant receives a letter of positive decision on the issuance of a license to operate.

Requirements for obtaining a tour operator and travel agent license

To obtain a license for tour operator activities, you must:

• The presence in the organization of at least 7 employees, while 30% of employees must have higher, secondary specialized or additional education in the field of tourism, or work experience in the field of tourism for at least 5 years.

To obtain a license for travel agency activities, you need:

• the presence of a travel agent at least 20% of employees (according to the staffing table) with higher, secondary specialized or additional education in the field of tourism or work experience in the field of tourism for at least 3 years.
• The head of the travel agency must have a higher, secondary specialized or additional education, and his work experience in the field of tourism must be at least 3 years.

How to open a travel agency from scratch. Lesson 1

Watch the first lesson on opening a travel agency from Alena Ulitskaya, where she talks about opening her own travel agency from scratch and what a travel business is. And also special attention is paid to the creation of a tourist product.

tourism product

Opening a travel agency from scratch is not an easy procedure, since this requires an administrative resource and basic knowledge in the tourism business. Before mastering this market segment, its specifics should be clearly defined. The agency being opened will offer individual and package tours separately or combine them with each other.

A package tour is a set of specific services that includes insurance, accommodation or excursions. Such a product is easy to sell, as it takes into account the optimal ratio of popular tourist services. It is the “bags” that are able to reduce the occurrence of risks due to possible customer dissatisfaction and save time.

Tour operators form package tours that differ in content. So, some include a minimum list of services, which predetermines their low cost, others are distinguished by a kind of chic. This condition makes such tours popular among customers.

Individual tours are compiled based on the wishes and preferences of the client. Some agencies choose for their specialization only individual work with VIP clients. The average travel agency of this type does not have too many clients, since it operates based on other principles.

The increase in profits from individual tours arises from serving customers who differ high level solvency. Therefore, offer them a more expensive range of services that allows the tour operator to extract more income.

How does a travel agency work?

The basis of the work of a travel agency is intermediary services that connect the client and the tour operator. In this case, income is generated due to the receipt of commissions for the sale of a tourist product. The duties of the tour operator include the direct organization of services. These include resolving issues of interaction with hotels, embassies and insurance companies.

The duty of the travel agency is to comply with the competent execution of documents for issuing visas. Tour operators impose individual requirements for the preparation of such documents, so the agency strictly observes them. The travel agency also issues a package of documents received from the tour operator:

• medical insurance;
• voucher for hotel accommodation;
• travel tickets;
• memo with information about the country of visit.

The agency transfers money to the tour operator on time for the provided tours and controls the correct booking of the services chosen by the tourists. If the client refuses from a pre-booked tour, he is subject to penalties prescribed in the contract.

Opening a travel agency: choosing a tour operator

After the registration of the travel agency, the next step is the conclusion of contracts with tour operators. At this stage, you will need some effort and increased responsibility. Today's market for the provision of tourist services is diverse and has a huge selection of tour operators.

Beginners in the tourism sector choose to cooperate with companies that provide low prices. At the same time, they do not think about the likely consequences associated with the unscrupulous work of such companies that are engaged in price dumping. As a result, customers will end up with nothing, for example, due to not receiving the booked services in full.

An unreliable tour operator tries to keep profit by any means, so you will not be informed of the occurrence of critical situations. To avoid this, pay attention to the following points in the work of the tour operator:

• period of work in the market of tourist services;
• financial support;
• priority of directions of activity.

In addition, it is preferable to cooperate with operators that have a representative office in your city. This circumstance will simplify the work with documents, since you can submit them not to the main office of the company, but to the representative office, which is very convenient.

Direct cooperation with the tour operator

Improve in your work business relationship not with a tour operator, but with an intermediary. There are a lot of companies acting as intermediaries on the market. They are travel agencies that offer to conclude a sub-agent agreement that provides the right to arrange and sell travel services.

Such cooperation has some advantages. So, the amount of commission is higher compared to the remuneration that the tour operator is ready to offer. The operator's commission increase is related to the number of attracted customers. The intermediary is able to immediately offer a high reward, which does not depend on the number of tours booked.

A positive aspect is the performance of operations with documents directly at the office of the intermediary. If your travel agency cooperates with a tour operator whose head office is located in another city, then certain cash costs will accompany the distribution of documents. This problem is absent when working with an intermediary company, since incorrect paperwork entails an appeal by the intermediary to the operator to resolve the troubles that have arisen. This condition will save the agency time costs.

If your travel agency has problems with tourists, then solving them through an intermediary will become problematic. From similar situation it is easier to find a way out with direct contact with the travel service provider. This negative moment adversely affects cooperation with the help of third parties, but this method of interaction is popular.

Ways to solve problems in the "dead season"

The tourism business is highly dependent on the seasons, which determines the demand for these services throughout the year. The most popular period of the year is summer, when the flow of tourists increases many times over. Winter is a time of calm, which revives a little in new year holidays and during school holidays.

This part of the year is known as the "off season" and it causes some difficulties for the travel companies making efforts to maintain control over the situation. Some travel agencies prefer to make sure in advance. For example, they put aside a certain amount of money in reserve, because at this time a decline in the flow of tourists is inevitable. Other firms are increasing summer months the number of employees, and in the "off season" - reduce.

The off-season period for most travel agencies becomes the time when they begin to actively sell tours to Russian holiday homes. But in the "hot season" companies do not focus on domestic tourism. This is due to the receipt of less revenue from this line of activity, in contrast to the sale of tours related to holidays abroad.

Development of a travel agency at the initial stage

Each travel company in the first months of work begins to create a client base with its subsequent increase. Modern tourists prefer to choose companies with a wide range of various discounts. Therefore, pay attention to tour operators that offer advantageous tours provided with an adequate amount of the agency commission.

Packages do not have a fixed price, so price fluctuations are frequent. This leads to painstaking work aimed at finding the best offer. Ask customers for an email address - this will help you quickly send out new offers regarding profitable tours.

Improve the quality of your customer service on a regular basis. A satisfied tourist will certainly inform his friends about his unforgettable vacation and mention travel company which gave him a pleasant experience.

travel agency franchise

If you have no experience in developing a travel agency, then a good start would be to buy a ready-made business system (franchise). For example, the TezTour franchise will cost you the following:

• lump sum payment - 5000 $
• the cost of renting premises (premises on the 1st floor, corporate style, area from 20 sq.m., parking, 2 or more places for workers)
• monthly royalty 1% of net profit

The TezTour franchise pays off in an average of 15-20 months.

Top 5 Travel Agency Franchises

Here are five main franchises that you can take out to open your travel business.

1. travel agency franchise beach holiday"Vell" ( in the top 25 franchises according to Forbes)
2. Travel Club "Wings" ( part of the Ural Airlines holding)
3. "1001 tour"
4. "A network of last-minute stores" ( in the top 25 franchises according to Forbes)
5. "Satellite" ( the oldest travel agency in Russia)

⊕ Download 100% unique travel agency business plan from scratch (51 pages in word)

Evaluation of the attractiveness of a business by a magazine website

Increasingly, citizens of our country spend their holidays abroad, travel across different country. But tourist trips around the country do not stop. , following this trend, is also developing. New agencies, tour operators appear, hotels are being built. not a very difficult process. The biggest difficulty is the huge competition. And before joining their close ranks, you need to decide in the role of whom you will act. Currently, two types of organizations are most common: Tour Operator or Travel Agent. So who are they.

What is a tour operator and travel agent

Tour operator - entity, which is engaged in the formation, promotion and sale of a tourist product, in accordance with the law of the Russian Federation "On the basics of tourism activities in the Russian Federation". Simply put, it is an organization that prepares and promotes tourism offers. The tour operator arranges food and accommodation at the hotel. Provides transport, excursions, etc.

There are several ways to sell a product. For example, using travel agencies. In this case, the entire responsibility for the quality of the services provided lies with the tour operator.

A travel agency is an organization that promotes and sells a tour operator's tourism product. In accordance with the law of the Russian Federation "On the basics of tourism activities." A travel agency can be opened by both a legal entity and an individual entrepreneur. This is an intermediary between tourists and the tour operator, who receives his commission. The travel agent buys a tourist product formed and ready for sale from the operator. And offers it to the end user. For this sale, receiving a cash reward.

Quite often, a travel organization combines the functions of a travel agent and a tour operator. For example, a travel organization forms and offers a tour of Italy, acting as a tour operator. And at the same time, this travel agency acts as a travel agent, implementing a tour to France, formed by another tour operator.

It is important to know that tourism happens:

• inbound - travel within the territory Russian Federation people who do not permanently reside in Russia;
• exit - travel of citizens of the Russian Federation abroad;
• internal - travel within the Russian Federation of Russian citizens.

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To open and operate a travel agency, special permits are not required by law. That's why this species tourism business, as practice shows, is more common. Let's look at the main stages of creating a travel agency (travel agent).

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Business plan

At the first stages of opening any business, it is necessary to draw up a business plan. First you need to decide for what purpose it is compiled and for whom. For example, to obtain a loan, for a private investor, for oneself. It is necessary to calculate the amount of capital investments for a year, six months, a month. You can draw up a business plan yourself or order it from a consulting company.

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Choosing the name of the travel agency

Much depends on the successful name of the travel company. It helps to promote the company's services on the market, creates an associative range and style associated with the company. A successful name is well and quickly remembered, which is very important when there is a lot of competition.

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Site creation

Nowadays, to organize your business, you need the support of the Internet. Take care of creating your own company website. This service can be ordered from professionals, but it is possible to make a simple website on your own. To do this, you need to choose a hosting (the place of "physical" storage of your site) and a domain name. This is the address of your page, which should overlap with the name of your company. This will make it easier for potential customers to remember and find you.

There are many free and highly detailed website builders out there. Choose one and, following the instructions and tips, create your site. To begin with, it is enough to make a one-page site, where there will be information about you, contacts, a short list of services.

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Choice of tourist destinations

As experts advise, a narrowly focused business sells its goods and services better. Buyers often turn to specialized stores. The same rule applies to tourism business. It is better to offer specific tours to your customers. For example: “Our agency selects medical tours in Russia according to unique methodology for children and adults." Instead of the sentence "We will pick up any tour." The first option is more informative and understandable.

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How to choose partner tour operators

When signing a cooperation agreement with a tour operator, pay attention to the availability, validity period and size financial support. To the number in the Federal Register of Tour Operators. For the duration of work in the tourism business. Pay attention to the number of employees in the state of this company, the presence of diplomas and awards. Find out where the tour operator's office is, its size and presentability, availability of management information, etc. There are no exact criteria for selecting the best and most reliable partners. Try to learn as much as possible about them.

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Where does the tourism business start?

So, where should you start when opening a tourism business:

• office selection. In order to organize a tourism business, it is necessary to find a suitable premises. It is worth choosing an office space in places with maximum traffic. In a popular shopping center, in a business center, on the central streets of the city, next to the metro;
• preparation of a business plan;
• recruitment. According to experts, decency and diligence are the most important criteria in the selection of personnel. Quite often, aspiring entrepreneurs hire their friends and relatives. Perhaps this is not such a bad choice in the tourism business;
• advertising. Print business cards, advertise on the Internet, post or distribute flyers. Students can be hired for this work;
• paperwork. Find out about what documents you need to draw up to open your own tourism business in the relevant authorities. The main thing is to make everything legal.

In this article, we will look at how to become a tour operator and touch on some points that need to be considered for those who wish to enter this exciting business. It should be noted that the tourism industry in Russia is at the final stage of structuring. There is a final distribution of participants in the tourism market into wholesalers and retail players (tour operators and agents).

According to experts, in 5 years, 10-15 tour operators will work in the main directions, and the number of travel agencies will not exceed 2500-3000, instead of 12,000 today. Development largest companies occurs now at the expense of the mass of profits, and not at the expense of the norm. Significantly increased the threshold for entry into the tour operator business, which greatly complicates the possibility of the emergence of new serious participants.

If three years ago the launch of a tour operator company could cost 4-5 million dollars, now, the same will require about 20 million dollars.

The amount required to create a leading company in tourism can reach up to $100 million. At the same time, the profitability of this business itself has decreased, which is about 1-2%.

What do you need to create a tour operator?

When compiling a business plan for a tour operator, you must remember not to skimp on things like technology, advertising, and personnel. The technological base is the main expense item and takes up at least a third of your investment. Without a technological base, it is pointless to start an operator business. The base of the tour operator should be based on a booking system operating through the website or large online services. For the successful activity of the tour operator, stable distribution channels are necessary. When choosing an operator, dealers-travel agents pay attention not least to such criteria as manufacturability, convenience and reliability of interaction with a partner. In this regard, the site is of particular importance, which is both the face of the company and the main working tool.

An online booking procedure for the tour should be provided, involving good system reservations, guarantee of hotel rooms and flight quota. All this, in turn, implies the investment of significant funds for deposits. The size of the necessary investments will be determined by your relationship with the host and hotel owners. Usually, new hotels are ready to give way to attract the flow of tourists. But the most popular options are possible only with an advance payment.

The size commit(booking quotas in hotels with 100% responsibility of the tour operator) can be from 45 to 95 percent of the planned transportation volumes.

The host

When answering the question of what is needed to become a tour operator, one should not forget about the need for an established host infrastructure. If the issues of receiving your tourists and the quality of their service on the spot are not thought out, there is a risk of losing control over the financial flow. Therefore, it is important to choose the right partner company in the host country. It is best to look for host partners among local large incoming tour operators.

Most major Russian agencies create joint ventures on a parity basis with the host country. This allows each participant to feel like the owner of the business and increases the degree of work efficiency. In addition, it allows you to conclude profitable agreements with hotels. The combined structure of the Russian and the host company contributes to an increase in the tourist flow. And hoteliers provide exclusive conditions and discounts.

Benefits of a wide profile

Some advantage in the areas of mass demand also enjoy companies involved in ancillary or related business. Thus, integration into hotel business or purchase Vehicle. The optimal structure of a diversified company should include several independent divisions, which can be combined according to thematic or geographical principle.

It should also be taken into account that today the travel agent needs universal suppliers of the tourist product. Choosing how to become a representative of a tour operator, agents today do not want to disperse volumes and focus only on the largest universal suppliers. As a result, agents, receiving bonuses, benefits and support from the operator, become partners for him. Therefore, the bet on the versatility of activities on the principle of complete travel service will work best.

When planning how to become a tour operator in Russia, it is also necessary to take into account the growth of the market by region. Today it is no longer possible to ignore the regional market, because the times of the main flow of tourists from Moscow and St. Petersburg are over. Therefore, it is necessary to create a network of representative offices of the company in other Russian cities. When launching a branch network and working with a retail link, build a centralized work of financial, advertising and technological functions.

Organization of a travel agency

When organizing an agency business, you should take care of the favorable location of the office and personnel. If your office is located in a crowded area and is marked with a bright, noticeable sign, you will have more customers. Also very big role played by trained and experienced personnel. Tourism is a very personalized business and most clients go to specific people, to specific managers. It should be noted that the concentration of the tourism business is also taking place in the retail sector. Travel agencies today are actively networking.

The share of networkers accounts for up to 15 percent of the retail sale of travel packages.

Moreover, in the near future this trend will intensify and it will become more difficult for independent agencies to survive. Therefore, it makes sense for small agencies to participate in a network project. Of course, network brands will have to establish themselves in the market for a long time. Therefore, when launching a network product, it is necessary to build centralized management networks, including in relation to suppliers of tourist products. Independent travel agencies need to implement the concept of complete travel service, which involves a full range of services, including booking transportation.

In general, in Russia, the tourism and ticket business develop autonomously, but doing one thing, firms miss out on a lot of income. Being engaged in ticket sales, tour operators and agency companies achieve a return on their investment much faster. According to statistics, the cost of a ticket office pays off in three to four months, for a travel agency - for six months, for a tour operator - for a year.

The threshold for entry is much less than for a tour operator - from 30 thousand to 60 thousand dollars. With a clientele and experienced staff, the payback period can be shortened. The main risk for the agency business is the convergence of tour operators and service consumers through online sales technology.

* Calculations use average data for Russia

A fragment of the book by Yulia and Georgy Mokhovs “Travel Agency: Where to Start, How to Succeed” by the publishing house “Peter. Published with the permission of the publisher

Do I have enough money to open a travel agency? Should I risk my last savings or not? How long does it take to pay off investments in the tourism business? 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 travel agency business plan? What are the requirements for a travel agency office? How many employees will you need to hire? Where to look for footage? What tour operators do you work with? Which countries sell tours? Limit yourself to a narrow specialization or sell everything in a row? Open air and railway ticket offices immediately or later? How to attract clients? How much to spend on advertising? Do tourists have a lot of complaints? And still…

SHOULD I OPEN A TRAVEL OFFICE OR NOT?!.

We will try to dispel all your fears and support the desire to open a travel agency. But we guarantee: everything that is written here is a real reflection of the state of affairs in the tourism business, without exaggeration and omissions.

Development of a business plan for a travel company.

We will offer for review a diagram that reflects the main parameters and items of expenditure that can be used when compiling a business plan for a travel company (agency).

1. The concept of a travel agency

Kind of activity:

• travel agent;
• tour operator;
• mixed activity.

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

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

2. Organizational plan

Travel office location:

• center;
• outskirts;
• distance from the subway.

• rent;
• own premises;
• otherwise.

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

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

tables with reception places, chairs for employees, chairs for visitors, bedside tables with keys, a catalog rack, a wardrobe, hangers, a 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), photo frames and permits, plants.

Office Equipment (Cost Calculation):

computers, telephones, fax, printers (minimum 2), 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:

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

3. Competitive environment

Competitors in selected travel destinations.
Competitors within the radius:

Ready-made ideas for your business

• building;
• district;
• cities;
• country (if applicable).

4. Production plan

Staff:

• staffing;
• payroll policy;
• training.

Tour sales technology:

• search and booking of tours;
• scheme of interaction with partners;
• registration of payment for tours;
• document flow;
• delivery and issuance of documents.

• by seasons;
• by directions;
• by country;
• by price;
• by target audience.

Pricing policy of the travel agency.

Features of the sold tours.

Corporate identity development:

• contractor;
• list of required items;

• concept and functions of the site;
• contractor;
• cost and terms of work.

• signboard;
• pavement sign;
• pointers;
• a plate with the mode of operation and details of the company.

• booklet;
• Business Cards;
• letterheads.

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

6. Legal aspects of opening a travel company

Legal form of a legal entity.

Taxation 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 forms of strict reporting "Tourist ticket".

Doing accounting(independently, with the involvement of an accountant, consulting company).

Legal support of activities

7. Financial plan

Sources of funds.

Amount and duration of investment.

Plan of initial expenses.

fixed cost plan.

income plan.

Payback plan.

8. Conclusion

Long-term development plan.

9.Applications

Approximate costs for the establishment of a travel agency in Moscow,
lump sum:

Registration of a legal entity and execution of necessary permits for tour agency activities: 20,000–25,000

Furniture and office preparation for sales: 50,000–100,000

Office equipment and communications 100,000–150,000

Corporate identity development 15,000–25,000

Website development and registration 20,000–45,000

Trademark registration 50,000-100,000

Training of employees 5,000–30,000

Additional possible costs

Ready-made ideas for your business

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

The cost of tours even in the same category of hotels is different, and the choice of tourists does not always fall on the 3 * level of accommodation. Therefore, in order to make an income plan, it is necessary to analyze the season prices for selected destinations with the data of 3*, 4*, 5* hotels and compare them with the expected amount of income

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

Office and infrastructure

Room rental 25 m2 - 50 000

Communication services 3000

Internet 5000

Water (cooler) 500

Stationery 2500

Other administrative expenses 6000 Staff salaries

• Director 35,000 +%
• Manager 19,000 +%
• Manager 16,000 +%
• Secretary-manager 12,000 +%
• Courier 16 000
• Accountant (outsourcing) 10,000
• Cleaning lady 3000

• Legal subscription service 7000 rub. months
• Payment for the system of online booking and search for tours 1200 rubles / month.
• Refilling cartridges 400 rubles/month.

Total 241,500 rubles. + percentage of salary

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

After the abolition of licensing of tour operator and travel agency activities in 2007, a mandatory state procedure was established only for tour operator activities. Any legal entity or individual entrepreneur can engage in travel agency activities. The only thing that determines the status of a travel agent today is the existence of an agreement with a tour operator, according to which the travel agent, on behalf of and at the expense of the tour operator, sells the tourist product formed by the tour operator. In this case, the travel agent must comply with a number of requirements established by law, which we will discuss below.

But first of all, it is necessary to find out why it is so important to understand the difference between travel agency activities and tour operators and to take the necessary legal actions in time. The fact is that the law establishes a mandatory requirement - all tour operators registered in the territory of the Russian Federation are required to have financial security. Financial security is a guarantee of the tour operator in case of non-performance or improper performance of the contract for the sale of the tour product, insurance of its civil liability to consumers and tourists.

From the financial security funds, the affected tourists are compensated for the actual damage they have suffered, for example, the cost of the tour if it did not take place, or the difference in cost if the rest time was reduced. Provides financial support Insurance Company or bank guarantor. 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 (in/out) and 500,000 rubles. for domestic tourism.

The cost of servicing financial collateral is on average 1–1.5% per year of the amount of collateral.

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For example, from minimum size financial support for international tourism in 10,000,000 rubles. the cost of the insurance premium will be 100,000–150,000 rubles. It is this amount that will need to be paid annually to the insurance company for the tour operator's civil liability insurance contract.

The contractual scheme of work of a travel agent in the implementation of tours looks something like this:

1. the tour operator concludes an agency (commission) agreement with the travel agent, according to which the agent is instructed to sell (sell) the tours formed by the tour operator for a fee;
2. a travel agent attracts a client (tourist) and concludes an agreement with him on the sale of a tourist product, receives the documents necessary for the design of the tour;
3. the travel agent sends the tour operator an application for booking specific travel services for the client (tourist), - indicating the dates, number and data of tourists, hotel, level of transportation, excursions and other components of the tour;
4. the tour operator confirms the application of the travel agent and issues an invoice for payment;
5. the travel agent transfers to the tour operator the documents (or information) necessary for processing the tour (for example, for a visa);
6. the travel agent accepts the final payment from the tourist (in cash, issues a cash receipt or a strict accountability form);
7. the travel agent makes payment to the tour operator minus the remuneration due to him (by bank transfer or in cash at the tour operator's cash desk);
8. the tour operator issues to the travel agent the documents on the tour necessary for the tourist to travel;
9. the travel agent issues documents to the tourist on the tour and all necessary information tourist;
10. the travel agent reports to the tour operator - sends the agent's report (act) indicating the amount of the sale of the tour and the amount of remuneration;
11. the tour operator signs the agent's report and issues an invoice for the services provided under the agency agreement.

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

In practice, a travel agent can expect various surprises; firstly, the tour operator may refuse to conclude an agency agreement with you and offer a contract of sale, as a result, your legal status, it will be necessary to adapt accounting and document flow;

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

Travel company staff

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

• ¦ leader;
• ¦ manager1;
• ¦ manager2;
• ¦ secretary with extended range of duties;
• ¦ courier;
• ¦ bookkeeper;
• ¦ cleaning lady.

Director.

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

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

Travel company manager.

His responsibilities include: negotiating with clients and partners by phone and in the office, organizing 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 solve conflict situations, a 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 general level culture. On the
teaching someone who strives for knowledge is a grateful thing, but find out the long-term plans of this candidate so that
the invested efforts and funds were not wasted - perhaps he will use the knowledge gained in another travel agency.

travel agency secretary

receives incoming calls, distributes them according to the specialization of managers, answers questions general(“How to get to you?”, “Until what time do you work?”), Ensures timely ordering of the necessary stationery, household goods, monitors the courier’s work schedule, fulfills the instructions of the head, receives visitors and guests of the office. It must be understood 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 rings at the same time and the client is sitting in the chair.

Secretaries are also entrusted with filling out questionnaires, recording and registering incoming and outgoing mail, answering corporate email, ICQ, Skype.

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

Courier

A very important and responsible position. With the forces (feet) of this person, money, passports, documents should go to the tour operator. Therefore, when choosing a candidate for this position, be guided by simple rule: a person must be checked in all possible ways - call the previous place of work, confirm the correspondence of the place of registration and place of residence, call the home phone and talk with relatives, ask for recommendations. These measures are not redundant. The problems that may arise due to the actions of the courier are, without exaggeration, catastrophic - the 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 for a small travel agency is too high (in Moscow from 30,000 rubles). Therefore, most travel agencies use the services of law firms or a visiting accountant. Such personnel decision allows you to reduce the cost of accounting by at least three times.

Wage and bonus schemes in the tourism business

In the tourism business, there is a general trend towards higher 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.

Tourism Manager Salary Options

The tour is considered sold at 100% payment.

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

2. Salary + interest:
Salary 10,000–15,000 rubles. + 10% of the tours sold by the manager.
Salary 15,000 + 10% after the implementation of tours for more than 150,000 rubles.
Salary 15,000 + 10% of the proceeds from sold tours, divided among all managers.
Salary 18,000–20,000 rubles. + 5% of the tours sold by the manager.
Salary 18,000–20,000 rubles. + 10% of all sold tours, divided among all managers.

3. Planned system: a fixed salary is paid when the plan is fulfilled; for example, from 50,000 rubles. (meaning the company's income, not the total cost of tours). When the plan is exceeded by more than 50,000 rubles. + 10%, more than 100,000 rubles. + 15%, over 250,000 + 20%.

During the period low season(January, February, May, June) plan is 50%. At the same time, the former fixed salary is paid.

If the plan is not fulfilled, with the exception of the low season, the system of fines works:

• ¦ the first month - no fines, an analysis of the reasons associated with a decrease in sales is required;
• ¦ second month and beyond: 40,000–49,000 rubles. - 10% is withheld from a fixed payment (30,000-39,000 rubles - 20%; 20,000-29,000 rubles - 30%).

The first months after the opening of a travel agency office, the planned payroll system, as a rule, does not apply.

Travel company courier payroll options

1. Salary 12,000–15,000 rubles, payment for a 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 high season and increase in sales, it is customary to give couriers a bonus of 20-30% of the salary. A courier is an important employee of a travel agency, so it’s better to pay extra on time, write out bonuses and work calmly.

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

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

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

It was just a small fragment of the book by Yulia and Georgy Mokhovs "Travel Agency: Where to Start, How to Succeed" by the publishing house "Peter".

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

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