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Starting a Travel Agency Business
by Pat Fontana
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Develop a Plan
Develop a realistic business plan for your travel agency. You will need to be able to compete successfully against other agencies as well as the growing number of online sites on which people can make their own travel reservations. Work with a small-business counselor at your local community college's small-business center or a SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) counselor to ensure you have the appropriate licenses and registrations, as well as a sound financial plan. If your experience in the travel industry is limited, you should also consider attending a travel school to help you learn more about the business.
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Establish a Niche
As you develop your business plan for your travel agency, focus on specialty areas. Extended vacations, trips that require more than one set of flight and hotel reservations, and guided tours are more difficult to schedule using online services. Many businesses also prefer to set up accounts with a specific travel agency rather than using online sites. Consider where your interests and areas of expertise lie when developing your niche. If you have extensive experience with guided tours in Europe, for example, you might be better suited to start a travel agency business that specializes in such tours. If you have contacts in the business world or have experience booking corporate travel, you might start a travel agency business that is specifically geared toward businesses.
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Network
Promote your business by emphasizing your specialty with your target customers. In your promotional material, such as a website or brochure, detail your background and experience in booking the kind of travel that they will need and that would be difficult or more expensive for them to do by themselves online. Based on your specific knowledge, you might be able to save them money by connecting trips or arranging for travel during a less busy time of the year. Join networking organizations such as your local Chamber of Commerce to promote your travel services, even if your specialty is personal or vacation travel. Join and participate in industry associations such as ASTA, the American Society of Travel Agents, to learn more about other travel agency businesses.
