How to Become A Travel Agent : A Step-by-Step Guide
If you are planning to set up your own business in travel field we are here to help you out. Let understand the work and profile of a travel agent.
What is Travel Agent & Tour Operator?
A travel agent helps you plan your trip, from booking flights, reserving hotel rooms, to planning your itinerary etc while a tour operator generally manage your trip. They design and make the travel plan like how many days is enough to cover the destination. They arrange your accommodation and VISA. They coordinate with local vendor to arrange the cab facility for your local sight seen. They also arrange the group travel.
We! By now we have understood the function of the Travel Agent & Tour Operator. Let’s discuss the other part of this industry. You can plan to set up the following business as per your choice and finance.
Set-up Your Travel Agency:
Your need a complete training for Air Ticketing, Visa & Immigration work along with GDS software training. You must learn how to work on Amadeus & Galileo. For the travel Agency set up You should make any registered company like you can opt for Sole Proprietorship, Partnership and Private Limited Company. You can take any CA (charted accountant) help to set up the company.
For the office you can take any office on rent according to your budget. You can also set up your home as a office if you have sufficient space. You need Internet connection along with Computer sets. In the beginning you should have at least on supporting staff for the sales and call handing.
For the promotion you can make your YouTube, Facebook and Instagram Channel. You can post your customer reviews and take help of Google Business tool to mark your presence in google map.
The budget: In the beginning you can start with 2 lacks.
Certificate required: Take IATA accreditation/license
Ticketing Tool: Any GDS specially Galileo or Amadeus
Hotel & Car Rental: Do tie ups with hotel or take help of any B2B portal.
From where I can take help?
You can contact India Travel & Tourism Institute. We are professional and dedicated to your help.
You can contact us for the following help. We are expert to help to set up your travel agency.
- IATA accreditation/License– get complete end to end help
- Get enhanced training for Air Ticketing & VISA Management
- Gat complete training for GDS to become Ticketing expert.
Let’s Discuss about the Tour Operator
There are two kind of tour operator
Inbound Tour Operator: Handle the foreign travelers to visit India
Outbound Tour Operator: Send Indian travelers abroad for tour
What you Need?
- A complete destination knowledge
- Able to make itinerary & planning
- Must have ability to calculate the cost of tour package
- Have agreement with local vendor for Cab/Taxi for local sight seen.
- Must have at least 2-3 hotel tie ups for the accommodation booking alternate you can use any B2B portal for the hotel booking.
- Must have IATA license and TAAI certificate
- Should have GDS for Air Ticket booking.
The Cost Involves for Setting-up the Agency:
You should have 3-5 lakhs budget to run this business. You must have sales technique to handle the customers objections. For the calling and customers handling you must hire any staff.
Get you brochure handy in your office for customer satisfaction. Alternatively, you can make brochure on CANVA to send the package details immediately to your client on their email or WhatsApp.
For the training and IATA certificate you can contact India Travel Tourism Institute. Only India travel & tourism institute gives you practical training which is very essential to run your business.
How to promote your business:
For the promotion you can make your YouTube, Facebook and Instagram Channel. You can post your customer reviews and take help of Google Business tool to mark your presence in google map.
You must make reels and videos on destination for the customers awareness. Make video on especially foreign destination like Vietnam and Thailand etc.
How to Get Leads:
- Use social media like YouTube/Facebook etc
- Take help of Google Ads & Google my Business
- Just Dial etc
- Purchase leads but you need to be careful while buying leads.
Corporate Travel Agency:
A travel Agent handles only companies booking and their requirements.
What you need: You must have prior experience to handle corporate booking. As a fresher you can not run this business as you need sales persons to bring the business. You need complete Business solution software like Self Booking Tool and Travel Management software. You need high budget as companies need credit facility. A prior training is must before your set up your business.
Adventure Tour Operator: You must have complete knowledge of different types of adventure activities. You must get registered with state government to open the business. You must have trained staff to handle the customers. A prior experienced staff is must as these activities have high risk of life.
