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Travel agent or agency is one of the fastest growing and lucrative businesses in Nigeria. As a travel agent or agency, you will help prepare traveling Services for your clients and get paid.
One thing I like most about the business is the variety of product lines ranging from visa processing, hotel and flight reservation, tour guide to foreign admission processing etc. If one doesn't bring you money at a moment another one must, another thing is, it does not require much startup capital to establish your agency. You can as well become a freelance travel agent with only your mobile phone and computer and start earning.
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WHAT IS TRAVEL AGENCY?
Travel agency is an organization that organizes traveling Services or packages and tour for individuals, group and businesses etc. These organizations are familiar with different travel routes and destinations, transportation means, customs of the localities, weather conditions, best tourist attractions as well as thier governments and security.
WHO IS A TRAVEL AGENT?
A travel agent is an individual who processes traveling Services or packages for clients and get paid. Travel agent works under travel agency or works directly between clients and airlines, hotels, foreign embassies, car rentals etc. In most cases, travel agents owned travel agencies.
WHAT IS FREELANCE TRAVEL AGENT?
Freelance travel agent are individuals who act as middlemen between clients and travel agencies. They partner with travel agencies and get paid when closes a deal. This is the best method to gain enough experience if you intend to own a travel agency. As a freelance travel agent, you can work from your comfort zone.
WHAT SERVICES DO TRAVEL AGENTS/AGENCIES PROVIDE?
Travel agent/Agency provide the following Services for thier clients;
1. Visa processing
2. Hotel reservation or booking
3. Flight reservation or booking
4. Foreign admission processing
5. Travel counselling or consulting
6. Selling events tickets outside the country
7. Tour guide
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REASONS PEOPLE NEED THE SERVICE OF TRAVEL AGENTS/AGENCIES
1. The save client' time and stress
2. They have better and more access
3. They provide recommendations and expert advice
4. They have deep knowledge of travel and tour
5. They are perfect for group booking
WAYS TRAVEL AGENTS/AGENCIES MAKE MONEY
Travel agents/agencies sub charge thier clients by offering them the following Services;
1. Visa processing
The process of obtaining visa is tedious, time consuming and those who applied directly are misled most times which could result in lost of money. This is where your service is needed. As an agent, you are expected to have many access and good knowledge of visa processing. You could charge your clients handsomely for your assistance with visa processing.
2. Hotel reservation or booking
Those who are traveling for the first time usually have many questions that needed answers; what is the best or affordable hotels to lodge?, What is the proximity of the hotel to airport or thier destinations? Those that travel frequently also might need reservations in the hotel of thier choices before it's filled up. You can help book hotels for your clients and get paid.
3. Flight reservation or booking
Those who are occupied by thier businesses or other activities might need your service to by flight tickets for them and you will get paid.
4. Foreign admission processing
Students that have intention of studying abroad might need your service to help them gain admission. You can sub charge them your desired amount for your services.
5. Travel counselling or consulting
As a traveling counselor, you will give important advice to your clients e.g the cheapest airlines, the best tours, affordable hotels, types and best transportation means, foriegn languages, weather conditions, foods, cultures, schools and many more.
6. Tour guide
You can organize best attractions of tour areas e.g seaside, zoo, parks, mountains for those who enjoy spending holidays, vacations, excursions, events and you will get paid.
7. Selling tickets abroad
You can sell tickets for those who intend to travel abroad for events e.g football fans that would like to watch thier favorite clubs, players, national team play live and music fans that intend to watch thier favorite international music superstars perform live on stage as well as wrestling, boxing and other events.
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STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO START YOUR TRAVEL AGENCY BUSINESS
1. Training
Starting a business you know nothing about is like testing the river with both legs. To avoid frustrations and disappointment, it's advisable to learn the skills in order to gain necessary knowledge and experience. It's better you start as an affiliate or partnership with existing traveling agency, you can as well choose to run an internship program or work voluntarily in any Traveling agency. It will enable you to know in and out of the business to manage your own effectively.
2. Meeting the financial requirements
You don't need much to start your travel agency Business. At least, you must have a good phone, good network connection, computers, office space, office chairs, printer, table and few employees etc. As the business grows, you can add more hands and gadgets.
3. Conduct a feasibility studies
The feasibility studies will help you gain insights of the business, it will enable you to evaluate the profit potentials, return on investment, cost and risk associated with the business, financial requirements of the business, documents needed before kicking off the business etc. This are some of the reasons it's advisable to start as an affiliate, freelancer, or internship to have sufficient knowledge of the business.
4. Choosing an organization for your business
Choose a legal form of organization for your business e.g sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability companies. You have to consider advantages and disadvantages of each form of business ownership and thier requirements before selecting the right one for you travel agency.
5. Deciding the name for the business
Choose a simple name that can easily be pronounced and recognisable for your business. Let the name be capable to describe your business e.g longerthroat ( an advetising agency) or shindy travel ( a Travel agency). A business name speaks a lot about a business.
6. Registering your travel agency
Apply to CORPORATE AFFAIRS COMMISSION (CAC)
for registration and collection of certificate. To run a successful business in Nigeria, you must register your company. (Contact us at Info.longerthroat@gmail.com let's help you get your agency registered)
To book flights at cheaper rate, you must register and obtain license from IATA, it will also expose your business to more opportunities and protection as well as enable you accessing IATA data base.
To learn more about IATA registration, visit the website at www.iata.org
7. Write a Business plan
Start your traveling agency with a well prepared business plan. The business plan will help to guide the operation of your business, state clear vision and mission statement and align your business to the plan. You can prepare daily, weekly monthly or yearly business plan, you can as well prepare marketing plan, human resource plan, you can also integrate the whole plan in one single business plan.
8. Start organizing or mobilizing
After all the requirements listed above are been considered and obtained, commence your business operations. At this stage, you are expected to choose the right location, equipped your office with office gadgets, employ competent hands, open a business bank account and start to promote your business.
9. Promote your business
We all know the power of social media these days. Set up professional social media business page or account and run consistent ads. Tell people about your business, never feel reluctant to advertise your agency business.
Terms in traveling services
These are some of the common terms used in traveling. Get conversant to them so that you will always sound professional.
- Consolidator: a business that has contracts with airlines to sell tickets in bulk generally at a discounted rate.
- Class: seating arrangement arranged for travelers. These arrangements attract certain fare and they enjoy specific things such as foods, drinks etc
- First class: the class which offers the most premium or prestigious services. Enhance seating, meal selection, drink selection etc.
- Waiver: a written acknowledgement that a passenger has declined something
- Tour operator: an individual which operates group travel program that provides a complete travel experience for one price. This includes transportation ( airline, rail, Motorcoah and ship), accommodation, sightseeing, selected media and escorts.
- Business class: seating arrangement that falls between first class and coach.
- Cancelation penalty: a fee charged customers for canceling their flights after reservation.
- Exclusive fare: discounted air fares offered by consolidator.
- Base fare: it's the cost of an air fare before addition of fees such as taxes or surchages.
- Boarding pass: a ticket issued at airport check-in which authorizes airplane boarding
- Bulk contract: an agreement which allows airline sell large block of seats at a discount for resale by a third-party
- Bulk fars: a reduced fare for a purchase of large number of tickets.
- Business travel : a travel for commercial, educational or governmental reasons
- Carrier: any provider of mass transportation usually used in reference to an airline.
- Chatter group: a group travel for custom itinerary.
- Itinerary: an established line of travel or access.
- Transit: journey
- Tariff: rates of fare quoted and established by a travel industry suppliers such as hotels, tour operators.
- Press trip : a trip organized for travel writers and broadcasters to get them exposed to tourist destinations in order to develop accurate stories
- Passenger facility charge : an additional fee of the use of an airport
- Published fare: a fare offered for immediate purchase. This does not concern consolidation.
- Fam tour: a trip organized for travel agents, tour guides, tour whosalers and other menbers of travel trade for the purpose of educating and familiarizing them with tourist destinations. This is done to expose them to tourist attractions in order to answer customers' questions correctly.
- Feeder airport or city: an outline city which feed travelers to hubs or gataway cities
- Advance purchase requirements: a ticket must be purchased within a minimum numbers of day before the flight departs
- Economy : the cheapest class that enjoys less premiums
- Tour wholesaler: an individual or company that sells tour products to travel agents
- Group rate: negotiated hotel rate for conventions, trade shows, meetings, tour or incentive groups
- Corporate agency: a travel agency that usually carter's to medium and large size businesses
- Net fare or net rate: the total price of a fare including commissions charged a client
- No show: when a traveler doesn't come for a hotel, flight or car rental reservations
- Non-stop: a flight that travels directly to its destination
- Leisure travel: travel for vacation or relaxation
- Lowest available fare: the most inexpensive flight currently available
- Maximum stay : the longest period of time a traveler can stay at a particular destination and still qualify for the promotion or discounted rate
- Layover: the period of time spent between connecting flights
- Occupancy rate: the proportion of reservations expected during any given time
- Off-peak: a period of time that is less expensive to travel as a result of low consumer volume
- Package: a fixed price for travel products that make it easy for a traveler a destination or several destinations including transportation, accommodation, feeding etc.
- Land arrangement: all non flying reservations upon arrival such as car rental, hotel and tourist reservation
- Hub: a city in which an airline has major presence or where an airline is formed
- AITAN: (international airline travel agent network) An association for international travel agents
- Interline connection: a trip with a connection flight from a different airline
- Incentive travel: travel offered as a reward for top performance and the business that develops markets and operates these programs.
Conclusion
Travel services or agency business is a business that can fetch you millions of naira, you can start as an affiliate, partnership or work for any existing travel agency to get exposed. You should also consult experts, ask questions and read blog post and books that deal with travel services.
You do not need much capital to kick off, with a good working phone or system, you are good to go. The most important thing is to gain experience. Build a strong network and keep promoting your business.
I hope this is helpful!