Approximate data:

• Monthly income – 130,000 rubles.
• Net profit – 31,875 rubles.
• Initial costs – 208,800 rubles.
• Payback – from 7 months.

This business plan, like all others in the section, contains calculations of average prices, which may differ in your case. Therefore, we recommend that you make calculations for your business individually.

In this article we will draw up a detailed business plan for a travel agency with calculations.

Description of service

A travel agency provides services to the public. These include not only tours, hotel reservations, but also air ticket reservations, insurance, visas, and preparation of documents for obtaining a foreign passport. Please note that the company will employ hired workers; the entrepreneur himself will not be involved in selling the product. The travel agency will be small.

Market analysis

Today, the tourism services market in Russia is growing very quickly. Moreover, revenue increases almost every year more than the market volume itself, which indicates an increase in the quality of the services offered.

According to Business Stat, the overwhelming majority of services are providing assistance to tourists going on vacation abroad. There are about 90% of them. Consequently, we can talk about a high concentration of competitors offering demand specifically for these types of services.

If you look at the graph (data taken from the website of the Federal State Statistics Service), we can say that every year the volume of the tourism market in Russia increases by more than 100 billion rubles. The figure is quite impressive.

What is driving this growth rate? First of all, the increasing solvency of the population. An important factor is the development of tourism business infrastructure. In addition, this market segment is very attractive for investors. Moreover, they invest not so much in travel agencies, but in those attributes that make it possible to provide services (construction of hotels, development of tours, establishment of air transportation and much more).

The main service provided by travel agencies is the provision of air transportation of passengers (in terms of cost). Almost a quarter is spent on searching and reserving hotels, hostels, and so on.

I would like to note that today many people have begun to use a completely new service - online booking. The procedure takes place through special booking sites and so-called booking systems. This saves time for both consumers and tour operators. By automating processes, profitability and profitability increase. With a minimum of costs, entrepreneurs receive quite good profits.

The main competitors will be large tour operators, widely known not only in individual cities, but also in the country as a whole. It will be quite difficult to fight them. It is worth thinking about possible cooperation. Today, there are many developed programs where a well-known travel agency helps small entities in this area. Not for free, of course. Typically, they take a certain percentage of the organization's profits. In addition, they share ready-made tourism products. This option is one of the most suitable. Firstly, you can start working right away. Secondly, no one will take away your independence; if you wish, you can always refuse to cooperate. Everywhere you look there are only advantages.

If we talk about potential consumers, these will be people aged 20-50 years old with average or above average income (provided that the organization will focus on foreign countries).

Due to the current situation in the country in 2015 and this year 2016, the emergence of sanctions from some countries, and national unrest, today many people prefer local attractions to holidays abroad. This trend has emerged relatively recently – literally this year. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the domestic direction. The hit of this summer was a vacation in Sochi. People with lower incomes, as well as older people, go there. Perhaps it is worth emphasizing specifically on building a business within the country and working with domestic businessmen in the field of tourism.

SWOT analysis

Any enterprise feels the impact of external factors. They can be positive and unfavorable. External factors include:

1. Threats

• Possible changes in consumer preferences.
• Impossibility of accurately predicting the situation in the future.
• Difficulties when working with partners, possible failures in working with them.
• Decreased demand due to a sharp decline in purchasing power due to rising inflation.
• Price fluctuations.
• Changes in exchange rates.
• Increased competition.
• The emergence of players in the market capable of providing a better service.
• Tightening the tax burden.
• Oversaturation of this market segment.

1. Possibilities

• Increase in the quality of life of the population.
• Increasing the influence of marketing and advertising.
• Increased purchasing power.

Before opening your own travel agency, you need to pay attention to internal factors. You can and should always work with them. These include:

1. Weaknesses

• Lack of customer base and regular customers.
• Lack of work experience.
• The need for an in-depth study of legislation and opportunities.
• Necessary search for partners.

1. Strengths

• Wide range of services.
• Availability of motivation among employees of the organization.
• High level of qualification of employees.
• Quality service.
• The ability to check the effectiveness of staff due to their small number.

As a result, we can talk about the main areas of work:

1. Development of new tourism programs.
2. The need to find foreign and domestic partners.
3. Constant coaching of employees, advanced training, information, because the situation is changing very quickly.

Opportunity Assessment

As a rule, in January-February there is a decline in demand for travel agency services. At this time, it is worth considering providing cheaper services. Discounts, promotions, and last-minute tours can help here.

The agency will work according to the following schedule:

Total: 40 hours per week, 176 hours per month.

There will be 2 managers working in the travel agency.

Organizational and legal aspects

1. We register a company. This could be an LLC or an individual entrepreneur. OKVED codes:

• 30.1 Organization of comprehensive tourist services.
• 30.2 Provision of excursion tickets, provision of accommodation, provision of vehicles.
• 30.3 Provision of tourist information services.
• 30.4 Provision of tourist excursion services.

1. Mandatory no licensing required, it was canceled in 2007.
2. If you work with non-cash payments, then...
3. The relevant Federal law states that travel agencies can use only simplified tax system, not UTII. The simplified tax system can be used in two formats: the simplified tax system “Income” 6% or the simplified tax system “Income minus expenses” 6-15% (the rate is determined depending on the region).
4. Be sure to study the rules for providing travel services. To do this, study Federal Law “On the Fundamentals of Tourism Activities in the Russian Federation”.
5. Pay special attention to choosing a tour operator.
6. Visit the official website Federal Agency for Tourism. There you can find all the current regulations, rules, requirements for travel agencies as well.
7. Choose your insurance company responsibly. It must be a reliable company.

Marketing plan

Pricing strategy:

In the tourism business, price is not always the determining factor. For many, the quality of hotels, and the organization of the entire trip as a whole, is more important.

We must not forget about seasonality in this type of business. It is imperative to build a flexible pricing policy, create promotions, discounts, and offer last-minute tours to clients. In a word, everything that can attract a client and make him cooperate with you.

Today, no business is possible without advertising. It determines not only recognition, but also the possibility of income growth. Like all other types of business, travel agencies use the services of various advertisers. The most effective are:

• Newspaper advertising. These do not necessarily have to be thematic publications. As a rule, such information is placed in weekly newspapers with the largest readership.
• Radio advertising. Naturally, agencies choose local radio stations. It is very important here that the advertising is catchy and catchy. The slogan is no less important - it must be memorable so that, if necessary, the listener can remember the name or even contact information.
• Leaflet distribution. This type of advertising is universal. It is best to distribute leaflets in the city center and near the agency office.
• Creating your own website. Today, many people use the Internet, many of them do not want to visit offices. In such cases, a remote travel agent can help the client with feedback.
• Contextual advertising. In general, advertising on the Internet is popular. It covers a huge number of people and attracts them. Bringing website pages to the top of search results increases the number of potential customers.

When choosing a location for an office, you should consider the following options:

• Room in the city center.
• Area in the business center.
• Rent a hall in a shopping center.
• Office in a residential area of ​​the city.

Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Calculation of projected income

Production plan

Once the premises for rent have been selected, some minor renovations are required. As a rule, it includes the correction of minor defects. If the work takes place in a shopping center, then no repair costs will be required in principle.

The room will need the following furniture: tables, chairs, cabinets, information desks, and so on. We must not forget about the convenience of the client. It is worth equipping a comfort zone for him - choosing comfortable chairs, purchasing hangers.

Office equipment: you will have to purchase 2 computers, one for each manager. To print documents you will need an MFP. You can get by with one.

Software also includes specialized programs.

The organization will employ two operators. They will work with clients, namely, consulting them over the phone, through the feedback system on the website, and live. Managers will also select suitable tours, draw up documents, and explain to clients their rights and responsibilities. In addition, employees will work with insurance companies.

Organizational plan

Financial plan

Monthly income: 130,000 rubles.

Profit before tax: 37,500 rubles.

Tax: We calculate using the formula 15% of the difference between income and expenses (another option may be chosen). 37,500*0.15 = 5,625 rubles.

Net profit: 37,500 – 5,625 = 31,875 rubles.

Profitability: 31,875/130,000 rubles = 24.52%.

Payback: 208,800/31,875 = 6.55. Consequently, the business will pay off in at least 7 months.

Risks

Let's consider the internal risks that arise for any entrepreneur working in the tourism business:

1. Seasonality.

This factor is perhaps the most unpleasant for many businessmen. Sometimes they are not able to assess the scale of possible consequences. Some people completely forget to take this factor into account.

What could this lead to? To the discrepancy between expectations and reality. But that's not the worst thing. “Off-season” can bring big losses, which will negate all efforts. And here, constant hiring and firing of workers is not an option.

The situation needs to be smoothed out. To do this, you can think about additional services. It is possible to create city tours. It is also worth expanding the range of countries as much as possible. Thinking about discounts and special offers is also a good idea. In a word, everything new will reliably attract customers.

1. Incompetent staff, lack of skills to actually sell the product.

If you believe the statistics, the client’s decision to buy a trip depends half on the work of the travel agent. What qualities should a travel agency manager have? He must be able to communicate, know about the product being offered, be able to present it correctly and, of course, always remain polite and calm. Travel agents must love what they do.

These risks can be minimized by immediately selecting suitable personnel. True, this can take a lot of time. And after acceptance, the employee must improve his skills. An entrepreneur should consider taking courses, even remote ones.

The tourism business is very volatile. People working in this field must be able to adapt to the situation and have time to respond to changes.

All these methods will help a businessman not to lose clients, and with them, profit.

1. Lack of profitability in specialization.

Before opening your own business, you should study your competitors very carefully and in detail. You shouldn't work in niches that are already crowded. It is worth differentiating yourself from your competitors and choosing your specialization.

This approach will allow you to stay afloat and make a profit from your business.

The most significant external risks are the following:

1. Problems with tour operators.

You need to approach the selection of a suitable tour operator very responsibly. Remember that in case of failure or cancellation of the trip, the client will not be happy with you, he is unlikely to want to turn to you for help again. Therefore, it is worth choosing reliable partners who are constantly working to improve the quality of their services.

This work will prevent the outflow of customers and, accordingly, profits.

1. Wars, natural disasters.

Such circumstances are mostly unlikely. Although, due to recent events and unrest around the world, today they seem more than real.

It is important to understand that such phenomena can cause completely different reactions among tourists. Although, of course, in most cases the flow of tourists to a troubled country will decrease. Some may even give up their tickets.

It is impossible to influence these risks. How can you minimize possible losses? Almost the only way is insurance. Moreover, it protects against losses more than reliably.

It is worth remembering that the tourism business is not as simple as it might seem. This is confirmed by statistics showing that every year dozens and even hundreds of agencies simply close due to failures in the tourism field. Therefore, it is very important to study all existing risks and implement policies that will help prevent these risks and consequences from occurring.

Important: Remember that you can independently create a business plan specifically for your business. To do this, read the articles:

One last request: We are all human and can make mistakes, leave something out, etc. Do not judge strictly if this business plan or others in the section seem incomplete to you. If you have experience in this or that activity or you see a flaw and can add to the article, please let me know in the comments! This is the only way we can jointly make business plans more complete, detailed and up-to-date. Thank you for your attention!

Today, tourism affects both the global economy as a whole and the economies of individual countries. This service sector is aimed at helping the population find ways to meet specific needs while traveling, as well as boosting the regional economy by creating an effective regulatory system in this area.

Studies have shown that in terms of profitability and rapid development it ranks second after oil production and refining. This business accounts for 10% of the total turnover of the production and service market. This business is predisposed for small businesses.

Each person is used to relaxing in his own way: some are at home on the bed, in nature with friends, at the cinema, while for others this will seem boring, and he will prefer to explore the underwater world of the Pacific Ocean or Thai culture. In all countries today tourism is considered a very popular form of recreation.

Is it a simple matter to open your own travel company?

Every entrepreneur has thought about this once, because a huge number of people constantly go on vacation somewhere.

As in any business, so does the population, there are difficulties, and in order to find them out, you need to delve deeply into the business of tourism services.

One of the main stages of opening a travel company is a business plan. Many people have long thought about creating their own travel company, and they often have questions: what is a business plan for and is it needed in this area?

A business plan is the key to a successful business. It includes the development of goals and objectives, assessment of available resources, analysis of the market and competition.

A business plan makes it clear whether you need to start doing this or that type of business and invest money, time and effort into it, shows the approximate payback time of the business and profitability.

If you do not have a business plan, this may cause wariness on the part of your partners, creditors and clients. Every entrepreneur must clearly understand what should be included in his business plan. When creating an agency to provide services in the tourism sector, you need to understand what will be offered to the client.

A business plan in the field of tourism services is characterized by excessive painstakingness, since this business gives the population positive emotions. You need to make sure that your services are better than others, and people come only to you. These could be services for organizing recreation from start to finish or intermediary services for the implementation of ready-made proposals in this area.

Business plan point by point

1. Marketing analysis. Analyzes compliance of activities with market and competition requirements.
2. Technical and economic analysis. Analyzes the compliance of activities with the project specialization. its organization and technology.
3. Financial analysis. Analyzes the economic efficiency of activities.

The business plan of a travel company should be developed in stages. The final chain of such development is the justification of the feasibility of the enterprise. Determining the composition, structure and volume of a business plan is determined by the specifics of the enterprise’s activities, the size of the organization, the purpose of creation, the size of the intended sales market, the presence of competitors and the growth prospects of the created enterprise.

A business plan is not a clearly regulated form, but most often it contains:

• sections are provided that reveal the main idea and goals of the business;
• a description of the specifics of the product or service of the enterprise and its satisfaction of market needs is compiled;
• the market is assessed and the company’s behavioral strategy in established market segments is identified;
• the organizational and production structure is highlighted;
• a financial project of the case is drawn up with a financing strategy and investment proposals;
• the growth prospects of the enterprise are predicted.

You need to take into account all the key points when creating a business plan, such as:

1. Travel agency location. It must be passable, filled with buyers of various services due to close competition.
2. Company office. The room in which all work to provide services will take place is a business card, so the buyer’s confidence depends on the appearance.
3. Advertising. She needs special attention. The main thing in this matter is to loudly declare yourself so that a huge number of potential clients know about you.
4. Legislation of the country. You must comply with all laws of the country in which you are opening a travel agency. In the Russian Federation, a travel agency must have a financial basis in case of compensation for damage to clients.
5. Proven tourist destinations, popular and in demand from year to year.

When you draw up a business plan, do not save time on it, so as not to lose it later.

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Business plan using the example of the tour company "Tour for You" in the city of Cheboksary

The business plan is designed for one year of operation of a travel agency. At the end of the annual work of the company, you can continue to operate if you achieve your planned goals and objectives.

The travel company "Tour for You" plans to provide travel and excursion services to both the Russian population and foreign tourists in Tuapse and throughout Russia.

1. The authorized capital of the enterprise is 1,456,000 rubles.
2. The break-even point is 862,992 rubles.
3. Financial strength margin - 98%
4. Profitability level - 136%.
5. The company's profit is 529,742 rubles.
6. Profitability index - 1.4
7. The estimated payback period is 8 months.
8. Net profit - 365,781 rubles.

Before starting a company, it is necessary to go through many stages, such as:

1. Registration of a legal entity.
2. Choosing a bank to store finances. Concluding an agreement with this bank and opening a temporary account to transfer half of the authorized capital to it.
3. Concluding a lease agreement for premises for carrying out the activities of a legal entity.
4. Registration with the tax office. Registration takes place within a week.
5. Registration with budget funds within ten days (pension, medical, regional, territorial, social insurance, employment, Rosstat).
6. Convert the temporary account to a regular current account.
7. Making a seal and having it certified by a notary.

Costs for registering a business:

• state duty - 2,000 rubles;
• printing - 500 rubles;
• constituent agreement certified by a notary - 1,000 rubles;
• license for 5 years - 1,300 rubles.

Total - 4,800 rubles.

It is necessary to create a travel agency whose goals will be:

1. High sales volume.
2. Increasing market share.
3. Capturing new markets.
4. Creating a decent reputation and image.
5. Creation of new tourism services provided to the population.

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Marketing plan

The company "Tour for You" provides services to the foreign population that allow them to immerse themselves in the culture of a country unknown to them, encounter an unusual way of life for them, and get acquainted with the Russian mentality.

The main advantage of the service of the travel agency "Tour for You" is the work of professional guides who are able to satisfy any desires of clients. The demand for such services is unlimited, because not many companies offer them.

Existing travel companies are divided into several types:

1. Closed joint stock companies.
2. Joint ventures.
3. Companies offering a small range of tourism products.
4. Private companies providing their services mainly to foreign clients.

The company "Tour for You" belongs to the third and fourth types. The market niche is sufficient to bring good profits. But for successful work and a large number of clients, an advertising campaign is necessary.

1. Distribution of flyers (32 days) - 21,504 rubles.
2. Advertising in a newspaper (44 publications) - 56,000 rubles.
3. Radio advertising (1 month) - 84,000 rubles.

Total: 161,504 rubles.

Sales plan:

1. In 1 year, it is planned to sell 2914 tours, with an average cost of 13,000 rubles.
2. Expected profit - 37,882,000 rubles.

Technical equipment plan:

The successful operation of an enterprise depends not only on competent management, but also on staff, and in order for staff to work well, it is necessary to create conditions for this. To do this you need to have a properly equipped room.

The room is divided into two offices. One is staffed by management, the other by staff. The premises must be renovated, have office supplies, furniture, and office equipment.

The rental price in the city center of Cheboksary is 450 rubles per 1 sq. m. m. We will need a room of 25 square meters. m, therefore, the rent will be 11,250 rubles per month (135,000 rubles per year). The utility fee will be 3,000 rubles per month (36,000 rubles per year). Payment for telephone calls is 4,000 rubles per month (48,000 rubles per year). Internet - 5,000 rubles per month (60,000 rubles per year). Stationery - 2,800 rubles per month (33,600 rubles per year).

The total amount for the year will be 108,000 rubles.

Equipment costs:

• office equipment - 130,950 rubles;
• furniture - 74,100 rubles.

Total - 205,050 rubles.

Depreciation - 5,600 rubles per year.

The annual wage fund for labor and social needs is 516,128 rubles.

Unforeseen expenses - 15,000 rubles.

Thus, the amount of initial investment is 1,375,282 rubles.

Company profit:

Gross profit from sales is 37,882,000 rubles.

Profit after interest payments to tour operators - 37,882,000*10%=3,788,200 rubles.

First of all, you need to plan everything well and write a business plan.

Where to start drawing up a business plan for a travel agency in order to avoid mistakes, calculate the necessary financial investments and develop a work strategy?

First: it is necessary to determine for whom and for what purpose the business plan is being drawn up - to obtain a loan, for a third-party investor, for the project initiator, for yourself? Second: for what period: six months, a year, three years? Third: calculate the amount of capital investment: for a month, six months, a year...

Business plans come in different forms and vary in form, content, structure and scope. Below is a diagram that reflects the main parameters and cost items that can be used when drawing up a business plan for a travel company (agency).

• Type of activity: travel agent, tour operator, mixed activities.
• Additional services: sale of air and railway tickets, transfer services, ordering limousines, visas, insurance, preparation of documents for obtaining international passports, services of an individual guide, accompanying person, translator services, sale of guidebooks, sale of gift certificates, rental of tourist equipment, rental cars.
• Priority tourist destinations: by type of tourist destination, by cost of tours, by country, by type of tourism.

Organizational plan

• Location of the travel agency office: center, outskirts, distance from the metro.
• Office status: rent, own premises.
• Office type: showcase office on the first line, in a business center, in an administrative office building, in a shopping center, on the ground floor of a residential building.
• Office size: two workstations, three to five workstations.
• Office furniture (cost calculation): tables with reception areas, chairs for employees, chairs for visitors, bedside tables with keys, rack for catalogs, wardrobe, hangers, hanger stand, board for information and special offers, sofa for visitors, coffee table, safe, blinds, mirror, dishes (for employees, for receiving visitors), frames for photographs and permits, plants.
• Office equipment (cost calculation): computers, telephones, fax, printers (minimum 2 pieces), scanner, copier, TV, CB and VUO 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, room design according to the concept of the travel company.

Competitive environment

• Competitors in selected tourist destinations.
• Competitors within a radius: buildings, districts, cities.
• Advantageous competitive qualities of a future travel agency.

Production plan

• Personnel: staffing, salary policy, personnel training.
• Tour sales technology: search and booking of tours, interaction with partners.
• Range of travel agency services: by season, by destination, by country, by price.

Marketing and advertising plan

• Travel agency pricing policy.
• Name of the travel agency, advertising history of creation (legend).
• Features of the tours sold.
• Corporate identity development:
• Creation of an Internet site.
• Office design for sales.
• Outdoor advertising.
• Printing products (description, circulation, contractor, production time, cost).
• Advertising plan.
• Structure and rules for maintaining a client base.

Legal aspects of opening a travel company

• Legal form of a legal entity.
• Tax system.
• Required permits depending on the type of tourism activity.
• Purchase and registration of cash register equipment (if necessary).
• Maintaining accounting records (independently, with the assistance of an accountant, consulting company).
• Legal support of activities.

Financial plan

• Sources of funds.
• Amount and duration of investment.
• Initial expenses plan.
• Fixed expenses plan.
• Income plan.
• Payback plan.

You can shorten the business plan without compromising the overall picture of creating a business, but the more detailed it is, the easier it will be to achieve your goals. It's amazing how your thinking about what needs to be done can change after you write your own business plan. These could be new ideas, non-standard work methods, or a complete revision of the future business.

Example of a travel agency business plan

One-time expenses:

Monthly expenses:

Expense item	Period 1 month/rub.
Office and infrastructure
Rent of premises 25 m2	50 000
Communication services	3 000
Internet	5 000
Water (cooler)	500
Stationery	2 500
Other administrative expenses	6 000
Staff salaries
Director	35 000 + %
Manager	19 000 + %
Manager	16 000 + %
Secretary-manager	12 000 + %
Courier	16 000
Accountant (outsourcing)	10 000
Cleaning woman	3000
Advertising budget
Printing	5 000
Internet advertising	15 000
Advertising in the press	15 000
Other media	10 000
Planned quarterly expenses
Legal subscription services	7 000
Payment for the online booking and tour search system	1200
Refilling cartridges	400
Unforeseen expenses	10 000
Total	RUB 241,500 +% to salary

The expected (desired) amount of income per month is 400,000 rubles. Since it is impossible to plan in advance exactly which tour packages will be sold, it is best to create a table in which you indicate how many trips you need to sell for each country in order to reach the planned level of income. This way you can find out how much tour packages need to be sold on average. To do this, you need to sum up the trips to all destinations and divide by the number of countries.

Summary of a business plan for opening a travel agency from scratch

This project is a plan for creating a private enterprise to organize a travel agency in 24 months. First of all, we list the key points in the process of creating a business plan for launching a travel agency business plan from scratch.

First of all, the Idea of ​​the project arises, and the Goals of the project, such as:

1. Creation of an enterprise with high .
2. in a legal way, indicating the legal address, passport details of the head and founder of the project, information about employees.
3. Satisfying consumer demand for filling the entertainment niche, providing health services, organizing safe travel, as well as organizing leisure activities for citizens.
4. Providing opportunities and organizing leisure activities.
5. Search and conclusion of agreements with investors.
6. Project cost: RUB 3,078,159.
7. Project financing: Provided by obtaining a commercial loan in the amount of RUB 3,078,159.
8. Payback period: 2 years.
9. The investor's income will be 178,812.88 rubles.
10. Interest payments on the loan begin from the first month of implementation of this project.
11. Repayment of borrowed funds begins from the first month of project implementation. This circumstance is introduced in this business plan to simplify the understanding of the structure of calculating the discounting flow and regulating cash flow. Repayment of borrowed funds begins from the first month of project implementation. This circumstance is introduced in this business plan to simplify the understanding of the structure of calculating the discounting flow and regulating cash flow.
12. The mortgaged interest rate on borrowed funds is 14%. It must be taken into account that banks are currently revising the interest rate for investment projects downwards.
13. The total amount of accrued interest will be RUB 178,812.88.
14. The payback period from the start of the project is 2 months.
15. Payback period taking into account discounting is 2 years.
16. The total economic effect from the implementation of the project for the conditional life cycle is RUB 54,948,324.02.

Project stages

Project stages	Execution conditions	Completion deadlines
Start of the project		1.5 - 2 years
	1 month project	1 -30 banking days
Getting a loan	Availability of the appropriate package of documents	30 calendar days
Entry into the state register, registration with administrative and tax authorities	Conclusion of an investment agreement	1 -30 calendar days
Selection of location and documentation	Preliminary work	30 calendar days
Purchase of equipment	Conclusion of an investment agreement	1 -30 calendar days
Equipment installation	Receiving investment funds	1 -30 calendar days
Hiring staff	Production activities	1 -30 calendar days
Staff training	The end of the stage of organizing the production process	1 -30 calendar days
Conducting a marketing campaign	360 calendar days	1-360 calendar days
End of the project		12 – 24 months

Algorithms of action prescribed in the travel agency’s business plan

The travel agency’s business plan contains the following algorithms of actions for starting a business:

1. Ways and methods of analyzing the target audience, drawing up a portrait of the ideal client, his level of solvency.
2. Registration of business with state supervisory and tax authorities.
3. Hiring qualified employees who can fulfill the client's wishes and be ready to work. Another cost item is hiring employees. Specialists will fill vacant positions on a competitive basis, being general, service and temporary employees with decent competitive pay. Candidates for positions will be considered within 30 calendar days.
4. Services provided by the enterprise.
5. Choosing the format of the enterprise's work.

Relevance of business at the opening of a travel agency

The package tourism market showed the highest point of its development in 2014, and corresponded to the amount of 340,000,000,000 rubles. At the end of last year, the dynamics amounted to about 280,000,000,000 rubles. At the same time, most clients choose. Tourists who travel within Russia more often choose inexpensive accommodation options - 80% of them counted, the average check per person was 25,000 rubles. excluding logistics.

The tourism services market received its most active development and expansion in 2010. Every year, according to statistics, not only the number of companies increases, but also the profit received by existing operators and agents.

The high level of competition in this segment gives rise to higher quality service and increased demands from customers.

Every year, the Russian tourism market shows an increase of 100,000,000,000 rubles.

Relevance of business at the opening of a travel agency

According to experts, the following structural changes are taking place in the tourism sector:

1. The main driving force of all types of tourism industry has been the active development of digital technologies. Business has become more globalized and is actively developing transnational Internet resources.
2. Sales channels for tourism services have changed significantly in terms of structure and its functional significance. Today, fewer and fewer clients are trying to cooperate with consumers - direct contact between the consumer and the service provider (hoteliers, companies selling and booking airline tickets) has become fashionable. Also, many companies indirectly related to the travel business are trying to spend less resources on distribution and are gaining their own customer base. In addition, it is beneficial to eliminate agency commissions, develop attractive loyalty programs for customers, and increase the level of direct ticket booking, which has a positive effect on the level of booking tickets for air flights in general.
3. The activities of low-cost carriers do not depend on the activities of agents, and some carriers today have increased the percentage of sales to 50 percent.
4. Companies engaged in the transportation of goods are created online, which can also select accommodation options for tourists.
5. In the Russian tourism industry, a new definition has recently appeared "dynamic bundling" . “Dynamic packaging” is a special type of technology used for the formation and distribution of a tourism product online. It is carried out by simultaneous access, without the help of intermediaries, to the online resources of hotels, airlines, and travel service aggregators. Thus, if there are available seats, airlines offer dynamic packages that are favorable to the client, which are significantly lower than those published by the system itself and lower than charter ones. This method allows you to quickly adapt to changes in the global economy, increases sales and customer loyalty.
6. Classic travel agents and tour operators today are forced to balance risks due to global overproduction of the tourism product.
7. The volume of charter and block charter traffic is significantly reduced. The vast majority of tour operators have abandoned the wholesale production of tourism products. Consistently high earnings are demonstrated by those companies that can provide customers with the opportunity of cheap air travel or favorable transportation conditions from a direct logistics service provider. Long-term partnership is the key to the company’s success in the future and today. Today, people make their own reservations in the hotels they like—about 70 percent of them are now. Hotels, like airlines, are seeing an increase in the percentage of direct sales volumes.
8. Today, the function of marketplaces has begun to be performed by metasearch engines, which take part in settlements between the client and the tourism market service provider.
9. The volume of distribution channels has been expanded by banking institutions and information portals. Large players in the financial market, who have the ability to handle large amounts of personal data from clients, are creating their own services for booking travel services. Internet resources with a sufficient share of occupancy also offer the service of hosting travel services on their sites.
10. Corporations and large companies themselves organize affiliated structures that can provide not only business trips, but also recreation for each of their employees.

Making a profit in the tourism business

What determines the profitability of the tourism industry?

1. The level of solvency of some segments of the population has increased.
2. The infrastructure of cities, both in Russia and abroad, is developing and can offer an increased level of service.
3. The tourism services sector is developing, and more clients are interested in trips of various kinds.
4. The market has become more attractive to private foreign investors.

The difference between a travel agent and a tour operator is small, and lies in the fact that agents are intermediaries between the client and those who sell tours directly. The vast majority of companies that operate in Russia today are intermediaries.

Services that your company will provide

1. Providing comprehensive information about the tour.
2. Booking a hotel and finding optimal solutions for each specific client
3. Organization of the trip itself and booking tickets for transport (railway, car, air, etc.).
4. Registration of a foreign passport, visas and insurance, other accompanying documents
5. Providing additional services (meals, excursions).
6. Fulfilling the client's travel-related wishes.
7. Information support at all stages of the tour.
8. Involvement of a guide/translator.
9. Organization of loyalty programs.
10. Providing a discount for a friend.
11. Bonuses, cumulative discount cards.
12. Opportunity to visit unique excursion tours abroad and within the country.
13. Informing clients in all available ways about last-minute tours.
14. Quick replacement of a passport.

Market description and analysis

Structure of the tourism industry

The modern market for tourism services can be characterized as follows

The tourism industry in its purest form, typical private enterprises providing tourism services	Additional services for tourists and industry	Indirect representatives of the industry, dependent enterprises
	Production	Production
Providing accommodation services for tourists abroad or in Russia	Production of souvenir and gift products
Transportation services for clients by railway, highway, plane or water transport	Production and sale/rental of recreational goods
Tour operators	Automotive industry (motorcycle, bicycle)
Full service travel agencies	Printing of printed materials dedicated to tourism (catalogues, maps, advertising materials)
Resorts/boarding houses/sanatoriums	Release of specialized lines of medicines for tourists
	Service area	Service area
Unions, associations and other types of associations managing the development of tourism in Russia and abroad
Organization of visiting congresses, seminars, lectures
Organizing festivals, exhibitions, fairs, etc.

Who is suitable for business by opening your own travel agency?

Most often, successful owners of travel agencies are former managers who have achieved some success in this type of activity. Also, such a business is suitable for those who have the appropriate education and experience in leadership positions.

Target Audience

The main consumer of tourism services in Russia is:

• Citizens with a consistently high income aged 20 to 50 years,
• Those who regularly visit other countries or frequently travel within the country for work purposes.

Expenses

• Advertising on television.
• Working with bloggers.
• Issue of a magazine/catalog (every month).
• Other printed materials (business cards, leaflets, brochures).

Rental costs, depending on the city, will range from 15,000 rubles per month. For the main office of the representative office, a small room in a business or shopping center will be sufficient.

Main taxes paid

Project expenses (in rub.)

Name of expense item	Price
	Qty	per month	per year	One-time purchase	Total expenses per year
Renting an office, premises	From 20	35 000	420 000	70 000	490 000
Expenses for registration of enterprise documentation	1			30 000	30 000
Purchase of vehicles	1			1 900 000	1 900 000
Purchase of equipment	10			182 229	182 229
Purchasing computer equipment	1			103 780	103 780
Website, hosting, purchase of necessary scripts,	1			60 000	60 000
Fixed costs for online advertising	12	55 000	660 000		660 000
Salary	12	407 550	4 890 600		4 890 600
incl. taxes	12	90 000	1 080 000		1 080 000
Unforeseen expenses				234 600	234 600
Total:		497 550	5 970 600	2580 609	8 551 209

Equipment

To ensure quality work for managers, you will need:

• Computers (2).
• Printer.
• Scanner.
• Tables.
• Furniture for staff and client accommodation.

The costs for this item of the travel agency’s business plan will be approximately 70,000 rubles.

Algorithm of step-by-step actions for registering a travel agency

1. Preparation of documentation, study of regulations governing the activities of such companies.
2. Drawing up contracts with major tour providers, debugging the operation of synchronizing applications and computer programs
3. Buying or renting an office.
4. Repair behavior.
5. Purchase of office equipment.
6. Hiring staff.

Important! In order to obtain a license to conduct tourism activities on the territory of the Russian Federation, a number of conditions must be met:

1. Hire at least seven employees with higher education diplomas in the field of tourism, or with at least 5 years of work experience.
2. The manager's experience must be at least three years with a special diploma. or higher education.

The license is issued for a period of 5 years.

Documentation for review

1. Russian Federation Federal Law on the fundamentals of tourism activities in the Russian Federation
2. Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated July 18, 2007 N 452 (as amended on September 1, 2018) “On approval of the Rules for the provision of services for the sale of tourism products”
3. Article 4.1. Conditions for carrying out tour operator activities

Risks

1. The main risk was and remains the presence of competing companies. About 30% of startup travel agencies close in the first years of operation, failing to become competitive in their niche.
2. Exchange rate fluctuations.
3. Unstable political and economic situations.
4. Problems with the tour operator.
5. Human factor (mistakes made by managers during the procedure for obtaining travel tickets or general documentation).
6. Customer refusals to travel.
7. Seasonality of business. The high season in the tourism industry is usually considered to be April-November.

Search and selection of partners

Among the potential partners of a young developing travel agent may be: large travel corporations, which on mutually beneficial terms will provide the opportunity to conclude an agency agreement, which usually includes an online tour booking system, as well as an account with bonuses.

1. Logistics companies.
2. Owners of hotels, hotels, hostels.
3. Visa centers.
4. Bureau for the provision of excursion services.

On video: The relevance of the travel business, how to make money on travel

Staff

The main positions in the staff are considered to be manager-consultant positions. The job descriptions of such employees are prescribed in the following regulations:

Typically, the duties of managers include consulting the client, assistance in selecting a tour and its subsequent registration:

Job title	Requirements for an employee	Job responsibilities	Salary per month in
Accountant	knowledge of accounting programs; special education; work experience of 3 years.	maintaining accounting documentation; preparation and submission of reports.	35 000
Manager on tourism	Fluency in PC and specialized booking programs; knowledge of English/other/foreign language/s; competent oral and written speech; stress resistance.	consulting clients; receiving calls and controlling mail; website content; booking rooms and tickets; ordering insurance; preparation of documents for receipt by the client of a foreign passport and visa; interaction with the tour operator; monitoring of profitable offers on the tourism market.	25 000

What will help you quickly achieve self-sufficiency in the tourism industry today?

The main trends today are an individual approach, personification of different types of recreation depending on the client’s goals, and total access of citizens to the Internet. Over the past few years, passengers have become accustomed to booking seats on buses, trains and planes from their home or office, and have stopped so often turning to intermediary companies or visiting ticket offices directly. Today there are about 70% of such potential clients.

People began to organize their own leisure and recreation. Today, very few citizens choose to vacation as part of a group. It is worth noting that potential millennial clients have completely abandoned the services of travel agencies, using directly the services of tour operators and the B2C segment.

State supervisory authorities legalized the so-called. "electronic vouchers". Agents working in the online segment increased their sales by more than 20 times compared to the previous similar period. The greatest success is enjoyed by those who have invested more effort and financial resources in promoting and filling their sites.

Consumer habits and demand are growing from the development of online offerings. Online agents offer a service at an attractive price, which you can view without leaving your home. Convenient, fast and reliable - service above all. And these trends will significantly gain momentum in the future.

The Western market is ahead of the Russian tourism industry in development; they have long been offering dynamic packaging and creating high-quality online packages that allow expanding the geography of travel, increasing the reliability and level of service quality.

Selling a charter product today is a very big and unjustified risk, according to experts. The margin level of the classic travel business today is about ±3%; this figure does not always cover the risks that arise in an unregulated market, which depends on many political and economic factors. Thus, the balance of supply and demand in dynamic packaging is regulated by the airlines and hotels themselves - they can afford to offer a cheap product without compromising quality and their own income.

Hoteliers earn higher income than tour operators. During the low season, they can attract a client with a discount in order to be able to maintain a high-class infrastructure and justify maintaining staff.

It is safe to say, experts emphasize, that players in the tourism services market depend on technology. Today the market demonstrates high integration into the global network, part of which is the Peakwork platform, which includes Google, Kayak, Saber, Expedia, TUI, Tomas Cook, FTI, Booking, KIWI, Hotelbeds and a number of other brands. Peakwork is currently the only leading travel supplier database network. A solution that is ideal for clients as it saves them money and time.

According to experts, today investors are still willing to invest their funds in the development of the global tourism business. If some segments show the presence of pent-up demand, then in general tourism is the driving lever of the economy of many cities and even entire countries. World industry leaders own their own hotel chains, airlines, car parks, and other segments of tourism infrastructure. Holding companies created on the principle of vertical integration are practically not subject to crisis influences: they fully provide themselves with a service chain, starting from the service provider and ending with distribution.

According to expert forecasts, large metasearch engines and consumer digital platforms will further develop, which will have both financial and marketing means at their disposal. In addition, the above platforms have an arsenal of Big Data tools. Much attention will be paid to personal consultations. Today, customers still need a specialist who will help not only with qualified advice on a free basis, but also provide a competitive offer with a varied assortment, assortment offers,

Already at the planning stage, pay a lot of attention to post-sales support for the client. Additional options are already being actively developed. services and competencies, which also include technological personification. According to experts, the Chinese will become the most traveling nation - today the dynamics show an increase in the tourism segment of about 9.8% compared to the same period in previous years.

According to the head of Rostourism, Oleg Safonov, the main trend in future years will be the development of the sale of “electronic vouchers”, which will become a guarantor of the protection of the rights and interests of travelers. This product will be an opportunity to improve the quality of services provided by tour operators and travel agencies and increase the level of transparency in this market segment. Such a system will be comfortable for both businessmen and the client. For now, such a system is advisory, but may soon become a mandatory item in a travel agency’s business plan.

It is worth noting that more than 80% of tour operators have installed the Master-Tour system, which is not yet integrated with electronic vouchers, and therefore the necessary data will have to be entered manually.

People have completely different ideas about vacation, some prefer to relax for free and stay within their own home walls, others cannot imagine their life without exciting trips to exotic countries.

The most important stage in opening a travel agency is a correctly drawn up long-term business plan for a travel agency, which in essence is the core of the future business, capable of determining not only the expenditure and revenue side, but also considering the long-term development prospects and risks of creating an enterprise in this segment of the service market.

Travel company resume

An example of a business plan is presented for a company in Moscow operating in the tourism segment. The main direction is domestic tourism, excursion and tourist services in Russia for foreign and domestic tourists.

The emphasis will be on providing opportunities for foreign tourists to experience real life in Russia. A travel agency is defined as a limited liability company. Management activities will be carried out by the owner of the company.

Investing does not involve the use of borrowed funds.

1. Authorized capital - 1,456,000 rubles.
2. Profitability level -136%
3. Break-even point - RUB 862,992.
4. Profitability index - 1.4
5. Financial strength margin - 98%
6. Net present income - 365,781 rubles.
7. Income from the project - 529,742 rubles.
8. Payback period - 9 months.

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Prospects for the development of the tourism industry

Russia, despite having enormous tourism potential, has a modest place in this market segment, limited to 1.5% of the world flow. Research shows that 80% of the industry’s material base requires reconstruction. There are no conditions conducive to the influx of private investment, including foreign investment.

The formation of this situation was influenced by a number of factors, including changes in the geopolitical situation, the collapse of economic ties, a drop in production, inflation - a decrease in living standards and a sharp increase in income differentiation, which provoked a reduction in domestic tourism.

Due to the insufficient system of state regulation of the tourism sector, wide opportunities open up for unfair competition and significant violations of consumer rights.

Investing in domestic tourism is purely tactical in nature and is very difficult due to the insecurity of profit and even return of funds, the lack of planning and the ability to implement a long-term investment strategy.

Despite all the difficulties described above, tourist interest in Russia is growing, and the country is gradually losing the stigma of being “closed”. Experts from the World Tourism Organization have concluded that properly organized work of the industry is capable of raising Russia to 5th place by 2020, behind only France, Spain, Great Britain and Italy.

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Characteristics of travel agency activities

The organization of business planning assumes that at the initial stage of development the company will be focused on receiving foreign tourists and serving our citizens. The company will provide excursion and tourism services that reveal Russian reality and life in the outback.

Tourists spend their holidays in upscale hotels. Experienced guides organize excursions along tourist routes and historical and architectural monuments. The company offers various individual thematic tours and guarantees catering and high-quality transport services.

The activities of a travel agency can be classified into several categories, including youth, family and educational tourism. This approach allows us to reach a wide range of potential consumers of tourism services.

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Competitive advantages

Due to the fact that the company's office will be located in the center of Moscow, its services will be in stable demand. Potential clients can be: schoolchildren, families, students (including foreign ones), elderly people, individual tourists.

An analysis of competitors allows us to conclude that their main activities are focused on outbound tourism to different countries of the world. None of them provide services to foreign tourists in the format of visiting the Russian outback.

Business planning in tourism has a certain seasonality. The most visited period is May-September. At this time, the advertising campaign will be intensified, which will attract a flow of tourists.

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Marketing plan and advertising

Existing tour operators and agencies organize their activities with the involvement of advertising companies. Table 1 below shows the number of measures taken and their frequency aimed at promoting services in the market.

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Production plan

Based on business planning, a production plan is drawn up to determine the expected sales volume of various types of tourism products. Table 2 shows the number of tours sold in a certain month in one of the directions.

Month	Accommodation for foreign tourists	Educational tourism	Youth Tour	Family tour	Excursions		Individual tour
					Russian tourist groups	Foreign tourist groups	For foreigners	Russian
March	15	10	30	20	9	8	6	5
February	15	15	40	40	8	5	8	5
January	20	20	80	60	10	10	5	5
December	20	20	80	50	10	15	20	5
November	15	70	30	40	20	10	20	5
October	17	60	30	40	40	10	20	10
September	20	50	40	80	30	20	40	10
August	20	50	100	80	20	28	30	40
July	20	50	100	80	20	30	40	25
June	15	30	60	80	40	40	40	20
May	10	40	50	70	40	40	40	10
April	5	30	40	30	10	5	10	5
TOTAL:	192	680	680	670	257	246	279	45

Accommodation of foreign tourists in hotel complexes of various categories is most intensively implemented from June to October, since weather conditions are fundamental factors for foreign tourists.

Youth tourism gains momentum in April, reaching its peak in May, when school and student organizations plan joint vacations. In addition, significant sales are planned in January, when Russia celebrates the New Year.

A special peak in sales of family holiday tours occurs from May to September, as well as in December and January. The survey showed that the majority organize their holidays in boarding houses and sanatoriums in June; in July and August, preference is given to holiday homes with ponds.

The business plan of the travel agency was formed taking into account such a direction as educational tourism, within which tours will be implemented: St. Petersburg, Moscow, Golden Ring, Gus Khrustalny, Vladimir region, Pskov, Tver-Torzhok. Please note that peak sales will occur from July to November.

During the year of activity of the travel agency, it is planned to sell 2,914 tours, taking into account the average cost of a tour - 13,000 rubles, the profit volume will be 37,882,000 rubles.