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| Photo by Markus Spiske from Pexels |
Before the pandemic, the travel industry was growing exponentially in India, with people booking tickets on the go. People love to travel, and the industry is set to grow aggressively after the pandemic is over and lockdown measures have been lifted as people flee to various vacation spots.
A travel agent works with a traveler or a group of travelers and finalizes their itinerary. The travel agent then books the various tickets and coordinates with vendors. This includes booking flight/railway/bus tickets, hotel rooms, cruises, cars, etc. The travel agency receives a commission from their vendors, which is (generally) paid after the client has traveled.
If you love to travel and plan your itinerary meticulously while helping others have great experiences, starting your own business and opening a travel agency is for you.
Becoming a travel agent can be inexpensive as far as initial expenses are concerned. You can generally get away with a little upfront cost and limited staff.
However, your success as a travel agency depends mainly on finding the right niche—look for a niche within the travel industry. The travel industry is a fiercely competitive market, given the rise in online booking sites and the rising capability of clients to make their own travel bookings. You need to offer something that adds value and makes clients consider your business. If you want to be successful, you will want to focus much of your energy on your market research, branding, strategic advertising, and marketing. Getting market research done is simply a non-negotiable—you will get valuable inputs regarding your customer base, niche, competition, etc., and be able to determine the perfect product/service. You will get to know vital information regarding your target market—and what your target customers are willing to pay.
The success of a travel agency most often depends on the value-added services you are willing to offer. Anyone can book a ticket online nowadays—you need to go above and beyond to deliver something worthwhile to your client. Market research will tell you what the need is, and with that information, you can see how to provide appropriate value-added services and deals to the client.
With an ever-rapidly changing travel landscape, travel agents needed to find new ways to woo clients and make a profit. Here are a few tips on how to start a successful travel agency in India:
Decide on the kind of service you want to offer
The most important question to ask yourself is this—what kind of travel service do you plan on starting? Defining your target audience brings you closer to the answer to this question. For instance, your target audience could be young married couples, for whom you could offer a specialized honeymoon or adventure package.
Decide on a fair and competitive pricing point.
Market research could help you immensely when deciding on a competitive price point.
Write your marketing strategy.
Plan your marketing strategy. How do you want to promote your business? Examples include online and traditional marketing.
Offer an experience, not just a service.
Offer an experience, not just a service. You can do this by offering unique services like tying up with vendors to provide services that clients usually would not have access to. Think about this: What experiences can I provide that my competition cannot?
Create a strong brand image.
A strong brand image can be interpreted as how your customers experience your place or website, how they view your advertising, or how they interact with your services.
Make technology your best friend.
Starting a business is the easiest part. Running it successfully is another thing altogether. To run your business successfully, adopt technology and make efficient use of it. Is a big deal. Consider business software to manage your accounts.
The travel industry is set to boom, especially after the pandemic that the world is currently facing. Make hay while the sun shines!
