The opportunity to establish a home office travel agency allows an individual the freedom of being their own boss, working in an occupation that they love, and earning an income in the process.
Launching a successful travel agency, however, takes more than passion for traveling half the globe. It is a comprehensive process of decision making that requires adequate understanding of the industry and marketing goals. In this step by step guide, we will help you get started with all the information that is required to start a home based travel agency business from scratch.
Understand the Travel Industry and Your Niche
Before starting a home-based travel agency, there are certain aspects about the travel business you need to consider. One of the effective ways to make your travel business unique is by focusing on the particular niche, including luxury travel, adventurous travel, and honeymoon and weddings travel. Identifying a particular trend in the field and choosing the segment of work with which you are interested and knowledgeable will enable you to build a reliable client base of individuals in need of personalized services.
Invest in Travel Agent Training
On your journey to becoming a travel agent from home, putting your best foot forward through proper certification is wise. There exist various accreditation programs and they offer various courses that make students familiar with best practices, customer relations, and computer systems. Another activity, general knowledge about the booking systems such as Amadeus or Sabre is a factor that cannot be overlooked in the process. Skills of how to use tools such as these are taught in travel agent training programs.
Establish Your Home Office
The next step to becoming a travel agent from home is assigning an area of your home to be the official workplace. This is essential when starting and running your home-based travel agency business. Specific items to include in your home office are a business computer, fast internet connection, and a phone line for business use only. For punctuality, you should also use business software for the organization of client appointments and reservations. This should also notify you about deadlines and follow-ups.
Partner with Travel Suppliers and Networks
By having affiliations with travel suppliers like airline companies, cruise companies, and tour companies, you will be able to enjoy special promotions and commissions. It is also ideal to enter a cooperation with one or another host agency. Another option is to become a member of a host agency since it allows attracting clients from a wide range of sources, obtaining access to promotion materials, and utilizing the contractor’s relationships with key suppliers.
Focus on Marketing and Networking
A final step to becoming a travel agent from home is to build a website or a blog where people can see your competence in traveling and the services that you are providing. Both Instagram and Facebook are suitable for advertising travel packages and sharing the feedback of the clients. Creating a mailing list where you will be sending hints and tips for travelers, promoting your services, and posting information about various places. This will also contribute to expanding your client list.
Networking is equally paramount. Participate in travel industry exhibitions and conferences, online and offline, in order to make contacts with possible customers and partners. Word-of-mouth advertising can also be effective, but it is always important to ensure that all customers are served right.