It is no secret that when a client of a travel agency, purchasing a tour, receives well-prepared documents and complete information about the tour, he feels more comfortable and trusts the chosen agency more. Also, the travel agency, having spent considerable funds to attract this client to himself, keeping full information about him, can later use it to re-attract the old client to himself. It is known that the costs in this case are four times lower than the initial ones!
An important component of the success of any company should not be missed - financial management and planning. The stability of the development of the travel agency and the absence of financial shocks are cherished dream many companies. How to achieve this? Systematized management of work with customers, suppliers and inner work company gives the desired result.
How can you achieve systematization of company management? The answer is quite simple - with the help of the introduction of modern technology of automated control.
Modern technology nowadays can be bought in ready-made and implement, that is, adjust for yourself. The cost of implementation depends on the complexity of the system. To begin with, you can implement a simple and inexpensive automated accounting system. For example, a system for prompt entry of information about applications (orders) of customers, extracts of all required documents(booking list, contract, TUR-1 or spa voucher, invoice, receipt :), prompt receipt of sales reports. Further, you can complicate the system by adding prompt booking of seats, accounting for mutual settlements with suppliers, and communication with accounting.
It is possible to immediately install a unified accounting system, both operational and financial, and in two sections - managerial and accounting. With the use of flexible separation of access rights and visibility of information, managers have access to only their part of the system, and accountants - their part. Naturally, company executives see all the information and can monitor the work of managers from their computer. Since the operational input of information is carried out in unified system, then you can see who works and how: the number of entered applications, confirmed, paid by the client, paid to the supplier, closed, income for each application. Through the system reports, the manager sees the performance of each manager and department. Detailing can be set for each tourist and each component of the tour. For any client, you can see the history of his calls and payments.
In a single system, managers can immediately see whether their application is paid or not, the amount of payment. The accounting department immediately receives the original information and does not waste time re-entering the same data. All information is divided according to access rules, and the manager will not see unnecessary information. Accordingly, there is no need to separate the databases, which inevitably leads to input errors, slow operation and the resulting problems.
After the main tasks of the systematized management of a travel agency have been solved - managing work with clients, with suppliers and internal activities company, you can start expanding the system.
Ultimately all necessary information beautifully printed. Clients will be given the entire set of necessary documents, suppliers - relevant reports, and for the state - all reports of the established form will be printed.
Even latest technology in the company after its implementation must be constantly improved so as not to become obsolete. Therefore, the management system must be flexible and customizable so that it can be improved from the inside. The 1C:Enterprise system, on which the 1C-Rarus:Travel Agency standard solution is built, is an open and flexible system. Using a powerful built-in programming language and the ability to communicate with any external systems can be built automated system management of any complexity.
PC "SAMO-TourAgent" - agency automation
Automation of the work of travel agencies usually comes down to the operational accounting of tours ordered by tourists, payments made with customers and partners, and printing of all necessary documents.
To automate a single travel agency, it is necessary to use software based on the use of a database that accumulates all working data in a single repository. This is necessary to receive reports on the work of the agency at any time. In addition to the database, it is also necessary to have a program with a convenient user interface, acceptable speed, and configuration of system parameters related to the company's activities. These parameters primarily include text and appearance printed documents generated on the basis of operational data, as well as the ability to manage access rights to various system data.
With the automation of network agencies, the situation is somewhat more complicated. Network agencies from a legal point of view can be of various types: one company with several sales offices, a network of individual agencies under a common logo (franchisee): The management of network agencies periodically needs operational reporting on the activities of the entire network. Such reporting can only be provided if all data is stored in a single repository.
The technical side of automation of network agencies should in a certain sense be intertwined with the type of network. If it is easy enough to automate a separate agency by connecting it to the central office's unified database server via Internet channels, then it is impossible to do this with a franchisee. Communication problems with the database server will immediately lead to the paralysis of the work of an individual agency. In the case of a franchisee, this is a disruption of the work of one company due to the problems of another company. The solution is possible only through the use of a local working database in a separate office, which eliminates the dependence of the agency on the work of the data transmission channel, with copying all the entered data to the central office (the data transmission channel is used quite rarely compared to a permanent connection - once an hour, once a day, the frequency is chosen by the parent company). But behind the advantages, there are also disadvantages. The central office server stores a single database collected from individual agencies. The central office can only passively monitor the work of the agency. It is technically very difficult to implement the active behavior of the central office in relation to the child.
It is much better to automate the points of sale of one company using a central database and constant communication channels with the server. Such a network construction allows much more efficient data management (applications, payments, access rights, etc.), and reporting on work (if there are necessary access rights) in any office.
Separately, I want to say about the setting printed forms automation programs. The fact that each individual agency has its own text of the contract with the client already makes the program have a flexible tool for setting up all printing forms. Print forms should be customized to the point where it is no longer necessary to write something in documents by hand.
On the this moment"SAMO-Soft" company has developed several types of software for automation of travel agencies that implements all of the above technological points: for a separate travel agency - this is a software package (PC) "SAMO-TourAgent" for an agency with several points of sale - PC "SAMO-TourAgent SQLNet" for a network of individual agencies associated with a central office, - PC "SAMO-TourAgent SQLHybrid".
The last two versions use a more powerful DBMS MS SQL Server 2000. Compared to the MS Access version (for individual agencies), this database format allows you to handle a large amount of information at significantly higher speeds.
FastReport - a tool included in the software systems"SAMO-TourAgent" is intended for building reports and printables and contains a visual designer (i.e. a constructor with various components) for changing existing ones (setting fonts, static text) and creating your own printables.
Despite the apparent complexity of the technologies used in the creation of the complex, the end user works with a convenient, easy-to-understand program interface, all technical aspects of the work are hidden from the user's eyes. Once configured, the program then works with its database without distracting agency managers from work.
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Documentation of the relationship between the travel agency and the client
An important element of customer service is the documentation of relationships. The documents can be divided into three groups:
1. documents for the order (order, booking sheet, booking confirmation);
2. documents for the client (contract, voucher, voucher, memo, insurance policy, transport ticket);
3. documents confirming the identity of the tourist (passport, power of attorney for children, etc.);
The list of documents in relation to a particular tour depends on many factors: a set of services, type of tour, country of destination, individual or group tour, presence of young children, and so on, and must comply with legal documents Ukraine and host country (countries) (7, 13).
Order documents
The application of a tourist (a group of tourists) for booking a tour must be made on a special form. The application contains information about the intention to purchase certain travel services.
Due to the fact that many travel agencies provide customers with the opportunity to pay in installments, the terminology used in the above document depends on its legal status. If the advance payment is determined in advance, then the application is recognized as preliminary contract, on the basis of which the main contract will be concluded in the future, while the preliminary one may be deprived of legal force or included in the main one. If the advance payment is recognized as a deposit, the presence of the deposit indicates the conclusion of an agreement - a transaction, as a result of which another agreement is not required.
The booking sheet is actually an application from a travel agency for the provision of travel services by a tour operator.
According to the law of the Russian Federation "On tourism", the sale of a tourist product is carried out on the basis of an agreement.
Documents for the client
Tourist service contract
The contract provides for the provision by a tour operator or travel agent for a certain fee of a tourist service or a complex of tourist services to a tourist.
The contract is concluded in writing or electronic form according to the contract. The contract can be concluded by issuing a voucher. Prior to the conclusion of the contract, the tourist must be provided with the following information: 1) requirements for the execution of documents (passport, visa) for entry / exit to the country of temporary arrival and the timing of their execution.
2) medical warnings
3) tour operator (travel agent), its location, details, license and certificates
4) the amount of financial security of the tour operator or travel agent or institution that will provide a loan in case of bankruptcy.
Information must be provided to the client at his request
reliable information about the consumer properties of the tourist product, including information about the program of stay and the route of travel, about the safety conditions of tourists, about the results of certification of the tourist product; - date and time of the beginning and end of the trip, its duration; - the order of meeting, seeing off and escorting tourists; - rights, duties and responsibilities of the parties; - the retail price of the tourist product and the procedure for its payment; - the minimum number of tourists in the group, the period for informing the tourist that the trip will not take place due to the shortage of the group; - the conditions for changing and terminating the contract, the procedure for settling disputes that have arisen in connection with this and indemnifying the parties; - the procedure and terms for presenting claims by the tourist.
Each party to the contract may amend the contract, demand termination of the contract due to changes in circumstances.
Significant circumstances include: 1) deterioration in travel conditions, travel time, 2) an increase in transport tariffs, 3) the introduction of new tax rates and other fees, 4) a sharp change in the exchange rate, 5) other circumstances under the agreement of the parties.
The tourist may refuse to fulfill the contract before the start of the trip, subject to payment to the tour operator or travel agent of the costs provided before this message. The tour operator or travel agent may refuse to fulfill the contract if it fully compensates the tourist's expenses.
The quality of services must comply with the terms of the contract.
Price change due to force majeure not later than 10 days before the start of the tour, if the duration is more than 10 days. For 5 days if the duration is from 2 to 10 days. For 48 hours if the duration is 1 day. In this case, the increase in value should not exceed 5%. In cases where 5% is exceeded, the tourist has the right to refuse.
The tour operator (travel agent) may limit his liability in the contract to the amount of the double cost of the tour product, if he alone is responsible for violations by the partners. The rights and obligations of the parties are specified in the contract. Responsibility for violations is determined in accordance with applicable law. An integral annex to the contract between the company and the client when selling a tour, in accordance with the above law, is a tourist voucher or tour voucher.
A tour package is a document confirming the transfer of a tourist product. In accordance with the law, a tour package is a written acceptance of the offer of a tour operator or travel agent for the sale of a tourist product and an integral part of the contract, as well as a primary accounting document of the tour operator or travel agent.
A tour voucher is a document that establishes the right of a tourist to the services included in the tour and confirms the fact of their transfer. The voucher is official document, which the sending company issues to tourists - individuals or group leaders as confirmation of their right to receive the services listed in it from the host company. Upon arrival of the tourist at the destination, the voucher is handed over to the receiving party.
According to the Russian Federation "On Protection of Consumer Rights" and "On Tourism", a tourist must be provided with reliable and complete information about the upcoming trip. Therefore, the set of mandatory documents issued to the client includes an information sheet and, if necessary, other documents (program, itinerary of stay, brochures, catalogs, metro map, and so on). Some embassies of developed countries have introduced a requirement for compulsory insurance in order to obtain an entry visa.
When traveling to countries that are unfavorable in relation to especially dangerous diseases (plague, cholera, yellow fever, etc.), tourists should be issued a “Memo to citizens leaving for countries that are especially unfavorable in terms of dangerous infections". The memo must be certified by the operator and agent, in addition, it must be equipped with a hologram.
Voucher - a document that is a guarantee for a tourist to receive a paid service or a set of services from a tourist activity entity. In accordance with the law "On Tourism", a voucher is a document strict accountability, that is, it needs to be accounted for and stored in accordance with the procedures prescribed by law. When concluding contracts that provide for the use of vouchers as a form of contract for the provision of tourist services, samples of vouchers are annexes to contracts.
The use of vouchers is mandatory for all subjects of tourism activities, unless it is stipulated in the contracts.
When providing a tourist with a separate service, which is confirmed by another document (insurance policy, ticket) or a set of services with the above documents, the use of a voucher is not necessary.
Voucher forms are filled in: provision of services on the territory of Russia - in Russian, provision of services abroad - in the language provided for in the contract.
Voucher forms are filled out in legible handwriting or by computer. When filling out the form, filling in all the data specified in Article 23 is mandatory. The voucher is filled in 3 copies, the information entered in the voucher must be identical in all copies. The first and second copies are given to the tourist, the third remains with the subject of tourism activity. Foreign tourists who entered Ukraine in the absence of the original can provide a photocopy or an electronic version. At the request of a tourist traveling in a group, a voucher can be issued individually. All copies of vouchers are filled with the signature of the head of the subject of tourism activity and sealed. A voucher with corrections, blank and without a signature is considered invalid.
The technology of calculating the travel agency with customers
Deposit and final payment
When booking a tour, in order to reserve a seat for you, you must pay a non-refundable deposit in case of cancellation of the trip. The deposit is an integral part of the total cost of the trip, which must be paid no later than 45 days before departure. The admission of tourists to participate in the trip is carried out upon presentation of a special voucher confirming 100 percent payment.
Payment is considered final only upon receipt by the tour operator.
Opt Out
If the cancellation of the trip is made 45 days before departure, then the preliminary deposit (maximum 20% of the total cost) is not refundable. If the cancellation is made less than 45 days in advance, then the following penalties are deducted from the paid tour cost: 20% of the cost for 45-16 days. For 15-1 days 35% of the cost. Less than 1 day 100% of the cost. In the event that the tourist requested a change in the date and time of departure, depending on the time remaining until departure, the airline operating the flight may impose additional fines
Reservation change fee
In each case of changing the booking conditions at the request of the tourist, a one-time transaction fee of $20 is charged. Changes in date and time less than 45 days before departure are considered to be a cancellation of participation in the tour, followed by a new order. The above penalties apply. As a rule, tourists book a trip 1-3 weeks in advance, while paying the full cost immediately.
Work with claims
The client initially sets out claims to the company, most often by phone, referring to the manager who has concluded an agreement with him. The manager must listen carefully to the client, understand the essence of the conflict that has arisen and make every effort to “repay” conflict situation. The task of the manager in such cases is to try to prevent the company from receiving a claim in writing. If the client still applied to the firm with a written claim, the claim is subject to consideration within 10 days after its receipt.
Procedure for consideration of claims
1. The claim is made in writing addressed to the director of the company. The claim must contain all the facts of violation of the program or changes in the terms of the contract. The claim is presented for review by the manager in the direction, who gives an oral comment to the client.
2. Claims are registered by the company secretary in a special claims register. When registering, a mark is made on the number of pages of documents attached to the claim.
3. The claim must be registered in the host country by a representative of the host country or the accompanying group. If the claim was not registered, the client must give a written explanation indicating the reason why he did not file a claim at the time of its occurrence.
4. The claim must contain the client's data (full name, home address and contact phone number) and attached copies of documents confirming the purchase of a tourist voucher.
5. The registered claim is submitted to the head of the company for consideration on the same day.
6. The head of the company no later than the next day submits the claim to the manager responsible for the performance of the service.
7. The manager responsible for the performance of the service considers the claim within three days, takes all measures to fully investigate the causes of the claim. Upon completion of work with the claim, the manager submits to the head of the company a reasoned opinion on the content of the claim and proposals for its satisfaction or a refusal to satisfy it.
8. The following documents must be attached to the conclusion: - an agreement with the client on the provision of tourist services; - ticket; - Receipt of payment; - tour program prescribed with the client; - copies of air tickets.
Together with the documents, the conclusion is accompanied by: - explanatory notes of the employees of the company related to the occurrence of the claim; - report of the group escort or information from the host; - calculation of the amount returned to the client, compiled jointly with the financial and economic department of the company, if the conclusion contains proposals for full or partial satisfaction of the claim.
9. The head of the company considers the claim within five days; at its discretion, requests the necessary right decision the documents; in case of difficulty, contact the firm's lawyer for advice.
10. The final decision on the merits of the claim shall be made in writing and sent to the customer's name by registered mail with notification of receipt of the claim to the specified address. In some cases, the head of the company can inform the client about his decision by phone.
11. In case of agreement with the amount of the returned amount, the client can personally receive it at a time convenient for him, but no later than the day specified by the company. To receive a refund, the client must have a passport with him.
12. In the case when the refunded amount is received by the client's authorized representative, a notarized power of attorney in his name is required.
13. The client writes an application addressed to the head of the company, where he indicates that the dispute with the company has been settled and there are no claims against the company.
14. The receipt of payment for the tour is handed over by the client to the cash desk of the company.
15. The client's claim, the response to the claim with a postal receipt, as well as documents related to the consideration of the claim, are stored in the office of the company in accordance with the rules of office work.
Travel business.
Travel agencies in Russia
The development of the tourism business within the country - the trend of 2014-2018
First steps in organization
Travel agency from scratch:
Features of the tourism business in Russia:
Who is a tour operator?
What is the amount of authorized capital for a travel agency?
Do I need a license for a travel agency for tourism activities?
Form of activity and taxes for a travel agency.
What holiday destinations for Russians are in demand?
How much does a travel agency get paid?
How much does a travel agency make on average?
legal documents governing the activities of travel agencies.
How many Russians go abroad on vacation?
How to open a franchise travel agency in Russia?
Relations between tour operators and travel agencies. Where does the travel agency buy tours?
Organization and management of tourism business.
room
Equipment
Staff
Marketing:
Advertising - customer search
Sales of products
Financial plan:
Investments
Payback
No. 1 Rest within the country, organization of rest in your region
№2 Organization of exotic tours with an annual turnover of about 10,000,000 rubles
№3 Own mini business organization of youth recreation in your city
№4 How to make money without having a travel agency?
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Travel business.
Travel agencies in Russia.
Today in Russia there are about 15,000 travel agencies operating in the tourist services market, of which 500 are the largest and about 2,500 are tour operators.
And the first travel agencies appeared in Russia in the late 80s and early 90s. After 1993, a boom in the development of the tourism business begins, more and more new travel agencies appear with a variety of offers. This direction is seen by many entrepreneurs as an unplowed field and a fairly easy business. But the 1998 crisis put everything in its place, since most of the agencies simply did not survive the hard time, these were usually those firms who sold their tours at dumping prices and did not accumulate financial reserves. Those who were able to survive the troubled times today are the largest in Russia.
After 2000, the state's economy began to recover and at the same time the income of the population grew. In this regard, a new round of development took place in the tourism business, travel agencies of various formats began to reopen. But, despite the more or less favorable time, about 40% of the newly opened travel agencies continue to close, having not worked even three years, this trend continues to this day. What are the reasons for this situation? And what are the main mistakes of new travel agencies? We will try to understand in our article.
The development of the tourism business within the country - the trend of 2014-2018
To date, there is no doubt that the trend of development of the tourism business within our country has already begun. In fact, a lot of money is being invested in the development of certain regions, which look very attractive in terms of tourism and recreation. Successfully held Olympiad in Sochi-2014 can serve as confirmation of this. The state, along with private investors, invested a large amount in the construction of Olympic facilities and in the infrastructure of the entire surrounding area. After the Olympics, these sights advertised all over the world became accessible to ordinary people.
Also, immediately after the Olympiad, due to a number of circumstances, Crimea and Sevastopol returned to Russia, these are excellent places for summer holidays, and as soon as the situation in Ukraine normalizes, a bridge will be built on the peninsula, then the main tourists will be drawn. By the way, the state has already launched a low-cost air flight from Moscow to Simferopol, it is called "Dobrolet" and tickets there are 40% cheaper.
A sharp rise in patriotism recent times It will also undoubtedly have a positive effect on the development of the tourism business within the country.
It is also worth mentioning the upcoming World Cup, which will be held in our country in 2018. By this time, the state promises to work on the creation of infrastructure in those cities where the festive events dedicated to football will be held.
In Russia, there are many destinations for tourism and recreation, and in addition to the south. In general, in our country there is everything - Seas and rivers and mountains and steppes and taiga, and desert, etc. You can relax in Russia on the beach and at ski resorts and for educational and therapeutic purposes, outdoor activities, hunting, fishing, everything is there, but one problem that prevents all this from developing at the pace you would like is infrastructure.
Within our country, the priority is rest in cities, sanatorium and resort rest, river tours, tours along the Golden Ring. All this is happening in the central part of our country, the eastern regions are less in demand in this respect, but Putin invited our European friends to come to Siberia for firewood.
The leading travel agencies of our country call Moscow and St. Petersburg a priority, it is believed that this is not a plowed field, since in these cities something new is constantly appearing that can attract tourists, as an example, youth hotels - hostels, in which young people gather in large groups for parties, the price of accommodation in a hostel is much lower than in ordinary hotels, and the profit is obtained due to the mass character of the client.
Also, in many regions, agricultural tourism began to develop, this type of recreation helps to plunge into the origins of one's ancestors, this type of tourism does not require special investments. Agricultural or otherwise green tourism is already a feature of the tourism business in
Russia, we smoothly move on to the next topic.
The first steps in organizing a travel agency from scratch:
Features of the tourism business in Russia.
Who is a tour operator?
A tour operator is a company that creates the product of a service in the tourism market. The tour operator interacts with hoteliers, carriers, insurance companies. Large tour operators have buses and their own rooms in some hotels on the balance sheet of their company. Guides accompanying during the holidays work in the state. Simply put, the tour operator creates a wholesale product, retail sales handled by a travel agency.
What is the amount of authorized capital for a travel agency?
To open a travel agency, the authorized capital remains at the level of 10,000 rubles.
Do I need a license for a travel agency for tourism activities?
The license to provide tourist services was canceled in 2007. To date, a license is not required, only tour operators remain in the register, who create the product itself, and the travel agency only sells it.
Form of activity and taxes for a travel agency.
It is definitely better to choose an LLC, since the client has more confidence in firms than in individual entrepreneurs, and in the tourism business, client confidence is the key to success.
Taxation for a travel agency today is possible only according to the "simplified", but it is offered in two versions:
- Or 6% of income
- Or from the difference between income and expenses of 15%
It is better to choose the second option, since the costs can be written off for staff training, including trips to study tours, as well as high advertising costs.
What holiday destinations for Russians are in demand?
To date, the situation on the market has not changed much; over the past 5 years, the picture looks something like this:
How much does a travel agency get paid?
On average, the remuneration for large tour operators is 10%, but in general there are fluctuations in the market from 5% to 16%, it depends on how long the travel agency has been operating and how many tours it sells. The more sales, the higher the percentage of profit. The tour operator recalculates the profit for each agency every six months.
How much does a travel agency make on average?
It is customary to calculate the profit of a travel agency not for a month or even for six months, but once a year. The calculation of annual profitability is due to the seasonality of this business.
On the Internet, there are many all sorts of figures for travel agencies earning from 200,000 to 3,000,000 rubles.
But here the question is different: “How many tours can you sell?”
Let's say you work together - you and two managers, you want yourself a salary - 30,000 rubles. per month, 2 managers for 20,000 rubles. + rent, telephone, Internet 30,000 rubles per month, + advertising 5,000 rubles per month. (I do not consider taxes, accounting services and other expenses)
As a result, you need: 1,260,000 rubles of expenses per year.
Let's say the price of the average sold tour will be 50,000 rubles, your reward is 10%, that is, 5,000 rubles.
Question: How many tours do you need to sell to earn at least 1,260,000 rubles a year?
Answer: 252 rounds. Based on the calculation, each of your managers must sell at least 126 tours per year!
Legal documents regulating the activities of travel agencies.
- At the opening - KVED No. 53.30 - "Activity of travel agencies".
- Tax reporting according to documents for a simplified taxation system
- Between the tour operator and the travel agency - agency agreement, commission agreement
How many Russians go abroad for holidays?
For several years, the number of Russians traveling abroad has been gradually increasing and today it is about 15 million trips a year. The Rostourism website has all the data. Here, for example, is a table of the top 50 tourist countries with the number of visits:
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How to open a franchise travel agency in Russia?
Opening your own franchise travel agency looks quite attractive, as today there is a sufficient selection of firms that are willing to sell their franchise at quite reasonable prices. Investments in a franchise business start at 250,000 rubles and end at around 600,000 rubles. By purchasing a franchise, you get a number of advantages over your competitors.Here are some of them that franchisors offer:
- Increased remuneration rate from tour operators
- Possibly territorial protection within your city or part of it
- The franchisor's software will be installed on your computers
- The franchisor can regularly conduct advertising campaigns for the entire network
- Often the franchisor has a number like 8-800 with the redistribution of calls to the regions and receives calls around the clock, including from your customers
- You can be provided with legal and accounting assistance as part of your work
- The franchisor conducts training and advanced training courses for your managers
- You will get access to a common database of corporate documents, reports and knowledge
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But do not assume that all franchisors franchise their business right and left, they also have a number of their own requirements and business visions, constantly monitor and monitor how you serve your customers. Since they are responsible for this with their prestige.
Frequent requirements from franchisors to entrepreneurs:
- Presence of an office on the 1st line of the central streets
- The area is about 20 m2 with a good repair, and sometimes with a corporate style renovation
- Possibly convenient car parking
- Mandatory sign made in a certain way with a certain design
- And others…
In our opinion, one way or another, before opening a travel agency, you need to consider all possible options, including opening a franchise even if you want to develop your own brand and after the time has passed, also sell franchises for your business.
Relations between tour operators and travel agencies. Where does the travel agency buy tours?
To date, more than 2,500 tour operators are represented in Russia, and it must be said that not all of them have impeccable reputation Therefore, the choice of a partner must be approached carefully.
First you need to visit the Rostourism website, which has lists of tour operators with their data and, most importantly, capitalization, as a rule, the higher it is, the more reliable the partner.
You should also pay attention to how tour operators interact with your customers, whether they have their own guides, vehicles, and possibly even hotel rooms. As a rule, conscientious tour operators work with trusted air carriers and insurance companies. At the places of rest, they provide transportation, assign their guides to groups of tourists, through which you can purchase excursions and consult on various issues of stay and accommodation. Including guides work with tourists, inform them important information, for example, about rescheduling a flight, this is very important!
Then you should look at the presence of representative offices of tour operators in your region, if they are, this will facilitate further work on the document flow, for example, to obtain visas you will not need to send documents to the central office, everything can be done through the representative office.
The beginning of a relationship begins with the conclusion of a contract, in this case this is an agency agreement and a commission agreement under which you receive your percentage from the sale of tours, by the way, this amount is about 10%.
Another important aspect of the relationship between travel agencies and tour operators, which has already happened in practice, is when entire planes rented or delayed flights or unpaid hotels, due to the negligence of the tour operator. And your clients will make claims to you, because you sold this tour to them. So you need to be careful when choosing your partners.
After the conclusion of contracts, you are given the opportunity to access as an agent to the database of all tours of specific tour operators. This access can be carried out both through the software and directly on the site. Through your Personal Area you will book tours for your clients. Also on the Internet there are sites that present the bases of all available tours from all tour operators, through such sites it is most convenient to compare prices.
Organization and management of tourism business.
The organization of a tourism business based on a travel agency must be approached quite carefully and not to lose sight of the main features of the business in order not to make mistakes that lead to the unprofitability of the company and its subsequent closure, as we said above that about 40% of firms do not survive even three years . They are bent in the off season, when the demand for travel is reduced.Step-by-step scheme for opening a travel agency:
The zero stage should be to choose the time to open a travel agency, it is best to open not long before the season in order to have time to conduct an advertising campaign and immediately start earning the first money. The creation of a website for the company, we will also refer here.
The first step in organizing a business should be marketing research your region and city. You must understand how many competitors you will have and what their features are.
The second stage will be the choice of the concept, that is, you can open a travel agency from scratch or buy ready business or open a franchise.
The third step is to find a room. This issue must be approached with all responsibility and not agree to the first options. Your profit depends on the location and convenience for the client.
The fourth stage is the search for partners and the conclusion of contracts. This issue concerns the choice of a tour operator, we discussed it above.
The fifth stage is the search for tour sales managers. This is also a very important point when opening a profitable travel agency. To resolve this issue, there are several options that are most often encountered.
The first option is to search for managers with experience and an already established client base. This option helps to start already having some advantage, but requires an increase in labor costs.
The second option is the selection of managers without work experience, who only have a desire to learn and earn money in the tourism business. This approach allows the leader to independently grow his own staff.
The third option will be mixed, this is the hiring of managers with and without experience. In this case, there is a diversification of the wage fund, which is also not a bad option.
The sixth stage is advertising. Carrying out advertising campaigns eats up a fairly large part of the profits of a travel agency, in some cases up to 40% of the firm's net income. But what to do advertising is the engine of trade. Read more about the behavior of advertising companies below.
Now that your travel agency is open, the advertising campaign has been carried out and the first clients have appeared, it's time to talk about running this business. As a leader, you must clearly understand your responsibilities!
Most often, people decide to open a travel agency who have already worked for hire in such a business and have learned the intricacies of this business, and these are, as a rule, former managers.
But do these managers have team management skills? Not always! And therefore, many salespeople, when opening a travel agency, begin to do their usual business and from the very beginning drive their business into a trap. In order not to make such mistakes, you should move away from the managers at some distance and try to see the work from the outside. You must understand what not a specific client wants, but most clients in general.
The work of travel agencies is to sell the tour to the client as quickly as possible. Because in any city, working travel agencies sell essentially the same tour and for about the same price. Those agencies that dump prices, as a rule, die in the off season, and tour operators do not welcome this method of work. Therefore, the management of a travel agency does not come down to controlling the client, but should control its managers so that they respond to requests as quickly as possible and offer not one option, but several trying to please the client's request. To do this, managers must constantly learn and monitor the situation in the tourism market every day when they come to work. To be able to offer a good tour at the first contact.
The next very important point is working with regular customers. A separate folder should be created for each client, where the maximum amount of information will be stored up to his relatives and his preferences. Let's say there are people who do not change their habits and every year fly, for example, to Turkey in July, in this regard, why don't you offer a tour at a bargain price in May.
In addition to working with managers, your task will include planning or, in other words, strategic planning. Strategic planning- these are calculations of assumptions for the future, how the situation will develop and how you will act. To begin with, you should come up with questions that may arise in the course of your work and try to answer them, for example, what will our travel agency do in the off season? How many tours do I plan to sell this year? And for the next one? What will I do if clients sue me? What promotions and when will we hold? How much do we plan to spend on advertising this year?
For each such question, you must provide a clear answer, for example: “What if a law on the mandatory authorized capital for travel agencies is issued, say, 2,000,000 rubles ???” Answer: "To unite with the same as our travel agency and chip off ..."
All this is called business planning, which the tour sales manager may not know, but the travel agency manager should definitely know and be able to put into practice.
Travel agency space.
About the premises for a travel agency, it was said in this article above and will be said even lower, in this section we will say that:
There are no special requirements, except for convenience for the client and aesthetic appearance, to the office of the travel agency.
The choice of premises is reduced to:
- Acceptable price
- Location closer to the center
- Possibly human flows
- Availability of minimal amenities for staff
- Availability of telephone and internet lines
In any case, when renting an office, repairs, even cosmetic ones, will be necessary, so at least 50,000 rubles should be allocated for this case.
Travel agency equipment.
After the repair is done and the room is ready for work, equipment should be purchased.
The choice of equipment for a travel agency should be approached carefully enough, on the one hand, all equipment must be functional, on the other hand, to please the eyes of your customers.
The main types of equipment for a small travel agency:
- Furniture.
- Office equipment.
- Advertising and information products.
- Office.
Furniture should be functional, comfortable and beautiful.
To open a small travel agency with a staff of 2 managers and a manager, you will need:
Tables with cabinets - 3 pcs. for 15,000 rubles.
Chairs - 3 pieces (staff) for 7,000 rubles, 6 pieces (clients) for 3,000 rubles.
Sofa for clients - 1 pc. 25 000 rub.
Coffee table - 1 pc. 7 000 rub.
Style - 1 pc. storage advertising products 12 000 rub.
Total for furniture: 128,000 rubles.
Additionally, you can install an aquarium, which is another 30,000 to 300,000 rubles.
Office equipment should be functional and fast.
Computer -3pcs. for 30,000 rubles.
Fax -1pc. 3000 rub.
Printer-scanner -2 pcs. 5000 rubles each
Phone - 2 pcs. for 1500 rubles.
Total office equipment: 106,000 rubles.
Additionally, you can install a projector or a plasma TV, or at least an additional monitor for the convenience of presentations, which is another 15,000 to 50,000 rubles.
Advertising and information products must be presented in sufficient volume, according to the client, the longer the travel agency has been operating, the more promotional products it has.
World map on the wall - 2000 rubles.
Magazines catalogs - 20 000 rubles.
Add. Waste paper - 5000 rubles.
Total for advertising products: 27,000 rubles.
We refer to the office: paper, pens, felt-tip pens, staplers, paper clips, folders, files, etc.
Stationery costs: about 10,000 rubles.
Additionally, you can purchase magnetic boards for the convenience of training or presentations within the company.
Also, do not forget about the shelves on which you will display small gifts that your satisfied customers brought you from tour trips.
The total result for equipment without additional amenities: 271,000 rubles.
Travel agency staff.
The presence and number of staff working in a travel company can be very different. If you have a mini travel agency, then in the first couple you can organize all the processes yourself, over time you need to expand the staff in favor of tour package sales managers.
For an average travel agency, five people are enough, of which:
- director is you
- Two managers - sale of tours
- Accountant - reporting
- System administrator - website promotion
Of these people, only the director and managers can work permanently in the office, the rest can work remotely. This concept will help save on office rent.
What are the requirements for the staff of a travel agency?
It is impossible to name special requirements, since it depends only on the desires of the manager, meaning the presence higher education and work experience.
Mandatory is: knowledge of one's work, in particular, this applies to an accountant and a system administrator.
From managers the desire to work to develop and earn. Also, a frequent requirement for managers from the employer is the presence of a pleasant appearance and charm.
First of all, managers and sales managers of tours should be trained in the tourism business. What do you need to know?
For managers:
- Strategic planning
- Reporting
- Control of the work of managers
- Interaction with competitors
- Working with partners
- Work to attract and retain customers
For managers:
- Market research of the tourism industry
- Search and selection of tours
- Preparation of tour packages
- Reporting
- Sale of tours by phone
- Sale of tours in the office in person
A good training can be obtained by opening a franchise travel agency, this topic has been discussed a little higher. Part of the necessary training can be obtained by communicating directly with hoteliers and guides via the Internet. A good experience can be gained from communicating with customers after the trip. The extraction of information for training also has a rather creative approach, like the whole business as a whole.
Marketing.
Travel agency advertisement.
Travel agency advertising is one of the most complex and interesting types of advertising in this business, and in no other way is advertising the real engine of sales.
Travel agency promotion is a creative approach to advertising companies. Mandatory is the creation of advertising that has potential customers to rest. Advertising should be bright and memorable!
The first thing a modern travel agency needs is to create its own website and pages in in social networks and in this matter the format of your business is not important, in the sense of small or medium. Advertising on the Internet is mandatory for all travel agencies.
Today's realities require the presence of a modern website, which presents ready-made offers for your destinations. There should be a section for searching and selecting tours with the possibility of booking via the Internet and various payment options, including payment for electronic money.
Do not forget that your site should be constantly updated, providing information of interest to potential customers. It is also nice to have a section with photo reports and stories of your clients who went on vacation through your travel agency, this also indicates that you need to interact and work with clients after they return from vacation.
The site must provide a registration section for users. After registration, the person automatically becomes yours potential client leaving your data for you, in return you must provide him with some exclusive information that will not be available to anonymous visitors. This can be the ability to leave comments on photos and articles, or access to the ability to download information, such as a printed guide, tourist guides, maps, routes, etc.
It is possible to create on the basis of a site and a forum dedicated to recreation and travel. But it is worth mentioning that the development of the forum will require funds from 100,000 rubles, but you will get a lot of potentially interested customers with their registration data.
Many leading travel agencies have been able to create entire social networks based on their websites, in which not only clients, but also hotels, other travel agencies and even large tour operators, as well as many other various companies and individuals who, one way or another, register. spin in the tourism business. Joining in social networks helps to create the convenience and the necessary atmosphere for the development of the tourism business and, of course, provide a large profit to its creator.
Website promotion of a travel agency on the Internet:
- Registration on forums and bulletin boards
- Creation and development of pages in social networks
- Blogging and microblogging
- Constant updating and adding new articles to the site itself
- Order contextual advertising- Yandex Direct, Google Adwords
- Promotion through crowded places - YaP, etc.
- Conducting free mailings from your site - Subscribe, etc.
- Advertising on women's thematic forums also works well, as women are more interested than men and choose a place to relax.
The second very important thing is the offline promotion of your travel agency, practically any type of advertising is also suitable for this.
Newspapers, radio, television will also work, but subject to a number of conditions. The main thing is to provide important interesting and necessary information.
In a newspaper, it is better to order a whole narrative article with your contacts inside it, there must be a headline that arouses the interest of the reader, for example, How to visit Turkey for 10,000 rubles? What awaits the tourist in 2014 in Spain? Interesting places in Europe - top 10, etc.
On the radio, advertising should be creative and memorable; in a short video, you need to interest the listener as much as possible. The question-answer format works well for radio, this is when the question is: “Is it possible to get to the Louvre without a queue?”, The answer is: “the travel agency“ name ”knows how! Contacts, France in your pocket!!!”
Advertising on television today is an expensive format, and it will be difficult for a start-up travel agency to allocate such a budget. With television, it is best to start on the scale of local TV channels, within your city.
Creative people will almost always find the best way out of this rather complicated issue - advertising for a travel agency. One of my acquaintances, who has been in the tourist business for 5 years quite successfully, ordered the manufacture of fridge magnets with the image of the sea and an island with a palm tree, of course, without forgetting to write the name of her company on top and her website on the bottom.
She distributed these magnets by delivering mail to apartments. And I can tell you that such a publicity stunt brought her many new customers. I personally saw at my friends' houses, her magnets are hanging on the refrigerator.
Here is an example of a creative creative approach to advertising a travel agency, in which the minimum investment is no more than 20,000 rubles, and the return is maximum.
Comparing clients who come from online advertising and offline advertising, we can say that clients coming from newspaper, radio and television ads ask the same question: “What can you offer me and what do you have?”. Customers coming from the site are already more aware of the tours you offer and are focused on choosing between several. This facilitates the work of managers, and it is safe to say that the conversion of people coming from the Internet will be higher.
Choosing a name for your travel agency.
The name of the travel agency should be approached very carefully and come up with at least 50 names. From all this, you need to choose the most consonant and memorable!
Here are some examples:
- Rus-tour
- Ali Baba - tour
- Infiniti-tour
- Luxury - tour
- Gambit - tour
- To Berlin
- Three whales
- Seven seas
- three continents
- Atlantis
- heat tour
- Euro tour
You can come up with a lot of names, but try to choose one that can talk about the tours you provide, taking into account future development. And it is possible, in addition to the memorable name, to make it a little bit with humor.
Sales of products.
How is the sale of the tour?
The classic tour sales scheme looks like this:
- The client sees the ad
- Call to the office
- Manager job
- Office Visit
- Manager job
- Purchasing a service
Scheme of selling a tour on the Internet:
- Search either advertising or recommendation of friends
- Website visit and tour selection
- Tour payment
- Getting travel documents
But no matter what chain of tour sales you give, advertising will still come first, so we can definitely say that the sale of tourism business products will depend entirely on advertising.
When writing a business plan in this section, attention should be paid to retaining and developing regular customers and spreading word of mouth.
It is clear that in order to maximize the sales of our tours, we need to have loyal customers who form the key core of our business.
To ensure high sales of products, some travel agencies form their own non-standard tour packages. A tour package is a set of components necessary for a trip.
What is a standard tour package?
The standard tour package includes: visa (if required), honey. insurance, air travel (round trip), transfer to the place of residence, hotel room, meals.
What is a non-standard tour package?
A non-standard tour package differs from a standard one in that it includes additional services, such as excursions, additional services. Maybe the formation of a tour package to visit several countries at once in one trip.
In general, in order to sell your service, you can come up with a truly non-standard tour package and thereby arouse greater interest from customers. Everything will depend on your creativity.
How can a travel agency find and retain loyal customers?
Loyal customers are people whose needs are fully satisfied by your travel agency.
The search for a client should be handled by a marketer, retention - by a manager.
- First of all, the client should be attracted by advertising,
- in the second charm of your manager,
- in the third tour price,
- in the fourth round
At the same time, at all stages, your manager should interact with the client, but this does not mean being intrusive.
You need to communicate with the client and after he returns from the trip, this will help to keep the client, you need to be able to be, if not a friend, then at least a comrade, and then you will undoubtedly gain many regular customers.
In the tourism business, there is such an expression as a deadline - this refers to the sale of last-minute tours as well as possible, since your client will have a certain amount of time for which he must decide to purchase a tour for a trip.
Don't forget about promotions and bonuses regular customers hoteliers will help you with this. In many hotels there are promotions; when visiting again, the client is provided with the best room.
discounts as well essential tool. The discount can be valid when you re-apply to your travel agency, and as part of ongoing promotions - bring a friend. There are also systems cumulative discounts The more trips, the bigger the discount.
You can also provide your discounts to customers who help promote your travel agency on social networks, write articles on forums and other sites, register and post their reports, including photo reports mentioning your company.
There is another example of a profitable opening of a travel agency with a campaign to attract the first customers in a new residential area. Firstly, this approach helps to save on office rent, cheaper than in the center. Secondly, there is little or no competition.
Having opened the aforementioned travel agency, its creators thought about attracting customers. We decided to carry out the action "Passport without a queue", that is, we took over the entire process of issuing passports for the population. And what do you think, there were quite a lot of applicants. Yes, even if such an action is quite stressful and requires additional personnel, but with the competent work of managers, the return can be up to 40% or even more. Let's say you help 3,000 people for free, but sell 1,000 tours, in my opinion, not bad.
Financial plan.
Drawing up a financial plan is prerequisite to start any business. Standard financial plan includes calculations for the estimated initial investment and project payback assumptions with projected profits.
Investments.
Investments in a travel agency are rather small, in connection with this, this business attracts many entrepreneurs. Let's try and calculate the initial investment in a small travel agency.
We will calculate investments for a quarter, that is, the next three months of work. In the future, all items of expenses are planned to be paid from the received profit.
We will divide all investments into four parts:
- Premises for rent
- Purchase of equipment
- payroll fund
- Marketing activities and advertising
Rental of premises for a travel company - a room of 35 sq.m. was found. With already made repairs, at a rental rate of 400 rubles. per 1 sq.m. 14,000 rubles per month. + Internet, phone 3000 rub. For the quarter 51,000 rubles.
Purchase of equipment - above we calculated the minimum set required for a small travel agency, its cost was 271,000 rubles.
Payroll fund - five people will work in our small travel agency together with the head of them, the head himself with a salary of 30,000 rubles. will work in the office and two managers with a salary of 20,000 rubles. + percentage from the sale of tours will also be in the office. An accountant and a system administrator will work remotely with a salary of 20,000 rubles.
The total wage fund for the quarter is: 330,000 rubles.
As a result, our investments in opening a small travel agency amounted to 752,000 rubles.
If you take the minimum and count on an instant return on business, meaning immediately after the first month of work, then you can meet 388,000 rubles. By the way, in the calculations for the payback of the business, we will use this particular figure, since the business should start to at least somehow pay off already from the first month of operation.
Payback.
To calculate the payback of the business, we will use the estimated number of sales of travel packages, as well as use the amount of the average check.
So, we plan to attract our main clients from advertising campaigns, based on the percentage of response we plan to be 0.8% out of 1000 people - 8 will book a tour, respectively, the more money will be spent on advertising, the more customers we will get.
Comparing these data from the calculation, we predict customer acquisition at the level of 600 per year. Based on these figures, we made a norm for managers of 220 tours sold per year, if a manager sells more, he receives an annual bonus, if he sells more, he receives more.
Further - the price of the average tour sold by us is 50,000 rubles, we receive 10% commission, respectively, the amount of the average check is 5,000 rubles.
Annual expenses:
Rent + internet, telephone - 204,000 rubles
Wage fund - 1,320,000 rubles
Advertising - 470,000 rubles
Result: 1,994,000 rubles
Annual income:
220 rounds x2 = 440 rounds multiplied by average check 5 000 rub. = 2,200,000 rubles
Available funds at the end of the year: 2,200,000-1,994,000= 206,000 rubles.
The payback of the travel agency should occur in the first year of its existence, while at the end of the year additional profit should be generated, which will be spent on advertising and paying bonuses, so that profits increase in the second year of operation.
Startups in the tourism business (examples):
No. 1 Recreation within the country, organization of recreation in your area.
Organization of recreation and tourism in your own region is suitable for almost any resident of our country. To do this, you need to show curiosity and activity. Each region has its own attractions that other people want to see. The main thing is to present such a service correctly.
First you need to get a camera, learn how to make nice pictures. Having shown ingenuity and observation, you can pick up a good list of the most beautiful places in your region and region. After that, by means of the Internet, make an advertisement for yourself. We will do advertising for a startup by creating our own blog, forums, portals and of course social networks on the subject: tourism, recreation, photography, attractions, culture, art, etc.
We post the accumulated materials on the Internet under our own authorship and with our own coordinates, while offering our services for organizing, meeting, accompanying and accommodating everyone.
With the right approach, investments in such a startup are equal to zero, and an income of 30,000 rubles per month is guaranteed. Here is the first example of a tourism business from scratch!
№2 Organization of exotic tours with an annual turnover of about 10,000,000 rubles.
To date, the market of tourist services is represented not only by the main destinations for recreation. Many people are already tired of this and want to relax according to an individual program, say, to go where no one or few people have been. As they say, demand creates supply, so there is travel companies who specialize in exotic destinations making up individual itineraries. By the way, the price of an exotic vacation has already added $ 10,000 per tour, and this is quite reasonable!
For example, how many people have conquered Elbrus? Not! What do you think, how many people want to do it? There are many and the number of them is increasing every year! The cost of such an ascent is about $ 20,000. And there are travel agencies that every year gather several groups of exotic vacation lovers (only 20 people a year in total !!!) and make ascents.
We consider: 20 (persons) multiplied by 20,000 dollars (price per person), we get 400,000 dollars, which, translated into rubles, is about 14,000,000 rubles.
And for a startup, you can come up with a lot of such exotic tours in completely different directions and preferences, from relaxation to sports and extreme sports.
№3 Own mini business organization of youth recreation in your city.
One of my acquaintances, a frequenter of city clubs and parties, started his travel business without even suspecting it. Many regular party-goers are familiar with the phrase that the club has the same faces. This situation prompted him to meet people from other cities on the Internet and invite them to parties in his city. When the question of accommodation arose, he began to offer the second room of his apartment for rent. He takes 500 rubles per person, according to him, he didn’t have less than 20,000 rubles just for renting a room a month.
Also in big cities there are mini hotels - youth hostels where many young people come to relax and hang out, find new friends and have a good time. In such hotels, my friend also accommodates groups of young people. He cooperates with the management of the hostel for a percentage.
Recently, famous personalities often come to the clubs of our city with their concerts, which many fans and admirers want to attend, but some uncertainty prevents where to go, where to spend the night, etc.
This is where ingenuity kicks in! In groups of social networks, a friend publishes posters about the upcoming event and offers his services as a "guide" - all inclusive. There are plenty of people who want to!
For these purposes, he pre-books apartments that are rented for a day, do you know these? Such an apartment costs 1500 rubles per day. He settles in them for six people and for the weekend, only from such an apartment he earns 3,000 rubles in his pocket.
In the future, he dreams of building a house for 20 people. So that in just two days off he could earn 20,000 rubles.
№4 How to make money without having a travel agency?
Today, you can start your own startup and make money in the tourism business by selling tours and vouchers without even having your own company and even registering an individual entrepreneur. There are websites of travel agencies that offer ordinary individuals to work on their own behalf. After registration, you will be given access to their database of tours.
Why is it beneficial for travel agencies?
Travel agencies receive a commission from the tour operator from the sale of the tour and the more tours they sell, the higher the commission will be. Attracting individuals, the travel agency increases its sales.
Why is it beneficial to you?
Working in such a scheme, you get the opportunity to engage in the tourism business of selling tours without leaving your home. You also get big commissions working under the wing of a travel agency, today they are ready to pay about 35% of their profits. That is, let's say a travel agency earns 10% of the sale of each tour, let's take average profit from one tour 5,000 rubles. From 5,000 rubles you are paid 35%. We get 1750 rubles profit from one round.
To earn about 20,000 rubles a month, you need to sell about 12 tours.
The advantage of such a business is obvious, you can start developing the tourism business today without investing money in opening your own company. You risk nothing!
First you need to create pages on social networks, perhaps your own website and start promoting on the Internet. Start with your friends and acquaintances. Get the first priceless experience with minimum investment in the tourism business.
Content
Introduction
Section 1. The specifics of the work of a travel company
-
general characteristics travel agencies
Responsibilities of a Travel Manager
Organization of work of travel companies with tour operators
Rules for the work of the staff of a travel company with a client
2.1 The work of a travel agency manager
2.2 Job description order manager
2.3 Ethics of the personnel manager as an integral part of business ethics
Section 3. Consolidation of professional primary skills of a travel agency manager
3.1 Working day of the travel agency manager
3.2 Survey of the travel agency manager
Conclusion
Introduction
Tourism is one of the most important strategic sectors for the development of the economy of Kazakhstan.
Tourism and travel are an integral part of the hospitality industry. Travel is the main theme of tourism. Differences in time, distances, places of residence, purpose and length of stay are all just distinctive elements of tourism. In general, tourism is a multi-purpose phenomenon that simultaneously combines elements of adventure, the romance of distant wanderings, a certain mystery, visiting exotic places and, at the same time, the earthly concerns of entrepreneurship, issues of health, personal safety and the safety of property.
Tourism plays one of the main roles in the global economy, providing a tenth of the world's gross national product. This branch of the economy is developing rapidly and will become its most important sector in the coming years.
Professional practice is an essential part of educational process. It helps to consolidate and expand the knowledge gained in the learning process, allows you to acquire professional skills for independent work in the departments of the enterprise, provides familiarization with the organization of production and the work of the enterprise, acquaintance with the workforce.
The practice was completed at the Oasis-1 travel agency.
The purpose of the practice is this work presents an analytical report on the internship at this enterprise.
The purpose of the report is to diagnose the work performed during the internship, the implementation of practical tasks set during the internship and their solution.
The object of the study is to characterize the activities of the organization in the market of tourist services.
The subject of the study is the activity of the travel agency "Oasis-1" in Astana.
Section 1. The specifics of the work of a travel company
1.1 General characteristics of the travel agency
Travel agency "Oasis-1" is located at Astana, st. Zheltoksan 48/1.
The travel agency was founded in 1996.
Over the past years of successful work, the agency's employees have become the highest professionals in their field. As a travel agency, we have earned a good name and a reliable, positive reputation. The travel agency has diplomas and certificates officially confirming the recognition of the company as a conscientious and successful company. The company's clients know highest quality travel services provided by the agency and come to them again and again, not wanting to change the travel agency.
The mission of the Oasis-1 travel agency is to develop the tourism and hotel business in Kazakhstan, bring the Kazakhstani hospitality industry to a level that meets international standards, increase the investment attractiveness of this sector of the Kazakhstani economy, and maximize the satisfaction of consumers of tourism and hotel services.
The company's strategy is to create a multifunctional travel operator providing a full range of travel and hotel services.
Effective implementation of the company's strategy allows you to mitigate risks and increase profits by constantly improving the quality of services provided.
Organizational structure of management
The organizational structure of the enterprise is shown in the figure.
The management structure of the travel agency "Oasis-1" is a linear-functional management structure.
Rice. 1 - Organizational structure of the agency
Responsibilities among the employees of the company are distributed as follows. The director concludes contracts, gets acquainted with the novelties of the market, participates in the conference, negotiates on the affairs of the agency; is the main manager of financial resources; controls and coordinates the work of the agency, controls all management decisions at all levels of the agency, makes decisions on hiring or firing employees, develops programs to improve internal production relations.Sales managers work in directions.
The accounting department conducts all monetary work at the enterprise, draws up and monitors the execution of contracts, carries out all cash settlements, maintains all accounting documentation and financial statements.
1.2 Responsibilities of the travel agency manager
The duties of a travel agency manager include contacts with travel agencies, market marketing, during which he finds the most profitable firms in terms of payment, terms and quality of work; interaction with airlines for the purchase of air tickets; contacts with an insurance agent; receiving party. He conducts conversations with clients, books air tickets, a hotel for them, draws up insurance and all necessary documents. The travel agency manager must know a lot of information about the country to which he sends people, and sometimes be able to give information on issues unknown to him. To avoid this, there is a division within the company when the manager leads only one or several countries, while he periodically goes on study tours, during which he studies the sights of the country and its hotels.
In tourism, more often than in other areas, various "production" inconsistencies and force majeure occur due to the illiterate work of cooperating firms and due to circumstances beyond their control. The plane may not take off, tourists may not be released by particularly strict customs, as, for example, in Israel, the host country may “forget” to meet tourists who, in a new country for them, without knowing the language, will be completely disoriented; the airline can place parents and their young child on different planes and the like. Therefore, the manager must have a high resistance to stress and be able to quickly resolve the situation without leaving the working rhythm. Often people working in such firms are "fanatics" in this area and will not leave to work in another area, even for high wages.
Managers working in tour operator companies: develop routes, make excursion programs and plans for entertainment events; book rooms in hotels, buy tickets for regular flights and organize charter flights; negotiate with the host; are engaged in registration of insurances and visas; form tour packages; conclude contracts with travel agencies; participate in advertising campaigns; in the event of conflict situations, they contact representatives of the host and try to resolve them in favor of the client.
The duties of a travel agency manager include: receiving calls, advising (including by phone), market research and selection of a tour in accordance with the client's requests, interaction with managers from tour operator companies, drawing up an agreement with the client.
70% of the working time in a travel agency is spent communicating with clients. A closed, notorious, taciturn person will not be able to sell a single ticket. You need to be cheerful, attentive and charming. A professional paints the beauty of an overseas resort and knows how to listen to the client.
It is very important for a manager to be able to quickly resolve a negative situation without losing the working rhythm. After all, the problem of one tourist should not affect others.
Often, when traveling on promotional tours in just a week, you need to see a lot of hotels, their number of rooms, infrastructure, evaluate excursion programs, and explore the sights of the country. Here it is necessary to have not only a tenacious memory, but to write down everything and structure observations. This will come in handy later, when the questions of meticulous customers will fall down.
The manager of a travel agency should know: normative legal documents regulating the implementation of tourism activities; fundamentals of marketing and advertising; geography of the countries of the world; foreign language(or languages); ordering requirements; rules for issuing travel documentation (contracts, vouchers, insurance policies, etc.); ethics of business communication; order processing technology using computers.
The duties of the tourism manager include interaction with airlines, contacts with insurance and advertising agencies. This specialist should not only know, but also be able to tell the client in an interesting way about the country to which the trip is planned. For employees of the tourism business, not only organization and communication skills are important, but also high stress resistance, the ability to quickly resolve force majeure situations.
1. The manager (agent) of a travel agency belongs to the category of technical performers.
2. Appointment and dismissal of a tourism manager is made by order of the head of the organization.
3. The tourism manager must know:
geography of the countries of the world;
the procedure for drawing up contracts and concluding contracts for the implementation of tours;
rules for booking tickets and services;
schemes of work with hotels, hotels, carrier companies (air, rail, bus, cruise, etc.), other organizations;
fundamentals of tourism law;
foreign language.
rules for issuing tourist documentation (tourist vouchers, vouchers, insurance policies, etc.);
methods of information processing using modern technical means of communication and communication, computers;
reporting methods.
4. Job responsibilities:
offer the client the available choice of options for recreation, give recommendations and advice on choosing vacation spots, advise the client on the features of the socio-demographic and climatic conditions of the vacation spot;
carry out mini-advertising of the chosen place, describe its advantages and benefits;
provide guides, maps, diagrams, plans of the area;
conclude a contract for the provision of tourist services;
organize interaction with transport enterprises, hotels and travel agencies;
give the necessary recommendations on compliance with safety rules in the host country (region);
draw up the necessary travel documents.
5. The tourism manager has the right to:
get acquainted with the documents that define his rights and obligations in his position, criteria for assessing the quality of performance official duties;
submit proposals for the management to improve the work related to the responsibilities provided for in this instruction;
require management to ensure organizational and technical conditions and execution of established documents necessary for the performance of official duties.
1.3 Organization of work of travel companies with tour operators
Tourist and excursion organizations are engaged in compiling and selling tours - travel agencies, travel agencies, travel agencies, etc. From the point of view of the type of business in the tourism market, all tourist and excursion organizations can be divided into travel agencies and tourist operators.
The terms "travel agent" and "tour operator" define the direction of the business activities of a travel firm or company.
Tour operators are engaged in a complete set of a tourist product, that is, the formation, promotion and implementation of a set of services (tour). The tour operator (in some countries it is called a tour organizer) produces differentiated tourism products from service components in accordance with the needs and wishes of customers.
The travel agent sells the tourist product to the client in the form of complexes (inclusive tours) or in the form of a free set of services (custom tours).
The tour operator develops tourist routes, saturates them with services through interaction with service providers, ensures the operation of tours and the provision of services, prepares advertising and information publications for their tours, calculates prices for tours, transfers tours to a travel agent for their subsequent sale to tourists.
The travel agent is engaged in the promotion of tours formed by the tour operator: it purchases tours from the tour operator and sells them to the consumer. The travel agent adds to the purchased tour the travel of tourists from their place of residence to the first accommodation point along the route, from the last accommodation point on the route and back.
The main market function of travel agencies and tour operators is to connect service providers with tourist clients. The right choice of service providers is important here, based on professional knowledge of the tourism market, business, features and levers of its management.
Tourist enterprises perform completing, service and warranty functions.
A component function is a package of a tour from separate services for a receptive tour operator; complete set of combined tours from receptive tours for an initiative tour operator; completing tour packages with transport and some other types of services for a travel agent.
The service function is the service of tourists on routes, as well as in the office when selling tour packages.
The guarantee function is the provision of guarantees to tourists for prepaid tourist services in a specified amount and at a specified level.
According to international law, the enterprise that formed and sold the package of services to the tourist bears full responsibility for the service, regardless of whether it provides these services itself or they are provided by a third party (service provider).
Usually, a tour operator is a larger company than a tour agent, which has a head tour operator office and several branches - an agent network. Many major tour operators have agent networks around the world. At the same time, regardless of the presence of its own agency network, the tour operator enters into agency agreements with independent travel agencies for the sale of their tours. The more travel agent partners a tour operator has, the more countries and regions they are located, the wider the sales volume and, accordingly, the more tourists, the higher the profit, the more successful the business.
Travel agents and tour operators can have various forms of ownership - private, state, joint-stock.
The main differences between a tour operator and a travel agent are:
1. Income system. The tour operator buys a tourist product and his profit is formed from the difference between the purchase price and the sale price. Often the tour operator purchases individual services, from which he then forms a complex tourist product with its own pricing mechanism. The travel agent, on the other hand, acts as a retailer and his profit is formed from commissions for the sale of someone else's tourism product. A travel agent sells a tourist product (including individual services, such as air tickets, hotel rooms) at the real prices of tour operators or service providers.
2. Belonging to the tourist product. The tour operator always has a stock of a tourist product for sale, and the travel agent requests a specific product (service) if the client expresses a buying interest.
In everyday practice, it can be difficult to make a clear distinction between a tour operator and a travel agent, since both types of firms may perform similar tasks. Of course, a tourist enterprise can be both a travel agent and a tour operator. For example, a firm develops itineraries as a tour operator and sells them to tourists and other agencies. At the same time, the same firm, as a travel agent, purchases tours from other firms and sells them to tourists.
Tour operators play a leading role in tourism, since it is they (unlike travel agents) who are engaged in the formation of the main and additional services into a single tourist product, which is then sold to the consumer through an agent network.
The functions of a tour operator in the market practically coincide with the activities of wholesale trade enterprises. He buys in significant volumes the services of tourism industry enterprises (hotels, restaurants, etc.), completes his own tour programs from them and implements them through intermediaries (travel agents) or directly to consumers.
The intensive development of the tourism industry, the emergence and intensification of competition influenced the structure of tour operators and predetermined their further specialization.
By type of activity are distinguished:
Mass market operators selling a large number of package tours that often use charter flights to specific destinations (mainly mass tourism destinations);
Specialized operators who specialize in a certain product or market segment (in a certain country, in a certain type of tourism, etc.). In turn, specialized operators are divided into tour operators:
A) special interest (for example, sports and adventure tourism, organization of safari in Africa, etc.);
b) a special destination (for example, England, France, etc.);
c) certain clientele (youth, business tours, family tours, etc.);
d) special places of accommodation (for example, rest houses, camp sites, etc.);
e) using a certain type of transport (air transport, ships, trains, buses).
According to the place of activity, there are:
Local (internal) operators orienting tour packages within the country of origin;
Outbound operators orienting tour packages to foreign countries;
Receptionists based at the destination (country of destination) serving incoming foreign tourists for the benefit of other operators and agents.
In addition, in a more general sense of tour operating, it is customary to divide tour operators into initiative and receptive ones.
Initiative tour operators are operators that send tourists abroad or to other regions by agreement with host (reception) operators or directly with tourism enterprises. Their difference from travel agencies engaged exclusively in the sale of other people's tours is that they are engaged in a complete set of a tourist product, consisting (according to the standards of the World Tourism Organization) of at least three services: accommodation, transportation of tourists and any other service not related to the first two.
The classic initiative tour operator forms complex route tours, completing them from the services of local tour operators in different places of visit (along the route), provides travel to the place of travel start and back, organizes the provision of intra-route transport. These tour operators include outbound tour operators and domestic tour operators involved in sending domestic tourists to other regions of their country.
Receptive tour operators are tour operators at the reception, completing tours and service programs at the place of reception and service of tourists, using direct contracts with service providers (hotels, catering establishments, recreational facilities, etc.). This form of tour operating includes tour operators at the reception and domestic tour operators serving their citizens also at the reception.
Consider the composition of the main functions of the tour operator.
1. Studying the needs of potential tourists for tours and tourist programs.
2. Drawing up promising service programs, tours and testing them on the market in order to identify compliance with the needs of tourists.
3. Interaction on a contractual basis with:
Hotels - to provide tourists with accommodation;
Catering enterprises - providing food to tourists;
Transport enterprises, firms and companies - to provide transport services for tourists;
Excursion companies, museums, exhibition halls, parks and other institutions - to provide tourists
Firms providing various household services - for the appropriate service to tourists;
The administration of sports facilities - for the opportunity for tourists to use sports facilities;
Managers of show, film, video, theater enterprises - to visit them by tourists;
Directorates of reserves, sanctuaries, landscape gardening, hunting and fishing farms - in order to provide tourists with recreation and services in the specified area;
Local municipal authorities - on the subject of public relations of their business, focused on the consumer and his environment.
Interaction with service providers for tours should be both prospective and current. There should be a constant study of new and control of existing tours and tourist programs.
4. Calculation of the cost of the tour, transtour and price determination, taking into account the market situation. Establishment of tariffs and prices for their services for completing tours of different composition, class, etc.
5. Providing tourists traveling along the routes of tours with all the necessary promotional and souvenir materials, special equipment and inventory.
6. Preparation, selection and assignment to routes of personnel performing the functions of contact with tourists, coordination and control over the implementation of service programs (guides, instructors, animators, methodologists, etc.).
7. Advertising and information activities to promote your tourist product to consumers.
8. Promotion and sale of tours to consumers through the system of travel agencies.
9. Control over the reliability and quality of service.
10. Constant operational communication with tourists during service, resolving emerging issues.
1.4 Rules for the work of the staff of the travel company with the client
When organizing service technology, the very psychological climate of interaction between tourists and service personnel and taking into account the psychological aspects of the perception of services by tourists, the technology for their provision are important. This means that the personal interests of the tourist, the spiritual attitude towards him are put in the foreground.
In this regard, it is possible to determine general recommendations on the technology of service on tours:
Welcome souvenir for every tourist. Moreover, unlike hotel services, where even a candy on a pillow can be such a souvenir, on tours the objectivity of souvenirs needs to be worked out: for business tours - business brochures, souvenir samples of products of interest, pennants, etc .; for folklore tours - small souvenirs of a national character; for all tours - booklets, maps, as well as the issuance of specially designed diplomas, certificates, badges about the route traveled to tourists after the completion of the tours.
Availability of various booklets, badges, postcards on the subject of the tour.
Organization on one of the days of the evening of relaxation with a video program about the area of the tour.
Releasing customers from any organizational problems (burdensome organizational worries of any nature, long reception, ordering transport tickets, theater tickets, waiting for any kind of service, etc.)
Optimal service in terms of compliance of all types of services with the level, as well as the theme of the tour.
Full compliance of service with the needs of the client:
Target address orientation of tours;
Early coordination of service programs;
Flexibility of programs, the ability to replace certain services if necessary.
Complete information about the service program and additional services.
Supply of buses (or other Vehicle used for domestic transportation) audio cassettes with recordings of national and light music for playing it during long journeys.
Lack of bias in service (unobtrusiveness of services). A travel company has one main desire - to please tourists.
Rationality of service content: services should be exactly as much as needed; little - boring, a lot - oversaturation tires tourists.
Rules for the reception and work with visitors
Rule 1. The appearance of a manager should correspond to his functions. The employee must comply with his functions. The employee must always be in good shape: with a neat haircut, well-groomed hands, daytime makeup. Clothing should be functional and discreet.
Rule 2. You must establish contact with the client. Already at the entrance to the office, he should feel that they are being taken care of. When a visitor appears, it is necessary to interrupt the conversation with a colleague. If the manager is busy talking with another client, it is necessary to let the person who entered know that his arrival was noticed. To do this, he can be asked to sit down and wait in a place specially designated for such a case, equipped with information literature.
Rule 3. Staff must always be correct. Don't forget to say hello and smile. You can’t refer to busyness, allow yourself to be impatient: look at the clock or hint at the schedule of buses or commuter trains.
Rule 4. Customers must be remembered. If the client addresses the manager not for the first time, it is necessary to show that he was recognized. If the client is a foreigner, it is advisable to say a few words in his native language.
Rule 5. A smile is the main weapon. Contact with the client begins with a smile. This is not only a tribute to courtesy, but also a sign of disposition towards the client, readiness to deal with his problems, as well as an indicator of the success of the company's affairs and job satisfaction.
Rule 6. Maintain contact with the client. Coming to the firm is his solo. During a conversation, it is necessary to listen to the interlocutor, take into account his opinion, convince without undue persistence, control the tone of the conversation, speak neither too quickly nor too slowly, try to use simple words, do not use special terms unnecessarily.
Rule 7. Respond quickly. Any request by the client to provide information of interest to him must be carried out clearly and quickly. Don't forget to give him your business card or a company business card with your name so that the client can communicate with you. Responding quickly also means answering a phone call to a received letter or fax.
Rule 8. The client must be involved in solving the problem. The way to solve it is dialogue. Questions like “How can we help you?” It will help you see the problem from a different angle. When showing a willingness to help, the manager must clearly define for himself what he is able to do. The ability to say “no” is also an art.
Rule 9. During a conversation with a client, you need to watch your gestures, try more than once
etc.................
The basic principles of successful work of the travel agency
It is no secret that when a client of a travel agency, purchasing a tour, receives well-prepared documents and complete information about the tour, he feels more comfortable and trusts the chosen agency more. Also, the travel agency, having spent a lot of money to attract this client to itself, keeping complete information about it, can later use it to re-attract the old client to itself. It is known that the costs in this case are four times lower than the initial ones!
One should not miss an important component of the success of any company - financial management and planning. The stability of the development of the travel agency and the absence of financial shocks are the cherished dream of many companies. How to achieve this? Systematized management of work with clients, suppliers and the internal work of the company gives the desired result.
How can you achieve systematization of company management? The answer is quite simple - with the help of the introduction of modern technology of automated control.
Modern technologies in our time can be bought ready-made and implemented, that is, customized. The cost of implementation depends on the complexity of the system. To begin with, you can implement a simple and inexpensive automated accounting system. For example, a system for prompt entry of information about applications (orders) of customers, extracts of all necessary documents (reservation sheet, contract, TOUR-1 or spa voucher, invoice, receipt :), prompt receipt of sales reports. Further, you can complicate the system by adding prompt booking of seats, accounting for mutual settlements with suppliers, and communication with accounting.
It is possible to immediately install a unified accounting system, both operational and financial, and in two sections - managerial and accounting. With the use of flexible separation of access rights and visibility of information, managers have access to only their part of the system, and accountants - their part. Naturally, company executives see all the information and can monitor the work of managers from their computer. Since the operational input of information is carried out in a single system, it is clear who works and how: the number of entered applications, confirmed, paid by the client, paid to the supplier, closed, income for each application. Through the system reports, the manager sees the performance of each manager and department. Detailing can be set for each tourist and each component of the tour. For any client, you can see the history of his calls and payments.
In a single system, managers can immediately see whether their application is paid or not, the amount of payment. The accounting department immediately receives the original information and does not waste time re-entering the same data. All information is divided according to access rules, and the manager will not see unnecessary information. Accordingly, there is no need to separate the databases, which inevitably leads to input errors, slow operation and the resulting problems.
After the main tasks of the systematized management of a travel agency have been solved - managing work with clients, with suppliers and the internal activities of the company, you can begin to expand the system.
In the end, all the necessary information in a beautiful form is printed. Clients will be given the entire set of necessary documents, suppliers - relevant reports, and for the state - all reports of the established form will be printed.
Even the latest technology in the company after its implementation must be constantly improved so as not to become obsolete. Therefore, the management system must be flexible and customizable so that it can be improved from the inside. The 1C:Enterprise system, on which the 1C-Rarus:Travel Agency standard solution is built, is an open and flexible system. Using a powerful built-in programming language and the ability to communicate with any external systems, you can build an automated control system of any complexity.
PC "SAMO-TourAgent" - agency automation
Automation of the work of travel agencies usually comes down to the operational accounting of tours ordered by tourists, payments made with customers and partners, and printing of all necessary documents.
To automate a single travel agency, it is necessary to use software based on the use of a database that accumulates all working data in a single repository. This is necessary to receive reports on the work of the agency at any time. In addition to the database, it is also necessary to have a program with a convenient user interface, acceptable speed, and configuration of system parameters related to the company's activities. These parameters primarily include the text and appearance of printed documents generated on the basis of operational data, as well as the ability to manage access rights to various system data.
With the automation of network agencies, the situation is somewhat more complicated. Network agencies from a legal point of view can be of various types: one company with several sales offices, a network of individual agencies under a common logo (franchisee): The management of network agencies periodically needs operational reporting on the activities of the entire network. Such reporting can only be provided if all data is stored in a single repository.
The technical side of automation of network agencies should in a certain sense be intertwined with the type of network. If it is easy enough to automate a separate agency by connecting it to the central office's unified database server via Internet channels, then it is impossible to do this with a franchisee. Communication problems with the database server will immediately lead to the paralysis of the work of an individual agency. In the case of a franchisee, this is a disruption of the work of one company due to the problems of another company. The solution is possible only through the use of a local working database in a separate office, which eliminates the dependence of the agency on the work of the data transmission channel, with copying all the entered data to the central office (the data transmission channel is used quite rarely compared to a permanent connection - once an hour, once a day, the frequency is chosen by the parent company). But behind the advantages, there are also disadvantages. The central office server stores a single database collected from individual agencies. The central office can only passively monitor the work of the agency. It is technically very difficult to implement the active behavior of the central office in relation to the child.
It is much better to automate the points of sale of one company using a central database and constant communication channels with the server. Such a network construction allows much more efficient data management (applications, payments, access rights, etc.), and reporting on work (if there are necessary access rights) in any office.
Separately, I would like to say about setting up printing forms of the automation program. The fact that each individual agency has its own text of the contract with the client already makes the program have a flexible tool for setting up all printing forms. Print forms should be customized to the point where it is no longer necessary to write something in documents by hand.
At the moment, the company "SAMO-Soft" has developed several types of software for the automation of travel agencies that implements all of the above technological points: for a separate travel agency - this is the software package (PC) "SAMO-TourAgent" for an agency with several points of sale - PC " SAMO-TourAgent SQLNet" for a network of individual agencies associated with the central office - PC "SAMO-TourAgent SQLHybrid".
The last two versions use a more powerful DBMS MS SQL Server 2000. Compared to the MS Access version (for individual agencies), this database format allows you to handle a large amount of information at significantly higher speeds.
FastReport - a tool that is part of the SAMO-TourAgent software systems, is designed to build reports and printables and contains a visual designer (i.e. a constructor with various components) for changing existing ones (setting fonts, static text) and creating their printed forms.
Despite the apparent complexity of the technologies used in the creation of the complex, the end user works with a convenient, easy-to-understand program interface, all technical aspects of the work are hidden from the user's eyes. Once configured, the program then works with its database without distracting agency managers from work.
Main steps of technology implementation
As experience in the tourism industry shows, interest in technologies that facilitate the work of a travel agency manager is very high. At all exhibitions and workshops, be it Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Ufa, Kazan, etc., there are always crowds near the stands of software developers for the tourism industry. Yes, this is not surprising - it has become prestigious to keep up with the times, with technological progress. Today, in the age of new technologies, it is sometimes very difficult to decide where to start: But sooner or later, everyone has to take the first steps.
Computer selection
Not far off is the time when accounting and control of the activities of a travel agency were carried out using a calculator and a notebook in which the names of clients and information about their tour packages were recorded. Today, even the smallest travel agency of 2-3 people must have a computer and some kind of office program that allows you to automate the accounting process. And graduates of higher educational institutions of the tourism profile very confidently discuss the advantages and / or disadvantages of certain office software systems, which indicates the choice of a new generation of industry professionals in favor of technology. In other words, the question is not about whether or not a computer is needed in the office of a travel agency, but about which computer to choose. Of course, there are no uniform requirements for an office computer for all, but general recommendations can be given based on the basic needs of a travel agency.
Choosing an office program
Today, the tourist market presents several options for software systems designed to facilitate and streamline the work of a travel agency manager. These are "Master Tour" ("Megatek"), Tour-Win ("Arimsoft"), "Samo-travel agent" ("Samo-soft"), "Marco Polo" ("Digital Worlds"), etc. In order to to decide on the choice of program, it is necessary to understand in detail the possibilities of each of them. This can be done at exhibitions where development companies are represented, or you can contact the companies' offices directly (all contact information about the companies is given in this magazine). But first of all, answer the main questions for yourself: what exactly do you want from the program, what problems should it help you solve? The answers depend on the profile of your company (tour operator or travel agency, outbound tourism or the reception of foreign tourists in Russia, visas or passports, air or railway tickets, etc.). And only when you yourself know exactly what is needed for the smooth operation of your company, the developers will be able to choose the most suitable software option for you.
Internet access
It is hardly necessary to prove to anyone else that the Internet is the most efficient means of transmitting urgent information. And in our travel business you cannot live without urgent information. It is no longer possible to keep track of all the special offers from tour operators by phone and fax. Therefore, the Internet in the work of a travel agency, especially a regional one, is necessary. And here we have to solve a dilemma: modem or telephone. It's no secret that when you access the Internet through a modem, the telephone line is engaged, which reduces the number of dialing clients. Fortunately, in some regions this problem is gradually being solved with the help of leased lines. So, we can say with confidence that in large cities, many travel companies, especially those located in the central part of the city, are already confidently using dedicated Internet channels in their work.
The site of the company
The company's website is its face on the Internet. The impression that a site visitor has about a company largely depends on whether he will contact the company as a client or not. Developers (for example, Arimsoft) will tell you the best about what a website for a travel company should be like. I would like to dwell on such a moment as accepting applications from site visitors. Unfortunately, quite often one has to deal with the fact that the application that came to the address Email from site visitors, remains unanswered by travel agency managers. The reasons may be different: someone relied on another employee of the company that he would answer, someone could not answer right away, and then waved his hand, someone simply forgot, etc. And the result is always the same: a reduction in the number of applications going through the Internet. Therefore, if the site is supposed to send applications from visitors, be sure not to disregard any of them. Life on the Internet flows faster, and those who are already used to using the Internet as a means of finding information or making purchases in online stores will no longer return to the site and will not become customers of a company that responded to a request with a great delay or completely ignored it, hoping that the client will call back.
Search system
Search travel systems have overcome the path from oblivion to the daily life of a travel agency almost at lightning speed. Back in 1999 - 2000. the leaders of the largest Moscow tour operators listened to the stories of the developers about the unified information field of the tourist business as an exciting, but unlikely fantastic story. And today they choose between several systems on the market, meticulously comparing their performance indicators.
For a regional travel agency, the choice of a search engine is especially relevant, since it is there that the latest information from tour operators is accumulated and systematized.
booking systems. GDS - Global Distribution Systems
The middle of the last century was marked by a major breakthrough in tourism due to the emergence of fundamentally new communication channels and the entry into the tourism market of advanced information exchange channels. It was at that time that one of the largest providers of communication channels SITA, which provides, among other things, the governments and defense departments of several countries, gave the first impetus to the worldwide integration of internal databases and accounting systems. Appearing in those years one after another GDS - Global Distribution Systems (better known in Russia under the abbreviations GDS or KSB), in fact, grew on the capabilities of SITA, choosing the tourism industry as the field of their specialization.
The tourism industry was chosen by GDS not by chance, because the creation of all known GDS was initiated by manufacturers of travel services, and primarily by airlines. Indeed, no other manufacturing industry is faced with such a need to repeatedly sell the same unit of production (a seat on an airplane, a hotel room, a table in a restaurant, a compartment on a train or a cabin on a ship :). The resulting constant need for accounting and control over the loading of production capacities gave rise to internal accounting systems, direct access to which they wanted to provide airlines to their agents (and then to end customers, but more on that later). It is on this principle that the GDS is based.
They were and remain beneficial to all market participants. Suppliers who submit their product to GDS have instant access to thousands of distributors around the world, while also significantly increasing their efficiency by reducing record keeping costs. The only task of suppliers in relations with agents remains financial control- systems of payments and payment of commissions. Agents get direct access to the most complete and reliable information directly from the service provider, to current information about the availability of seats at various rates, to the possibility of instant booking. (Only in rare cases does a GDS provide access to supplier resources without real-time booking capability, so any GDS can safely be considered a complete on-line booking system.)
This is what the GDS business is based on: a one-time fee for connecting to the system plus an average of $3 to $4 is taken from suppliers for each service (segment) sold, and a symbolic fee is taken from the agent for each call to the system. However,<дань>for agencies, it is primarily motivating in nature to use the system and is not charged from it when selling a certain minimum of segments.
So, until the nineties of the XX century, GDS was exclusively offered to travel agencies unique opportunities reservations and access to databases of travel service providers around the world. By the 1970s, almost any company could become a real universal travel agent, having centralized access to complete information and the possibility of booking air tickets, hotels and cars around the world. Back then, you had to be a registered travel agency, get special training on GDS and IATA compliance, and pay a hefty amount of money to install special equipment. The installation of special equipment was nothing more than a physical connection of the travel agent's computer to the central computer of some GDS. This was done by running a cable from the travel agent's computer to the SITA communication channel (the same cable, only thicker and has long and reliably encircled our planet). Imagine how the light bulbs in your apartment are connected to electrical wires, which, in turn, are connected to more powerful power cables that go into high-voltage power lines:<электрификация>in tourism.
Over the decades, the mission of the GDS has not changed, they have succeeded in the speed of transmission, richness and ease of presentation of information about service providers - internal competition did its job. By the end of the 20th century, clear leaders were also identified. A few words about each of them:
Year of foundation - 1960 (output as a full-fledged GDS - 1964)
Headquarters - Southlake, Texas, USA
Staff - about 6500 people in 45 countries
Income for 2002 - over $2000000000
Resource - about 400 airlines, 58,000 hotels, 53 car rental companies, 9 cruise and 33 railways, 232 tour operators
Users - more than 60,000 travel agencies
Year of foundation - 1976 (creation of PARS - the progenitor of Wspan, 1990 - the appearance of the Worldspan brand)
Owners - Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, American Airlines
Headquarters - Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Staff - 3000 people in 50 countries
Resource - about 400 airlines, about 50,000 hotels, car rental companies, all major cruise companies, the largest US tour operators
Users - about 20,000 travel agencies
Year of foundation - 1970
Owners - Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, KLM, Olympic Airways, Swissair, TAP Air Portugal, United Airlines and US Airways
Headquarters - Parsippany, New Jersey, USA
Staff - about 3000 people in 116 countries
Resource - about 500 airlines, 51,000 hotels, 31 car rental companies, all major cruise companies, 430 tour operators
Users - more than 47,000 travel agencies
Year of foundation - 1987 (output as a full-fledged GDS - 1992)
Owners - Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa
Headquarters - Madrid, Spain (development office - Sophia Antipolis, France, main computer - Erding, Germany)
Staff - 4250 people
Income for 2002 - about $1900000000
Resource - about 470 airlines, 59600 hotels, 48 car rental companies, all major cruises, railways, ferries, Insurance companies and hundreds of tour operators
Users - more than 70,000 travel agencies and airline counters
Be that as it may, the emergence and rapid spread of the Internet have made their own adjustments.
On the one hand, with the help of the Internet and a number of convenient user software products, working in it, GDS got rid of their main shortcomings - the high cost of installation and the need for long-term training of travel agency employees. This factor gave another impetus to the development of GDS among travel agencies and even caused a redistribution of forces among the leaders. Thus, Worldspan became the leader in sales, being the first to offer a number of successful Internet-oriented technologies, and Saber with its Travelocity portal and a number of other successful projects. These companies turned out to be the most mobile. On the other hand, the development of the Internet as such and the simplification of access to GDS, which primarily serve as the main sales tool for the largest service providers - hotels, transport and airlines, indicated to them the possibility of quickly reaching the end consumer. By creating their own and attracting third-party Internet portals, GDS moved to end customers. The share of direct sales among the owners of travel services went up sharply, and they reacted very quickly to this: the quotas of guaranteed places for many tour operators began to decline, contract prices - to rise, commission rates - to decrease. It has become the norm that in GDS you can almost always find special offers below the officially published prices (but, of course, still above the contract prices offered to operators).
While, for this reason, service owners were brewing a conflict with their most faithful partners - travel agents, the world's largest wholesalers in the field of tourism - international transport and hotel brokers - entered the world market of on-line bookings. Worked hitherto<по старинке>in off-line mode, now, thanks to the development of the Internet, they were able to provide their agents with permanent access to the opportunities accumulated over the years for booking travel services and a database with a much greater mobility and range of services compared to GDS, as well as providing a fundamentally different level of prices for tourist product.