Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

hi all,

So I've been wanting to start my own travel agency - which from one I've read looks easy enough. basically join up with a host company and use their access to reach suppliers. main disadvantage though, is all loss & liability is in my hands. Travel, being a high tight and risky business, is not something I'd like to take loss on.

I've thought about it too, and it seems like travel agents are more about selling packages from their preferred suppliers which give them highest commission. and i'd rather be working for the customer/traveller than the supplier. so this is my idea:

start a concierge/travel planning service where i'd create customized itineraries based on the traveler's interests (with a focus on off the beaten path and adventure tourism) - this means finding the best hotels and activities for them without being limited to certain suppliers.   I'd request the customer's credit card info and book the details directly with the hotels/tours on the customer's behalf.  this would mean, I wouldn't be liable for chargebacks or other disputed charges.  so a disadvantage would be that I wouldn't have access to discounted fares or reserved spots, but an advantage to the customer would be - 100% in their interests, not in my commissions. So I'd choose hotels and activities that I genuinely think they would get the most enjoyment from.

Would be less of a profit for me, but less risky and more client oriented vs sales oriented.

would be something between a personal assistant and a travel concierge.

What do you guys think? Do you think people would be interested in this?

I think there are quite a number like Agoda, Priceline that offers travel affiliate services as well.

Tour bookings for Israel tour has now become a lot more easier thanks to the America Israel website. Book tickets or make hotel reservations with complete ease.

i know folks that advertise they can get cheap tickets for you, then turn around and use priceline to get them.  many are making $200-$400 per international ticket doing this easily (you need the word to spread in  your community)

Travel and Tourism is a 7 Trillion Dollar Industry & it is getting Bigger and Bigger each year; So it is a great place to be; When in this sluggish economy people still travel  ::))))

I have a travel agency BUT I a friend introduced me to a great company that has all this taken care ( concierge/travel planning service where i'd create customized itineraries based on the traveler's interests (with a focus on off the beaten path and adventure tourism) - this means finding the best hotels and activities for them without being limited to certain suppliers.). 

Not sure how you would get it started on your own.

Maureen

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In general no. A few very high volume travel agencies get a discount on WDW tickets and pass a small amount of that savings on to the customer. Also, you can not get the dining plan if you are not staying onsite. Your best bet for a discount is watch for discounts on packages directly through Disney. blackcockatoois the best place to find a list of all specials and discounts:

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I would not use your service. What value are you providing to your customer?...do you even know who your customer is? (race, age, gender, income , education level).

What knowledge / experience do you bring to this business??

Do you plan on being the best, offering the highest customer service and travel packages, OR do you plan on being the cheapest. Think Wal-Mart vs Saks Fifth Ave.

Sounds like you have zero knowledge/ experience about travel, so you can't be the best in your field, AND you cant be the cheapest because your larger competitors will tear you apart in a price war that you WILL NOT win.

I'm working on making a travel-based affiliate site that basically refers my members to the companies that actually provide the travel. I made a thread about it here ( http://www.startupnation.com/Affiliate-rewards-program-need-opinions/topic/ ) but not many people seem to be catching on to the idea :( 

If I were you, I'd do some kind of travel affiliate site. A full fledged travel agency is a bit over your head In my opinion. 

It is a profitable area, but there is also a lot of competition!!! It will take a lot of work to build up traffic. However, if your expectations are realistic and you get affordable hosting, there is no reason why you couldn't turn a profit ... the key is finding a niche travel area, which is difficult, but not impossible.

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