Gabby asked:


i would like the travel agency to plan where i will be going (i plan to visit many different countries), take care of hotel booking, and transportation!

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PAssport asked:


I would like to start a travel agency as a sole proprietorship, I currently live in knoxville Tennessee and would like to know some general legal steps it takes to do this. I found a general business license/ tax form, and i know i need to fill that out, but is there anything else?

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Jeremy Foster asked:


We could all use a break from the monotony of our jobs and the humdrum of domestic chores, and the first thing that comes to mind is often a vacation. As many health experts say, taking a vacation every now and then is indispensable to good health.

The next thing we do is look for great travel deals through a travel agency. This is important because if taking a vacation means emptying out our wallets and bank accounts, what good can that do to our financial health? In dire economic times, topmost in our minds is to get the best deals, which are typically possible only from travel agencies.

Many people think that getting travel deals on the Internet is the way to go. The reason for this is that there is very little overhead involved. Online ticket sellers don’t need a physical location; all they need is a web site and a marketing campaign. A recently released white paper says, however, that people who book with travel agents receive discounts of as much as $56.00 more than when booking with the Internet or with an airline.



Great Deals through Your Travel Agency: Tips

Here are some things to bear in mind when you want to obtain great deals through a travel agency.

1. Remember the concepts of off-peak and peak – these concepts relate to travel time periods. For instance, peak travel periods would be Thanksgiving, Christmas, graduation and Easter. You probably still might get a great deal, but chances are very slim. Peak season equates with greater demand for tickets and more crowded airports, not to speak of higher fuel costs. You can obtain great deals if you schedule your trip during off peak travel periods.

2. Air consolidators – when you hear someone say, “my ticket is a consolidated ticket”, that means they are travelling to an overseas destination like Asia or Europe and their travel agents sold them consolidated tickets. Agents have access to consolidated tickets because they have special and exclusive arrangements with major carriers, thanks to frequent volume purchases.

3. Wide network of providers – travel agents work on special computer systems that provide access to the world’s discounted travel packages. This is why your best bet is to deal with a travel agent when hunting for deals because agents use the most sophisticated program applications, technology and relationships to do some bargain hunting for you.

4. Group travel - just as buying in bulk would fetch a lower price at a food wholesaler, your travel agent will be pleased to seek additional discounts for you if you’re travelling in a group. If you tell your travel agent that you need tickets for a party of four or five people, the potential of obtaining great deals is higher.

5. Budget travel – ask your travel agent for a variety of ways of travelling on a tight budget. You should tell your travel agent that you are willing to take the train, stay in a youth hostel, and eat in cheaper restaurants. Numerous travel associations here and abroad cater to younger travellers who are usually on a limited budget. Your travel agent has access to a wealth of information relating to cheap accommodations and cheap dining, as well as access to discount coupons and free passes to attractions.

6. Advance booking – it used to be that the magic number was “21”; that is, booking your trip 21 days in advance, giving you a cheaper fare. Not anymore. If you’re going to London for Christmas, call your travel agent six to seven months ahead and ask her to look for the cheapest possible flight; be aware though that Christmas time can be an expensive time to travel anywhere. If you’re travelling to say Hong Kong for Chinese New Year, you’re better off booking about seven months ahead.

7. Restricted plane fare – if you’re a no-fuss traveller and you know exactly what you want, tell your travel agent. For instance you can tell your travel agent the following:

· You’re travelling on say June 21 and that’s a definite date (which means you’re not going to change the date) and you’re returning on July 31 (again no changing of dates);

· You don’t mind a circuitous route (direct flights are more expensive)

· You’re open to taking red eye flights

· You don’t mind being on stand-by

· Remember that if you do change the dates, you could be paying a penalty.

8. Retiree - if you are a retiree, tell your travel agent. Some travel agents offer hot deals to seniors and have special relationships with hotels and sightseeing tour operators that cater specifically to this age group.

9. Children – again, some travel agents can offer half fares or practically free fares for children under a certain age. Some agents will even offer the fourth ticket free if you’re travelling with four children.

10. Day of the week – it matters what day of the week you want to travel – provided these days are not close to national holidays. For instance, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturday are considered off-days.



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SUMATHI M asked:


I want to stay at home in India and work for a travel agency in India, is there any agency which can provide me this work?

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Jeremy Foster asked:


There are several different ways that you can plan a trip. Many people like to go it alone, making their own reservations, doing their own working, and hoping that they stumble onto the best deals. Sometimes, people don’t even do any planning, they just go ahead and take the trip, and fly by the seat of their pants. In both of these types of trip taking, you might end up with some good deals. But, more often than not, you are going to end up paying much more for your trip, and maybe experiencing a little more stress than you really need. Planning your trip on your own can be stressful and time consuming, and it can also end up costing you much more money than you thought it would.

Sometimes people like to have a little bit of help, and this can be where a travel agency comes into play. If you plan a ski vacation with a travel agency, you are going to get lots of benefits that you might have not even thought of. You’ll be able to have the trip of your dreams, and you’ll be able to say that you truly have been there and done that. You really want to relax and enjoy your trip, so don’t add to the stress by planning the entire thing on your own! Remember that travel agents are there to help you, so you’ll be able to book the best trip possible.

When you book a ski vacation with a travel agency, you get many things that you might not even have thought of. The first of the benefits are found in the process itself. When you are working with a travel agency, you usually go right to them and talk to someone face to face. A travel agent is assigned to you, and you get down to work planning the best trip possible. You will explain what you would like to get out of your ski vacation, and they see what types of trips they’ll be able to give you that meet your needs.

Also, you will have a chance to look at brochures or different places that you might go, and different vacations that you might take. Each travel agency is going to be different, but all of them will be affiliated with different locations and have deals at different lodges and with different airlines. As you browse through their deals, you will have a chance to see which trips will be the best for you. As you are looking at all of these pieces of information, you can get a good idea about the type of trip you would like to take, and from there, you should be able to get to that perfect place.

Working one on one with someone allows you to look at the various trips they have to offer, and compare those trips to others. You can make sure that you are getting the best deal in this way, and it can allow you to be really happy with what you have chosen. When you work with a travel agent, you should be able to take advantage of deals that are available only to that agency, which means that these are deals you would never be able to get while planning a trip on your own.

Another benefit of booking with a travel agency is that you are going to be allowed to book far in advance. Often times, agencies will get you even better deals by having you book trips well ahead of time. This serves a couple of purposes. First of all, it allows you to get the best deal for your trip, and it also allows you to have the satisfaction of knowing that your trip has been planned well in advance. You have plenty of time to make other arrangements at your destination, and to get a good idea of where you are going to be and what you are going to be doing when you plan well in advance.

There are also package deals that you can take advantage of when you are booking a ski vacation through a travel agency. For instance, you can save money on the lodging, the plane ticket, and also on the car rental for while you are there. These are basic package deals, but travel agencies have even more to offer you, including packages for chair rentals and eating out on your vacation. Going through a travel agency allow you to have all of these choices, and have access to all of these deals while you book your trip.



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Ryan Anderson asked:


You might think you are going to need some help with your vacation planning, and if you are taking an international trip, you might not realize how important a travel agency can be. When you are traveling internationally, a travel agency is going to be a major help to you. You’ll be able to plan the perfect trip by using a travel agency, there are certain things that a travel agency can do for you that you just can’t do on your own.

Finding Package Deals

When you are traveling on an international vacation, a package deal can be even more important for you to find because you might be able to save money on things like airfare, hotels, and car rentals. When you travel internationally, you are going to need everything that a package deal has to offer. You are going to need to have some form of transportation, and a car rental or some kind of shuttle pass may be your only option. Therefore, for an international vacation, package deals are probably the best thing for you to do, and the best place to find package deals is by going to a travel agency that you can trust.

Dealing with Language Barriers

As you travel internationally, you will most likely be traveling to places where your native language is not that country’s native language. This means that items are going to be called by different names, and you might not be able to just open up a phone book and find a place to rent a car. Travel agencies deal with different languages all the time, and they can do all of the pre-booking for you. They can also gather information about things like your hotel, your car rental, and the attractions you will be going to see. You won’t have to worry about tracking down the translations because your travel agency will have taken care of this already.

Dealing with Cultural Barriers

Traveling internationally might take you into cultures that are extremely foreign to you. If you are booking these trips on your own, you may not know what appropriate attire is to wear in certain situations, or how you are supposed to act in a different country. Your travel agency can help you with all of these things, and will prepare you for being in a different culture. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable on your vacation, and your travel agency can help you with this as well. They should tell you everything you need to know in order to have a relaxing vacation.

Having Support if There Are Problems

There’s a good chance you won’t run into any problems while you are traveling internationally, but the thing is that you really never know when problems will come up. If you have a travel agency that has booked your trip, and a ticket gets canceled, or a flight gets missed, your travel agent can help you fix those problems even from back home. Therefore, it is always a good idea to go with a travel agency when you are booking international trips. You never know when you are going to have to get into a different hotel, find a different flight, or completely change the country you are traveling to, and your travel agent can help you with this.

Having Refunds Available

When things do go wrong, and there are problems with the booking, your travel agent is going to be responsible for that. If you’ve booked on your own, and you make a mistake, you are out of luck. There is really nothing that you can do about it. However, if something goes wrong and your travel agent has booked it for you, you’ll get new travel plans and any refunds that you are entitled to. This means that you have a type of insurance that you can take along with you when you travel. You know that you have the support of the travel agency behind you, and you also do not have to worry about refunds if something does go wrong.

Lower Costs and Less Hassle

When you travel internationally, there is always a lot of cost and a lot of hassle associated with your trip. Vacations are expensive, especially international vacations, and making sure that you plan your vacation right can really cause headaches. Therefore, booking an international trip with a travel agency is something that you can do to make sure that you have less cost and less hassle. While you are spending less money, and not stressing about the hassle, you will be able to enjoy the trip even more, and your international vacation will be a greater success for you. By using a travel agency you will be spending money wisely, in all the right places. No unnecessary payments or headaches.



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Adv. Vikram Swaran Singh Chadha asked:


For nearly a decade, AffordableTours has offered travelers amazingly low pricing on three main types of vacations across the globe: escorted tours, river cruises and ocean cruises. Now, the Internet-based travel agency is offering competitive discounts — as well as its renowned personalized service — on worldwide resort vacations.

Resort accommodations are available throughout the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, Central & South America, the United States and Canada. Styles of resorts include everything from rainforest lodges, convenient condominiums and quaint inns to urban high-rise hotels, beachfront bungalows and impressive all-inclusive resorts.

Travelers can conveniently browse properties online not only according to destination, but also by type of accommodation: adults only, all inclusive, couples only, family, golf and spa.

Clients can book resort stays directly online, speak to an AffordableTours travel consultant. AffordableTours reservations staff members are known for their attention to detail. Plus, they are familiar with the vacation packages they sell; every year they actually travel with the company’s various partners across the globe.



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Brent Vanderstelt asked:


YTB Travelmore an affiliate marketer for YTB (Your Travel Biz) is currently seeking travel agents through its travel agent marketing website Your Ticket to Paradise

YTB Travel Biz (YTB) brings you the perfect opportunity to transform your life through combining the fun of travel with the speed of the Internet, multiplied by the power of referral marketing to provide YOU with the ultimate home-based business solution.

YTB Your Travel Business - An online travel agency offering home business opportunities to get you fully licensed as an agent allowing you to build your very own professional online travel agency as well as receive all the travel perks that travel agents enjoy. We have a solid team and systems in place.

YTB brings you the perfect opportunity to transform your life through combining the fun of travel with the speed of the Internet, multiplied by the power of referral marketing to provide YOU with the ultimate home-based business solution. YTB is taking the industry by storm!!

The YTB companies offer two unique and powerful business opportunities, that of referring travel agent or “RTA” and that of independent marketing representative or “REP”. The travel agent opportunity has an initial fee under $500 and a monthly license fee of $49.95. There is no fee or travel agency purchase required to be a REP. You may choose to participate in one or both opportunities.

Gay Travel Demographics:

The gay and lesbian community are self-identified travelers have a median age of 47, mostly coupled, median income of $80,000 and a history of taking three or more leisure trips per year.

“Do you have to be gay to sell gay travel?”

This is the most often-asked question among travel agents attending TAG marketing seminars. The answer is always posed as another question: “Do you have to be Jewish to sell a synagogue tour of Jerusalem? Or sight-impaired to serve a client with a vision disability?” Based on their own, experience, the answer is an obvious “no.” By becoming sensitive to a gay client’s needs and preferences, by maintaining a resource library of gay travel guidebooks and maps, and by developing relationships with dependable gay travel suppliers, a retail travel agent can successfully build a loyal gay and lesbian following. But again we advise: Be realistic. The gay market cannot be won overnight. It takes a steady approach.

Your Own Specialty:

You can’t pick up a travel trade publication these days without reading the words: Specialize to survive. Identifying the gay market is already specializing, but now, savvy gay travelers are looking for further specialization within the gay market: Gay scuba trips, lesbian rafting adventures, gay Australia, etc. The possibilities are endless. With the advent of toll-free numbers, the proliferation of newsletters for gay clubs and organizations, and the increasing popularity of internet, you can identify and serve a specialized gay following from around the country or even the world. Don’t just pick a specialty because you think it might be “lucrative.” Pick something you love. If you love sailing, and that’s what you do with your own weekends and vacations, you can flourish by developing this specialty for the gay market as well. Then you have the best of both worlds: Doing what you love, and earning your living in the process.

Be a Joiner:

“It’s all about who you know”. This is an advantage for travel agents developing the gay market. Participating in gay travel industry organizations such as the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) and the Travel Alternatives Group (TAG) as well as gay community organizations in your own area will allow you to network with key players. Through these organizations, you will have the contacts to identify powerful alliances with suppliers, participate in co-op advertising and marketing programs, develop group, association and corporate sales, and become known as a specialist in your own “niche within the niche.”

The Key to Your Success:

Community Involvement Programs Gays and lesbians depend on non-profit organizations for almost all aspects of our daily lives. From health concerns such as HIV and breast cancer, to social and recreational organizations like “Frontrunners,” “Different Spokes,” and city gay community centers, to business organizations such as the IGLTA and local gay chambers of commerce, to political organizations which are protecting our basic human rights from attacks by the religious right these non-profits play a pivotal role in the day-to-day lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. Most gays and lesbians belong and actively participate in some sort of organization, supporting them with both time and money.

Often mainstream agents and suppliers ask if they can be effective entering the gay and lesbian market. The answer is “of course!” but only if you work within the community; and are not seen as targeting the “gay buck.”

There are two very important reasons for any travel agent or travel supplier to have a Community Involvement Program. First, and foremost, it’s the right thing to do. Our network of non-profit community agencies needs every individual and every business to contribute in order to thrive.

Secondly, community involvement is a cost-effective marketing tool which can bring substantial results, increasing your business far beyond your charitable investment.

Many businesses serving the gay and lesbian market have ongoing community involvement programs. These businesses almost universally report that “being involved” leads to bigger profits and better morale among employees. Ultimately, profit comes from increased business. But business grows through increased customer loyalty and new clients, both of which result from an effective Community Involvement Program.

If you are interested in becoming a Referring Travel Agent (RTA) contact Brent Vanderstelt at 231-206-5333 or visit YTB Travelmore, Book Flights, Hotels, Car Rentals, Vacations and Cruises



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Adam Jaylin asked:


Just when you are planning your vacations, at that time you are reminded of the courteous gentleman that you know as your travel agent. But have you ever wondered about the travel options that he places before you? Do they really suffice your requirements? Or are you not exposed to a better platform that promises you fetch you an array of the most exotic travel destinations in your country and also around the world?

We are talking about the online travel agencies that are helpful in providing you with some of the best destinations across the globe. These travel agencies are any day better than you high street travel agents whose range is confined to the few popular destinations. When you choose your online travel deal you should always make sure that you find a deal that allows you to choose your travel route and give you the best deal by a proper research and also takes care of your your comfort and convenience at the same time. And of course the whole package should be affordable at the same time.

There are numerous benefits of the online travel agencies save for its low cost and convenience. If you think that your travel agent gives you all the personal suggestions and help that wouldn’t come with a medium which is as impersonal as Internet, then you are surely mistaken, for the online travel agencies are catering to the personal needs of their clients in the same way as your travel agents. They give a number of quotes to their company customers by which the clients are able to choose the deal of their type. Plus various other benefits like the car rental, accommodation and travel insurance also becomes as a part of the deal.

There are a lot of online travel agencies that are providing you with a comparative analysis of the various travel destinations. You can log on to any of these websites and choose the package of your requirements. So, all you have to do is to click on to the desirable destination and rest will be taken care of by these online travel agencies and Travel Agent too.



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Sep
04
Cynthia Andrews asked:


The main function of any travel agency is to, of course, act as an agent. This includes selling tickets and travel products, reservations, and so on, on behalf of one or several suppliers. Travel agents generally work with no charge to the traveler him or herself. Rather, the travel agent takes a small commission from the overall cost. Again, this isn’t added on top of the sale or anything like that. Rather, their commission is taken out of the advertised price.

So why go through a travel agent? Well, besides the simplicity and convenience, the main draw is that travel agents receive tickets at significant discounts.

This is pretty much how travel agencies work the world over. However, there are a few different types of travel agents…

General Sales Agents for Foreign Travel Companies

A general sales agent is something like a tourism ambassador. A company with its headquarters located in, say, Japan, might set up travel agency offices all around the world to encourage tourism to the country where their headquarters is located. The travel agent will still seek to find better deals for their customers (as, after all, that’s what turns a customer into a return customer), so they are not indebted to any one airline or hotel, but, they do tend to focus strictly on travel to, and within, the country where their headquarters is located.

Business and Commercial Travel Agencies

Most travel agencies have a department of business travel and a department of leisure travel. The needs for one traveler and the other tend to vary in a few significant ways, and so, splitting up the duties amongst a couple of departments can help to allow either department to specialize, finding better deals for business travelers on the one hand, and better deals for leisure travelers on the other. However, there are also travel agencies that specialize strictly in business and commercial travel. Incidentally, there aren’t a whole lot of agencies that restrict themselves solely to leisure travel.

By Class

In the United States, there are several main types of travel agencies: corporate-owned national chains, national/international franchises, membership associations — such as AAA — and independent, locally owned travel agencies with no brand or corporate affiliation. National chains will have the most consistent policies and pricing not matter where you go, and often the best international “hotline” customer service, but not always. Big-name franchises offer similar perks but different local owners can opt out of certain promotions and pricing specials. Membership-based associations are often less commission-focused since they rely on member fees. Independent agencies tend to cater to niche markets, such as assisting sports teams, church and school groups looking for inexpensive travel, and large group options.

Cargo Travel Agencies

A few travel agencies specialize in shipping cargo. Of course… that’s not entirely relevant if you’re looking to fly for business or personal reasons. Still, this should go to show how many different areas an individual agency can specialize in.

Online Travel Agencies

One of the real boons to the travel agency industry has been the use of the internet to allow travel agents to let their travelers compare a wide variety of options for hotels and airline tickets. Ironically, there was some fear for a period of time that, by selling tickets directly to travellers, the travel agencies would go out of business. However, a handful of travel agencies have proven that, even if you can find good deals yourself, there are still instances where a travel agency can find you an even better one. Many traditional bricks-and-mortar travel agencies now have full-service web sites so that you can get the best of both worlds: convenience of self-serve online booking with the benefit of talking to a real person when you need it.

Multi-Destination and Niche Agencies

If you want to split it up into just two types of travel agency, you have multi-destination and niche. Multi-destination out-bound travel agencies are usually larger, offering flights to just about anywhere. Niche agencies are usually independent, and focus on one specific part of the world. If you’re flying to say, Greece, you might find a niche agent who knows the area very, very well. Most of these niche agencies cater mainly to people with family in that country, or who do business there on a regular basis.

Consider your individual needs, preferences, and trip objectives when choosing your travel agent. Different types of agencies provide different levels and types of services. If you are a frequent globe trotter, you may want to use a large corporate travel agency with many branches in countries all over the world. Or you may view travelling as a treasure hunt or puzzle, where researching and finding the most off-the-map places is half of the fun. If this is the case, a niche operator may be just the right travel partner for you.



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