By One of the most interesting ways to make money in the United States as a travel enthusiast is to start your own travel agency business.
Despite how easy it is to book flights online, do hotel reservations on your holiday and business trips and organize picnics by merely using search engines, the travel business is still a profitable one. This is why travel agents compete for keyword rankings.
How do you know that the U.S. travel industry is profitable? According to the American tourism and travel statistics, international and domestic travel are currently contributing over $1.1 trillion to the United States GDP every year.
On average, US citizens take 93 million international outbound trips every year. Americans take 2.29 billion domestic trips each year. This is an indication that the travel industry is NOT dead notwithstanding the global pandemic.
Owing to the amount of time it takes individuals looking for the cheapest flight, travel agents are in high demand. Instead of wasting 20 hours of your precious time trying to find an affordable flight in the United States, you can hire the services of a travel agency.
To help you get started, let’s look at why you need a travel agency.
Why Do You Need a Travel Agency Business in the United States?
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Some of the top benefits of using a travel agency in your business and holiday travels are as follows:
- Access to free expert advice about your destination, choice of flights and travel routes
- The freedom to pay in installments for your travels
- The best travel agencies in the U.S. will help you to save time and money
Let’s take a look at more information about the travel agency business in America. Business Travelling Trends
How Does the US Travel Agency Business Work?
What a travel agency does is to provide expert advice to their clients about their destination, how to hire cars, where to find affordable or exquisite hotel reservations, flights and local rules they may need to adhere to.
There are also cases where the travel agency will help you to book your flight online, organize a welcome party in a new location and also recommend the best restaurants.
How do travel agents make money? Travel agents make money either by charging you an extra consultation fee or booking for all the necessary services through a special travel agent portal. These strategies for making money from your travel agency are not exhaustive. You can find creative ways as well.
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How Much Does It Cost to Start a Travel Agency Online?
The cost of starting a travel agency depends on a lot of factors. These factors include your level of experience, your location and whether you are setting up a home-based travel agency or leasing an office space.
If you already have the required skills, you can conveniently launch your travel agency business online for only $300. But if you are starting from scratch where you will have to hire software developers, you will need to spend as much as $50,000.
The best place to hire developers of travel agency software is from Eastern Europe, Latin America or South Asia. This is because software developers in these regions are more affordable.
Some of the essential features of a travel agency software are booking and reservation, tour building, CRM system and financial management system.
To run a successful travel agency company in the United States, you need some basic tools. Some of these basic office supplies are; high-speed internet connection, computers, software and printers.
How Do You Register a Travel Agency Business in the United States?
Selling travel products and services in Canada is not as easy as it is in the United States. To sell travel in the Province of Ontario, you must be a registered member of the Travel Industry Council Of Ontario (TICO) or affiliated with a registered member of TICO. But in the United States, testing, training or qualification processes are not required.
All you have to do is to choose the right business structure for your business. Most of the travel agency businesses in the United States choose the Limited Liability Company, or LLC. The LLC allows you to protect your personal assets, especially if you’re operating in your own home.
Other common business structures chosen by many American travel agencies in most states include partnerships and corporations.
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How Much Can You Make Running a Travel Agency in America?
Running a travel agency in America is one of the most profitable businesses. However, the amount you are able to make will depend on your geographical location and the kind of clients you serve.
The average salary for someone working for an established travel agency is $19 per hour. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average annual income for independent travel agents is $38,700.
There are also cases where you earn based on commission. Your commission is calculated based on the number of trips you were able to book for your clients.
A travel adviser has the responsibility of giving international business travel tips to people intending to travel through their agency.
How to Create Your Own Online Travel Booking Website Fast
To build your own online travel booking website at an affordable price, you can hire the services of web developers from Eastern Europe or you can do it yourself. If you choose the DIY option, all you need to do is to get an eas-to-rank domain name from Namecheap, web hosting from Bluehost and a responsive WordPress theme from Themeforest.
Once you are done integrating them, you can install the necessary plugins and begin the tweaking. Here are some of the basic features your choice of travel booking plugin must have:
- Translation Ready
- Smart Travel Booking Process
- Booking Details
- Inquiry Form
- Booking Email Notification
- Activities Page
- Itinerary Builder
- Unlimited Travel Packages
- Multiple Payment Integration
- Trip Type Page
Having the best travel booking software will make your user experience top-notch and your clients satisfied.
