Travel Agency/Tour Company (Thread 2)

[SoLoD2016]

Hi. I'm also interested to avail the promo or offer of SMB. Madami pa lang questions sa utak ko tungkol sa ganong way ng pagpuput up ng travel agency , kaya Nagreresearch din muna ako about sa business. And I'm also waiting for someone to share their experience sa seminar/training na inooffer ng SMB.. thank you

[msals2007]

Waiting also for reviews

[superpinklemonade]

I was looking into joining SMB as well, but luckily I found a small IATA travel agent to tie up with - I send her my booking and quote requests (flights, packages, etc) and then I get a NETT quote back which I then mark up and sell to my clients. I don't have access to her Amadeus system - but she gives me good nett airfare to make me competitive pa din.

So far it is working, I'm pretty happy with the relationship and the rates I get. Kaya pa mag mark up.  She is available (almost!) 24/7 so that is a big plus when I work in the middle of the night sometimes. We coordinate via Viber.

The only downside I guess is walang Visa assistance, but I guess that works for me (for now!).

[pinkmallowpie]

^sis, bat hindi mo itry ang VIA. website siya kung san pwede ka magbook ng domestic at international flight ticket, at ang alam ko may hotels din. kelangan mo lang top up ang account mo para makapagissue. at least mas malaki yun pwede mo imark up kesa kapag mag sub-agent ka, kasi sa via hindi naman ganon kalaki ang mark up nila kumpara kung sa ibang travel agency ka kukuha.

[msals2007]

Natry mo na sis pinkmallowpie ang Via? Okay ba services nila?

[Pretty_aye]

Hi i have a travel agency operating for almost 2yrs now Im also a member of SMB, i have access sa mga sites given by them and sa mga group tours, but i have my own rates directly to supplier mahirap sa start pero mas okey if direct ka talaga, being a member SMB i can also sell to my co affiliates I have repeated clients n affiliates ko sa SMB and they sell it sa clients nila. So far so good since im doing it part time and online kaya no expense at all. nag start na rin ako directly for visa process Japan and Dubai. Basta complete documents mu permit, dti cor okey naman. All nets sa agency ko i am now putting up for a salon business naman. If given a chance na my office rental na near my place I will put up an office at least one employee since i am working full time pa rin sa day job ko.

[msals2007]

Hi sis pretty_aye. Does that mean mas mura ang rate na nakukuha mo now dahil direct from supplier ka na compared sa smb? Been considering for the longest time ang smb but nung papabook na ko naubusan naman ako ng slot.  We are in the process now of applying for business permits sa city hall medyo matagal pala ang proseso.

[Miss Taken]

Pretty_aye Sis does it mean na pwede na talaga magstart ng travel agency kahit thru online lang muna and how about the permits? My bf and I are planning to start one kaso nandito kasi kami sa Dubai kaya we're not sure if it's possible.

[summer888]

Sis Pretty_aye I'm also thinking of joining SMB. Nag aalala lang ako kase sabi dun sa site nila libo na ang affiliates nila, so iniisip ko kung may chance pa ba akong kumita kapag ganun. Siyempre, kami-kami rin ang mag compete.

Also, sa pagbasa-basa ko parang malakas ang kita ni SMB sa pag recruit ng affiliates hindi sa booking ng travel and tours. Nag compute nga ako imagine sa Php20,000 each na training & para maging affiliate ka mutiply it sa 1,000 affiliates na lang then Php20M na kagad yun. Every month laging fully booked ang trainings nila. Tsaka, kapag tinitignan ko mga ads nila sa FB halos wala ngang mga likes & comments kapag travel products na talaga.

This makes me ponder kung may kita pa ba talaga kung travel affiliate ka lang.

[msals2007]

Sis summer888 yan din observation ko. Sabi ko mukhang di na kumikita smb sa mga products nila, di na yun ang pinopromote nila. Mas kumikita sila in inviting affiliates. Tapos twice din ako nagtry magbook always full. Kaya nawalan na din ako ng ganang tumuloy.  Sa website nila nabasa ko always top seller sila di ba, Top seller ng Cebu Pacific, Batanes tours, etc etc. Kasi sa dami ng affiliates nila, yun na mismo nagmamarket ng mga travel products nila. They don't need to market their products but recruit people to market these travel products for them.  Which is not bad din naman. Kasi they will share their contacts naman and database to their affiliates. Yun lang it will make you think nga kung may kita pa ba sa dami ng nasa travel and tour business ngayon.

[pink_flower]

Hi mga sis. True yang observation niyo.  If you see travel agencies na mas pino promote ang pagbibigay ng training, almost 90-100% sure na dun sila kumikita NOT actual bookings.  May iba nga di na talaga nagb book, nagt train na lang at kumukuha ng affiliates.  Some affiliates start their own training programs din so tuloy-tuloy ang cycle.

Not to discredit these agencies but it's a fact.  Kaya ayun ang in-adopt nilang business model. Siymepre pag nasa business na at kunwari lean season or di malakas bookings, people will find ways to have income.  Kanya kanyang diskarte na lang.   

As much as you can, book directly with tour operators for tours and sa domestic, book directly with hotels and resorts. May contracted rates naman for TAs. Mas ma maximize ang profit niyo plus if may issues ang clients niyo during their trips, diretso kayo makikipag usap sa mga operators. Mas mabilis ang process.

For flights, don't stick to one.  Use VIA. Use IATA agencies. For group bookings, go directly to the airlines.  I-compare niyo rin kasi may mga times na mas mura sa VIA, may times naman mas mura thru IATA.  At pag IATA, mas ma block niyo pa ang seats at airfare.  Sa VIA, maka block ka ng seats pero di maho hold ang airfare.  It can still higher or lower.

If you have Amadeus or Sabre, you can book naman na then have the ticket issued by your IATA partner.  May mga IATA agencies nasa $7-10 ang fee; some mas ibibigay ng mas mababa depende sa production niyo. 

[pink_flower]

Also, if in operation naman kayo, pwede naman kayo mag apply sa Cebu  Pacific as a PSA (Preferred Sales Agent), Air Asia as Sky Agent, and sa PAL as  GSA (General Sales Agent) though madugo ang requirements ng PAL hehe

Pag nagmamadali naman kayo at wala na time to coordinate with operators or hotels,there's TA Centre, TBO, Bedsonline, etc.  You can  transact directly with them. Request for access if you have permits na. Di na kailangan idaan pa sa agency na nagt train yung access kasi it's free to go direct. 

[msals2007]

Hi sis pinkflower. Thanks so much for the info. I don't have any idea about TA Centre, TBO, Bedsonline. Free access lang yan? Will search now online and read.

[summer888]

@pink_flower malaki pa ba ang market ng travel agencies ngayon kahit madali ng mag diy or direct bookings online?

anong madalas mong makuhang mga bookings? companies or individuals etc..?

if we want to do it on our own, where should we start? saan mo marerecomend na magandang mag attend ng training?

mga magkano kaya ang needed na capital for start ups like us and ano-[textspeak!] ang mga need naming bayaran monthly (accreditation, access to booking etc...)?

thank you very much for sharing your knowledge on this type of business.

[pink_flower]

@summer888
If you ask talaga if malaki pa market for TAs now, meron at meron pa naman. The younger generations tend to DIY tapos yung mga mas older generations, mas likely to go to a travel agency.  Meron naman yung iba young pa rin pero they prefer yung convenience lalo pag kasama nila families nila, especially if may kids or seniors.  Mga ibang working people din nag-aagency pa rin pag may nakitang good deals or if complicated ang itinerary na gusto nila. Yung mga multi-city or multi-country trips.     Depende na sa iyo kung paano mo sila ita-tap. 

Sa amin, mas madami pa din individuals (FIT) nag nagpapabook kesa companies.  Mga companies samin usually pag naging okay ang transaction niyo sa una, they tend to book again for the next company trips or magpapa quote sila.

Yung tanong mo naman about training, yes ang dami-daming travel agencies na nga na nag ooffer niya. Nabanggit ko rin naman na sa previous post why hehe.  Kami rin naman we offer sometimes but we choose to focus on why we are here, at yan ay para mag provide ng travel services. 
Personally, I would go for trainings na talagang galing sa mga veterans in the industry na talagang alam na alam at solid ang experiences.  Iba rin kasi yun vs. turo ng isang agency na let's say 5-10yrs pa lang nag eexist. Meron pa nga isang taon pa lang sila, nagt train na.   Well, depende naman sa inyo but siyempre go for gold na diba?  Go get the DOT-accredited training from accredited institutions:   Canadian Tourism & Hospitality Institute, Icopephils, Asia Pacific Projects, etc.   Call them and ask about the DOT-accredited training.  You'll be surprised at the cost vs yung fee na hinihingi ng mga travel agencies din. hehe   Just saying this para ma avoid niyong mag pay ng mahal na fees.  Gagastos na rin lang for training, get the real thing na diba?

Yung tanong mo naman about capital and other regular expenses, those are things you will learn from a good training. Mahirap magbigay ng figures kasi depende naman yan if home-based or office-based, if sole proprietorship or partnership or corporation.

Yun lang mga sis, sharing these things lang kasi nakaka sad lang minsan makikita mo how exorbitant the fees are of some agencies. It's like taking advantage of those na wala pa alam tapos eventually malalaman mo, pwede naman pala hindi muna gumastos ng ganun.

[Pretty_aye]

Hi to all, yes you can put in your own, I joined SMB kasi for two reasons, access and connections. I cant have my own access for Cebpac 200k Airasia 50k. Then for land tours I have a partners kaya if I have inquiries nasasagot ko. For a travel Agency kasi you should have all the package so meron at meron na hindi ka alam or hindi available sau so aun kumukuha ko sa iba same goes with them kaya mas madalas na my kumukuha sa kin. You can pm me sa mga nagsstart up so I can send tariff rates exclusively for travel agencies.

[malisa79@yahoo.com]

Hi there,

Sa mga nagkapag try na sa SMB, mas ok bang direct nalang pumunta sa TA Center at ibang pang agency para makakuha ng contracted rates? Meron pa ba pwedeng puntahan para mag pag register? Wala kasi akong connection sa tour operator pero may ginagamit akong system pero may mark up nadin ang agency. I have permits na.

Any tips?

Thanks.

[zachary]

Any update? Paano ba makakuha ng tours na may airline na  then super mura. Thanks a lot!