Travel agency – We often hear the term travel agency. Travel agency is a practical vacation solution. Vacationing or traveling is one of the favorite activities to spend free time on holidays. Many people go on trips, visiting various tourist destinations both within the city, outside the city and even abroad to relieve fatigue from their daily routine.
The development of an increasingly advanced era, the tourism sector is also developing. So that there are various new business opportunities that arise, one of which is a travel agency. Travel agencies offer various tourism products and packages to various destinations to the public on behalf of supply companies.
The existence of this travel agency is important for the tourism industry. Travel agents can help tourists make vacation plans. They will also ensure that the trip becomes an unforgettable memory for their clients.
Definition of Travel Bureau
A travel agency is an economic activity in the form of providing services in the context of travel such as purchasing tickets, arranging passports or visas, lodging and travel trips .
Travel agency as a commercial business activity that organizes and provides services for an individual or a group of people to travel with the main purpose of traveling.
Travel Bureau Destinations
Some of the goals of travel agents are as follows:
- Make it easy for tourists to visit tourist attractions through the safest and fastest route.
- Helping travelers find the closest and most enjoyable places to stay and restaurants.
- Providing many choices of tourist attractions, complete with the accommodation offered.
- Get big profits from customers or providers of tourist attractions.
- Customer satisfaction affects their willingness to use an existing agent on their next trip.
- Increasing business competition.
Travel Bureau Scope
- Create, organize and sell travel tour packages.
- Take care of the transportation of individuals / individuals or groups who will take part in the travel tour.
- Make accommodation reservations, restaurants to tourist attractions in various places.
- Take care of travel documents such as passports and visas.
- Create travel guides.
- Serving the organization of the convention.
Travel Bureau Benefits
Not a few people wonder about the benefits and advantages of using a travel agency to organize or plan their vacation. There are those who think that by using an agency, travel will be less free and various other problems. Therefore, not a few people choose to arrange their trips independently.
However, using a travel agency will also provide various benefits. Here are some of the benefits of a travel agency, namely:
a. Travel is their forte
Using the services of a travel agency means that we get help from experts in this field. They are trained to know. Understand and adapt to all different forms of travel. They will scrutinize various information about the client’s itinerary and convey important details including travel advice, latest news, weather conditions and necessary documents for the tourist destination.
b. Knowledge of tourist destinations
As industry experts, travel agents have extensive knowledge of tourist attractions around the world. Not only that, they also continue to update information about the latest tourist destinations. Travel agents also have extensive knowledge of various information that can help answer various questions or problems of tourists.
c. Convenience and comfort
Travel agents offer convenience because every aspect of a tourist’s vacation or trip is put together in one comprehensive plan. This includes researching and suggesting destinations, as well as arranging flights, accommodation, airport transportation and excursions.
d. Save on travel costs
Some people think that using a travel agency will increase the costs required. However, using their services can actually help save on your travel costs, you know. These agencies have exclusive agreements with vendors which help to lower costs. In addition, these travel agents also have extensive information about existing promos and can provide advice on when is the best time to place an order.
e. Relationships and networks
Building relationships and networking with travel agents can help us plan an unforgettable vacation. If Sinaumeds has a good relationship with them, you can ask them to plan a tour according to your interests. Apart from that, Sinaumeds can also take advantage of the relationship with travel agents and their network to provide things such as hotel room selection and food menus.
f. Personal assistance during the trip
Travel agencies can provide assistance for their clients when they encounter problems in their travels. The point is they will take care of everything related to your trip. For example, taking care of travel documents so you don’t get confused, you don’t have to pay for transportation tickets and tourist tickets because they have been accumulated with travel agents, travel becomes safer, and more information is obtained about travel so that travel will be more efficient and effective.
g. Reduce stress
Planning and organizing a vacation can be tiring and stressful. Not to mention the problems encountered while traveling. Using a travel agency can help us to reduce stress. They will take care of all the needs and problems related to our trip. We just simply sit pretty and enjoy it without stressing about these problems.
Travel Bureau Duties
As one of the important components of the tourism industry, travel agents have an important task. The tasks include:
a. For travel or tourism information
Every travel agency must provide the necessary travel information to clients or tourists. They must provide up-to-date, accurate and timely information regarding the purpose of travel, accommodation, excursions or excursions, shopping activities, immigration, passports, visas, customs procedures, health and security regulations and various permits required to travel to certain areas. and other information.
b. Travel plan preparation
Tourist itineraries are used to identify origins, destinations and all stop points on a tourist’s or non-tourist’s itinerary. This plan consists of various elements and is designed through a detailed market study. Travel agents prepare travel plans for tour packages.
c. Sales and reservation of airplane tickets/other accommodation
A travel agency sells various tourism products. The sale and reservation of airplane tickets or other accommodation is still one of their main sources of income. Travel agents perform the function of selling and booking tickets on behalf of various airlines.
d. Making tour packages and pricing
The travel agency has prepared tour packages and will sell them to tourists. Making and pricing tour packages is very dependent on the ability of the agency related to how effectively he can negotiate with suppliers.
e. Reservation
Reservation as a very important function of all types of travel agents. A travel agency consistently liaises with the accommodation sector, the transport sector and other entertainment organizations to reserve rooms and seats on cultural and transport programmes.
f. Travel insurance
Some large-scale travel agencies perform additional functions in serving their clients. Travel insurance protects travelers against such person and baggage loss due to various travel-related incidents and various other problems.
g. Currency exchange service
Several travel agencies obtain permission from the government to provide money exchange services for tourists and tourists.
h. Organizing conferences or conventions
Large-scale travel agencies also offer a complete convention or conference package that includes participant registration, participant pick-up, providing overhead projectors, slide projectors, TVs, VCRs, information counters, tours and so on.
Travel Bureau Functions
a. General Functions
This is a travel agency is a business entity that can provide information about everything related to the world of travel in general and tourism in particular.
b. Special Functions
The special functions are as follows:
- Travel agency as an intermediary. In its activities, Ida acts on behalf of other companies and sells the services of the companies it represents. Therefore it acts among tourists and the tourism industry.
- Travel agency as a business entity that plans and organizes tours at its own responsibility and risk.
- The travel agency as an organizer, namely in promoting business, actively cooperates with other companies, both domestic and foreign. The facilities owned will be utilized as merchandise.
Type of Travel Agency
There are 3 different types of travel agents, namely:
1. Travel Bureau
Is a travel agency that operates in the most general fields, which usually provides tour packages and short tour activities. For example, like walking around town.
2. Business Travel Bureau
As the name implies, this agency focuses on travel related to business matters. For example, such as meetings, conferences and exhibitions which are often referred to as MICE Tourism ( Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions ) .
3. Special Travel Bureau
A special travel agency is an agency that is more specific in nature where the trip or tourism activities are guided by bodyguards who really understand the ins and outs and geographical activities of the tourist spot. For example, such as religious tourism, adventure tourism, health tourism and many others.
Example of a travel agency company bureau in Indonesia
Following are some examples of travel agency companies in Indonesia, including the following:
1. Indonesian field trip
This travel agency is located at Jalan Mulyosari No. 338, Surabaya, East Java. This travel agency focuses on selling airplane tickets, hotels, tour packages and Umrah and Hajj packages.
2. Trip Boutique
This trip boutique is located on Jalan Cililin No. 11, Petagongan, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. This travel agency provides travel services to all exotic regions in Indonesia.
3. Panaroma Destinations
This Panaroma Destination is located at Panaroma Building, Jalan Tomang Raya No. 63, Tomang, West Jakarta. This travel agency provides services for tourists who wish to organize trips to various destinations in Indonesia and abroad.
The difference between a travel agency and a travel agent
Although both are engaged in the same field and are under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, both travel agencies and travel agents have some differences. Based on Law no. 9 of 1990 Article 12, a travel agency is a business that provides planning services as well as tourism services and organizing.
While travel agents are business activities that organize trips where they act as intermediaries in selling and managing services.
The main difference between the two lies in the business license. Travel bureaus have licenses with a broad scope including sales of tour services, tour planning and tour service operators who operate according to service contracts made based on agreed programs or those stated in the tour package product brochure.
Meanwhile, tour travel agents only obtain permission to act as retailers of various tourism service products (services) that have been mandated or based on appointed agencies.
Functionally, travel agents also only serve as intermediaries or organizers. Meanwhile, the travel agency has the duty to provide all information related to the world of tourism or especially tourism itself.
Steps to Establish a Travel Bureau
Tourist attractions are increasing every year, for that for Sinaumeds who will have/establish a travel agency there will be the following steps:
1. Have a Business Plan
A business plan plays an important role in setting up a travel agency. You should always conduct due diligence through market analysis and business planning. There are two options that can be done, namely a travel agency based at home or a travel agency that actually starts from scratch. So, our business plan adjusts our choices.
2. Do Market Research
Market research as a periodic process. Then always ask yourself this:
- What type of travel agency do you want?
- What kind of demand is currently hot in Indonesia or in our specific location?
- How can we differentiate our business from competitors?
3. Brand Building for Travel Agencies
A strong image will certainly make us stand out. Determine our Unique Selling Points (USP) or niche and offer something that competitors cannot offer.
4. Comply with Legal Requirements
Local compliance is always the best policy when running a business. There are no exceptions when setting up a travel agency in Indonesia. We’ll find out more about the legal requirements in a later section.
5. Recruiting Employees
Will we employ local or foreign employees, full time or part time? This is something to consider.
6. Market and Run Our Travel Agency
Within the constraints of funds and budget, we must always have a marketing plan to grow the business. Don’t be put off until you realize that only a small amount of income is coming in. Then, do it now, OK!
This is an explanation of the meaning, benefits and duties of a travel agency that we need to know. If Sinaumeds is still confused, still needs references related to the meaning, benefits and duties of a travel agency, then you can visit Sinaumedia’s book collection at sinaumedia.com. Sinaumedia always provides the best and most complete products so that Sinaumeds has #MoreWithReading information.