Is a Travel Agency a profitable business to own?

I want to own my own Travel Agency but i want to have a business that would be very lucrative and make a lot of money. I love to travel and so i want to own a business that is directly related to that. Plz tell me if i should pursue this since a lot of ppl go online to make bookings now and that can seriously hurt a travel agency.

No. A travel agency generally used to be a fairly good business. However, as you noted, many people are now using the internet to book their own travel. And, the airlines and cruise ships have cut back on their rebates to travel agencies. They had to as they are trying to cut their expenses. Also, with the current poor economy, most people are cutting back on their vacation travel. If you want to sample how to run a trip, I suggest you join a local ski or travel club. You could help to organize a trip and see what is involved. With some experience, you could be in charge of organizing a trip. This would give you an opportunity to see just what is involved in the travel business. With that experience, you could then work for a cruise line or a Vegas hotel. However, dont expect to get rich. Good luck. Jack

When my wife and I were looking for a business, we asked ourself, "What are we looking for." You have to do the same thing. Take into consideration, time, overhead expenses, etc... You may like to travel but you might not like dealing with mood changes of people.

Know what your 'WHY' is. It has to be so big that you'll let nothing get in your way. When you have it, you'll know it. Like my wife and I did, we chose something we enjoyed, needed, and something with very little competition. Now we're doing very well at it.

Jack gives you great advice. The only way you are going to be able to compete successfully with an online Travel Agency is on the basis of service. Only by offering a higher level of personalized service will you be able to differentiate yourself from companies who are simply selling tickets and renting rooms.

It's a tough industry; I know a couple of people who are travel agents, and the advent of internet booking and sales has really changed the way they've done business.

Good luck to you.

My husband and I actually own an online Travel Agency. We just point people to our website and they do all their own bookings. They are given an 800 number if there are difficulties and the vendors will do the follow up. We love what we do. Our business has the potential to make as much money as the work we put into it. We help our customers when they need it, but the majority of the time they already know what they want. Why choose my website? Because they know me and our prices will match or beat the competitors 95% of the time.

Please contact me for more info.

To become an at home travel agent you might want to check out this site... http://www.sell-travel-online.com they can guide you in the right direction to start making money from home today!

I'm running my own travel agency online too and I love it. It's not expensive at all and you can definetely make a lot of money.
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