How To Start A Travel Agency In South Africa

Below is How To Start A Travel Agency In South Africa

The tourism industry is one that faces a lot of envy because of just how lucrative it is and how easy it is to succeed. In South Africa, tourism contributed ZAR 102 billion to the country’s GDP in 2012, and that number has risen to 2.9% in 2016, and it keeps growing. Do you want to join this money-making enterprise? In this article, we will show you how to start a travel agency in South Africa and how to make it one of the best in the country.

The beauty of starting a travel agency is that it can be done in the comfort of your own home. Most tourists have easier access to travel agencies that are based online. However, for a more local target market, you can set up an office. We will show you exactly how to set up your own travel agency.

A retail travel agency sells everything from airline bookings, accommodation, guided tours, cruises, adventure holidays, car hire reservations, and more to the public. One can also operate a home-based agency or buy a franchise.

Traditional retail travel agencies

Traditional retail travel agencies are still an option but recent changes in the industry (airlines no longer pay commission to travel agents for booking flights) have seen a growth in home-based travel businesses mushrooming all over South Africa.

Many successful small agencies or home bases businesses focus on a particular area of the industry. Here are just some of the many sectors a small business can focus on:

Cruise holidays

Honeymoon packages

Snow skiing tours

Adventure trips

Eco tourism

Golfing holidays

Medical recuperation holidays

Spa Getaways

Luxury holidays

Business travel

Sports events

Airport/hotel transfers

Travel guides

Passport and visa services

“We are seeing more and more retailers opening, especially BEE agencies in the Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga and they are running good sound businesses,” says Robyn Christie, CEO of ASATA.

“From a travel perspective securing corporate business is very lucrative, but it is imperative that your business is seen as credible.”

Tips on how to start a travel agency in South Africa Find an opportunity

This opportunity is referred to as a gap in the market.

When you identify what part of tourism isn’t well exploited, you can take that up.

However, if you are already passionate about a specific sector, then you can focus on it.

The sector that you choose will be your niche; in other words, your product.

Essentially, this is the most critical section.

When you are just starting, it is vital to focus on one thing before going on large-scale business projects.

A common mistake with first-time entrepreneurs is the need to do everything. This invites lots of competition, especially from travel agencies which are already well established.