Travel agency

A travel agency is a form of company in tourism. It offers all types of holiday and business travel. This may occur as a tour operator or travel agent.

• 8.1 Full travel agency 8.1.1 Tourism Travel Agency
• 8.1.2 travel agency chains

• 8.2.1 The Company's accounting office of a tour operator
• 8.2.2 Travel departments in companies outside the sector

• 8.9.1 Target group -oriented
• 8.9.2 Country of destination -oriented

Legal regulations

The status of a travel agency at the conclusion of the travel contract is regulated as follows:

• The office will act as a sales representative and includes agency agreements under § § 84 ff HGB; essential feature of the agency status is the so-called agency agreement with tour operators for which they occur as so-called agents; Representatives are authorized the financial statements; this results in a higher bond tour operators;
• It may further than commercial broker under § § 93 ff HGB occur, which occupy a position interessensneutralere without agency contracts; Trade brokers do not have signing authority, but are entitled only contract deals the trip for those interested to be taught tour operators receive and transmit.

The travel contract law is governed by § 651 ff BGB; Here are the rights and obligations of the two parties ( end-user and service provider, the travel agency is herein due to its pure mediation not involved ) are shown and explained.

Achievers

• Tour operators (eg TUI, Thomas Cook, allroute, REWE Touristik with ITS, JAHN Travel and TJAEREBORG, DERTOUR, Meiers world travel; ADAC Reisen, Thomson Travel )
• Airlines (eg Helvetic Airways AG, Lufthansa, LTU, Air France, Austrian arrows, Swiss, British Airways, Air Berlin)
• Carriers (eg German Bahn AG, Veolia Transport (formerly Connex ), car rental companies, cruise lines, bus companies )
• Insurance companies ( such as travel insurance Hanse Merkur travel insurance, Mondial Assistance International AG (formerly AGA ), European Travel Insurance )
• Accommodation enterprises such as nh hotels, Mercure Hotels, Ibis Hotels

Opening a travel agency

The creation or opening a travel agency in Germany requires no special skills. With an application to the trade office it already opens its doors. However, other requirements are necessary for tour operators. Thus if a travel agency also organize trips, it must be these additional prerequisites care ( for example, an insolvency insurance). In other countries, there are quite different requirements for opening a travel agency.

Staff development

The still main source of qualified staff in travel agencies is training in these self for tourism business man / man ( private and business ). But with an increasing degree also work college graduates with leading travel agents. Other training centers are tourism colleges and academies.

2011, the training content has been adapted to the new demands of the industry and renamed the existing training tracks travel agent man / woman in tourism business man / man ( private and business ).

The year 2007 showed a trend to a significant decline in education in the travel agency itself The reasons for this are, among others, in the temperate pay and the stress in this profession (training after work, mental stress through sales and customer pressure, etc.). Older workers often change jobs, since the merit and promotion opportunities are very limited.

Revenue and earnings development

For the placement of orders, travel agents, depending on their state commission by the respective service providers, which are between 4% and 13 % of the price, in exceptional cases, be higher or lower ( train). This large volume of sales are also paid at the end of so -called over Ridings in the form of an increased commission rate.

In the last few years, a trend has paved the way, pull the decline in sales in a year with commission refunds or reductions next year after themselves, called Malus system '. So try large tour operators to control the sales up. This system also entails disadvantages for the consumer, because the travel agent is therefore forced to give preference to offering the products of one or less Leitreiseveranstalter to meet the sales and commission targets can. However, 2007 seems already to reinstate a turnaround since just let customer wishes not solely by punishing or rewarding control in commissions.

Since the 1960s, sales and passenger numbers grew each year. This allowed travel agencies, such as the tourism industry as a whole, up to the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 expect good returns. Since then, the industry is undergoing a profound change with some significant declines in sales, but also a loss or even utter abolition of income (such as commissions on airline tickets).

This trend is exacerbated by other factors:

• Increase in unemployment
• Consumer reluctance, uncertainty, fear of the future
• The rapid growth of communications (internet, fax, telephone )
• Changes in the purchasing behavior of consumers - Removal of loyalty to the tribe travel agency

Operators and airlines looking for new and cost-effective distribution channels such

• Websites (Customers can book directly with service providers )
• Travel channels on TV
• Call Center
• Distribution channels of travel eg via supermarkets such as Tchibo or Billa.

Thus, the tour operating business is partly past the travel agent.

Advantages and disadvantages of travel agencies

The increasing travel experience of our customers and the dwindling informational advantage of the travel agencies make the existence of many travel agencies in the medium term. Today, customers can inform themselves via the Internet in detail about hotels, attractions and transportation all over the world, what was once a classic core function of the travel agencies.

The great potential for the future of the travel agencies are, however, in the diverse product knowledge and counseling. While mostly a website offering only the product of a service provider, often also does not provide detailed state information and little experience on these pages are mediated, employees in the travel agencies based on their personal experiences and information exchange opportunities here much better information.

Well will have to travel agencies specialize, since knowledge in all areas and products is now almost impossible. But here begins a development in the direction that specialized companies can pay for this advice.

Overall, one can say that any kind of distribution of travel has its advantages and disadvantages and its place in the economy. Also, the figures show that in some parts of the sale on the Internet increases (airline tickets, hotel accommodation only ) and in some parts of the sales through travel agents increases (high-quality trips, study tours, group tours ).

Zero commission in aviation

2003 announced the Lufthansa as the first important partners in the tourism travel agencies the traditional intermediary status. Agent status means for the retailer, it receives from merchants for its intervention in a commission.

Thus, the travel agencies have since been forced to buy air tickets with the airline net ( which means that the agency no more commission from the Lufthansa receives ), and with a surcharge ( Service fee, processing fee, booking fee, handling fee ) to the customer to resell. The surcharge is to be levied necessarily, can thus continue to the travel agency to cover its own costs ( telephone costs, rental of computer terminals, etc.), thus ensuring its continued existence in the economy. The original idea of the service charge was also quickly established itself in online travel portals, especially in flight portals. While some EU countries impose the lack of transparency of these charges sanctions missing in Germany an extensive government regulation.

A great potential for conflict involves the fact that airlines offer their tickets in direct sales ( call center, Internet) partly cheaper than is a travel agency possible. The only restriction is that they only offer their own connections and prices and can not see such as travel agencies, including tariffs of other airlines at a glance in their computer systems.

With this development, the Lufthansa only played a pioneering role. 99% of airlines have now joined this practice. Also the German Bahn AG DB agencies reduced the travel agencies the basic commission since the beginning of 2005 to 6%. Agencies collect a portion of the lost commission from the customer, in the form of service charges.

Computer systems in the travel agency

Reservation systems: Important reservation system on the German market are currently still Amadeus (formerly START - the market leader in Germany ) with the flight booking interface " AMADEUS Air" and the tourism booking mask " TOMA ". There are also other booking systems such as Sabre Red Workspace merlin, Worldspan or Galileo.

Price comparison systems: In addition, there are auxiliary systems, such as traffic Cosmo run BistroPortal or LM -PLUS, price comparisons, filter yet bookable offers, and find the holiday wishes of customers appropriate travel and travel components at different promoters.

Types of travel agencies

Full travel agency

Full Licensing: IATA, train, OF and at least one Leitveranstalter. Thus, the full travel agency sells addition to the normal travel / holiday packages, and line tickets and train values ​​. The full travel agency also represents usually a large operators such as TUI, Thomas Cook or REWE Touristik, as well as many smaller tour operators. Numerous full travel agencies also occur even as a tour operator and sometimes have their own travel brochure.

Features: often travel agency chain, annual turnover depending on the location and chain membership about 1.5 million euros, and high turnover can have in the corporate business sector

Tourist Travel agency

The switching power is limited to the offers of tour operators and other service providers such as hotels, airlines or travel insurance. You can also have an IATA (authorization to own ticketing ).

Travel agency chains

As in other areas of economic cooperation has also started in the travel industry years ago. The original purpose of these transactions is to obtain better conditions of purchase by the service providers was ( "Together we are strong! "). But not enough for many financial reserves for survival and as a part of the existing travel agency chains was bought out by the big tour operators and integrates them into the distribution network and expanded.

Thus, three major travel agency chains share in the retail business for more than 2/3 of sales. The market Führeren include:

• The sales brands of REWE -Touristik - around 600 travel agencies of the marks THE travel agency, DERPART and ATLASREISEN plus about 1,200 travel agencies cooperation
• TUI Leisure Travel with travel agencies of the brands Hapag Lloyd, FIRST, TUI Travel Center and its franchise and cooperation partners
• Thomas Cook / Neckermann and their franchise and cooperation partners

Booking office

They are characterized in that they primarily travel organizer 's own sale, but have agency contracts with other tour operators. It can be distinguished from booking offices of two types:

The Company's accounting office of a tour operator

For example, sales office of a sports travel company at the location of the company headquarters, here are the services of the tour operator is distributed in the direct sales

Travel departments in companies outside the sector

Gas stations, banks, book clubs, lottery agencies and others.

Consolidator

The activity of consolidators involved until recent years including the sale of so-called gray market tickets. These are airplane tickets, which are, however, sold " unofficial " tolerated by the supplier at special rates below the fares approved by the State.

Due to the rapid change in the fare market ( the release of all prices means eliminating the permit requirement within the entire European air traffic area ) have now lost their gray market tariffs priority. For long distance connections, they were replaced by two new tariffs: these are negotiated net rates between consolidator or chain or even large companies on the one hand and airlines on the other and tariffs that only together with the sale of a land power (eg, accommodation, car rental ) apply.

Nevertheless, consolidators have definitely still its raison d'être. Because more than two -thirds of all travel agencies have no license to issue air tickets ( there are no so-called IATA agencies). These travel agencies must get their tickets from the consolidator. Also, most Internet portals handle their travel is not itself, but instruct herewith a consolidator or other service providers, then one speaks of fulfillment center.

For private customers with the idea of achieving a better flight price on the consolidator, results in the attempt to locate such, but no sense. First, the margin with about 5, is by now largely straight-through processing - € too small that it would be worthwhile, and secondly, no infrastructure for the necessary consultation is available.

The Consolidator is the interface between travel agents and airlines

A consolidator takes on a mediating position between the travel agency and airlines. Essentially, the following tasks to consolidator business include:

• Contracts with airlines
• Publication and maintenance of air fares in databases
• Contracts with travel agencies
• Service, telephone advice for travel agents
• Ticket creation ( Etix, ticket deposit, paper ticket ... )
• Shipping department, courier service
• Accounting Organization

Due to the various tasks in a wholesale banking services to private clients usually is not possible. A structure for an end customer support is not provided and also not desirable. Therefore, only the partners in the travel agency industry flight tickets at a special rate, but not the end customer.

For agencies without IATA license the connection to a consolidator is particularly important. Without such a license, a travel agency is not entitled to issue airline tickets. To cover this important area, however, in the travel agency industry, a contract necessarily carried out with a consolidator. For a monthly fee, which is far below the commissions of the travel agencies, the consolidator created for the tickets, in accordance with the tariff conditions.

But for travel agents with an IATA license, a contract worth a consolidator. Due to the high number of air tickets issued a consolidator will get better conditions for the purchase at the airlines as a travel agent. These prices are then passed on to the travel agents, who can thus sell cheaper travel. Grey market prices were communicated tolerated by the airlines to travel agents years ago. Meanwhile, an entire tariff jungle next to the Published fares has arisen, such as nego - rates, bulk rates, corporate rates or Unifares.

Despite the tendency of airlines no longer pay commissions and sell themselves through their own booking systems over the Internet to the direct customers, cover consolidator a very important area in the travel industry. Since airlines, caused only your limited offers can publish through its network, the end user often lack the overview of the range of tariffs for individual resorts. A travel agency with a consolidator behind it creates the necessary transparency here.

Incoming Agency

The incoming agency is located in tourism destination areas and provides travel services of the site region of non-local tour operators and guests. The incoming agency is available to guests on site and is also called the destination agency.

Outgoing Agency

The Outgoing agency is based in the countries of origin of tourists traditional travel agency; it deals with the so Gen. " beyond tourism" (of English. outgoing tourism ), that is, they created travel programs at home and abroad for their canvassed in the domestic source market customers.

Corporate Travel agent

This travel agency is ( but in this case spatially separated as " corporate service " by the public of the full travel agencies) specializing as either a stand-alone company or as a department of a full travel agencies on the requirements of business travel company. Mostly, in addition to the travel agent's other services such as travel planning or mission statement of the employee are rendered. The term "Implant " means a travel agency branch in a foreign company.

Corporate travel agency

Unlike other travel agencies, is in the Travel Office to no tourist enterprise, but a not a tourist company department. Own travel agencies and can not acquire licenses for the sale of tickets, and tickets, usually thus partner with the company of a full- service travel agencies.

Online Travel Agency

Some online travel agencies witnessed in recent years, large increases in sales, others are experiencing harsh declines, some have already closed. They offer the user the possibility to put together travel after hours or on weekends and book with one click. Many online travel agencies offer on their websites also offers extensive information, such as reviews or excursions.

A possible reason for the success of online travel agencies is the idea of many travelers, the Internet was their vacation to get cheaper. But this is usually not the case. Unlike commonly known, offers reputable operators in the virtual and the traditional travel agency are identical. In addition, must be considered (for example, for scheduled flights only during the booking cited taxes and duties) and often unfavorable business conditions in the online travel agency often hidden costs. A personal consultation largely unnecessary for online travel agencies, although many vendors have started to offer appropriate service hotlines.

Was initially used as an argument of the cheaper prices of the absence of distribution costs ( room hire, staff, etc.), as has been shown after a few years that this advantage is largely eaten up by advertising and technology costs. Also there is a development in the direction that some tour operators real online travel agencies offer less commissions.

Special travel agencies

Target group -oriented

These are travel agencies that tailor their offerings aware to specific target groups. This can be among target groups, for example, disabled, elderly or wheelchair users, long-term care, dialysis patients, sports trips (tennis or football clubs and the like).

Here, these travel agencies either Spezialreiseveranstatler use (such as HandicapNet, Mare Nostrum -, honey - travel, etc. ), or even working as a tour operator with special trips. The advantage for affected travel guests, is specifically tailored to their target market offers available, show the specific conditions required conscious.

Destination -oriented

There are a number of tour operators who specialize only on one or two target countries, so as to have a high product knowledge, which provides them an advantage over those sales types who need to know about all countries and Trip Types decision. These tour operators will offer special programs, also organize individually compiled travel.

Future prospects for travel agents

"Through the wide variety of information and services offered by online travel agencies, experts expect a change in the distribution channels, especially at the expense of traditional travel agencies. On the other hand, the consultant function can be supported in smaller travel agencies through the use of ICT. Especially in demanding travel consultations provide current target area information a valuable aid dar. "Quote of the Berlin economy.

According to a study by the Association of Internet travel sales in 2013 had 34 percent of respondents in the past ever used the Internet for booking of holiday travel. 2001, there were only 4 percent. At Deutsche Bahn, the proportion of Internet sales on sales rose from 7.9 2005-2012 to 26.0 percent.

The number of stationary travel agencies in Germany decreased from 2001 to 2013 by 31.7 percent (from 14,235 to 9,729 ) back.

Others

Tour operators offer employees of travel agencies several ways to get to know their products personally:

A) Travel Information - but which are considered in Germany under certain conditions as part of the payment by the tax office and must be taxed. If there is a strict time sightseeing and leisure education program without character, this type of tax free recognized by training.

B ) Discounts on regular bookings that exceed the agreed commission: this also includes so-called PEP offers; However, many operators provide this additional discounts only to employees of Agencies who book a certain (minimum) sales per year with the tour operator.

C ) program presentations in holiday areas