Set up your own travel agency

I've always been thinking of starting my own travel agency. It's probably been trickling in and out of my mind eversince I started in the Travel industry 8 years ago ( I never stopped and thought to myself but it's been THAT long now!!) . . But, I've only really been starting to think about it seriously just the past couple of years. Since I've stopped working in a Boutique travel agency.



I know it's not at all a glamourous job, as some people may think of it as. But really, it is a dirty business that requires a whole LOT of effort, patience and 200% love for the industry. Because, it does not pay well. At all. When done right, it may bring in a few freebies here and there, but really to get to that point one would cross a thousand bridges and swim through the Pacific Ocean, maybe at least one hundred times over. But for a travel friek like me, it all is worth it. I breathe, I eat, I sleep with travel on my mind. Conciously and even subconciously. It's a lifestyle. (At least for me).


It's always been a passion. The first time I remember showing signs of being one, I can still recall clearly... I was on a trip with families and friends (about 20 plus of us), and we got stranded on this island. One of our hosts brought us to a beach resort, and it had this huge map of the island hanging on the wall. A bunch of friends were looking at the map trying to decipher were we were, and I sounded like a teacher pointing at the wall, where we were at that time, pointing at where we came from and where we were going. It came oh so naturally that I found myself talking to the "audience" from the heart. Cheesy as it is, but that's my clearest and fondest memory about being a know it all travel person. That, and well, in elementary I would find joy in memorising capital cities of countries, locating them on the map/atlas, and just really enjoying my Geography classes. Seems like I may have been born into it after all.


Anyway, recently I have been having these bursts of email again from previous clients looking for me, wanting me to set up my own travel agency. It has crossed my mind again, and I am currently studying it to see whether it is worth my while to actually set up a home based travel agency, or whether I should just stick to being employed.



I have been researching a bit on IATA, because although I have got an IATA card, it's different to actually have an IATA accredited travel agency. Being a woman, I can see how/why women want to start their own travel agency business. But, hey having said that, I am not just any other woman who would like to start her own Travel business. I'm here to start my empire! Haha! So many great finds and interesting read while researching this. I should probably do this again tomorrow!