Start Your Own Travel Agency [Paperback]

Travel and tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Occupying a vast sector of the economy, the industry is comprised of countless individuals and companies that provide a wide assortment of services to travelers. With the number of travelers increasing annually throughout the world, it is expected that the travel and tourism sector will continue to expand.

When people travel for pleasure or business, most turn to travel agents to help them plan their trips. Thus, the travel agent is at the hub of the industry. It is the travel agent who guides travelers through the maze of choices for transportation, accommodations, tours, and rentals. While the Internet enjoys much press for the alternatives it offers to travelers who wish to book their own flights and hotels, the fact is that travel agents in the United States alone account for the sale of three out of every four airline tickets and the sale of nine out of ten cruise packages. In 1999, U.S. travel agencies accounted for close to $50 billion in ticket sales.

The future for the travel and tourism industry is bright. Currently the industry ranks as the second largest business enterprise in the U.S., and many economists expect that it will soon become the largest. The industry accounts for 6.7 of Americas GNP, and this, too, is likely to grow. The reasons for this are varied and include:

1. The world is getting smaller. Modern transportation systems reach into every corner of the globe, making it easier to visit places that just a few years ago would have been nearly impossible to visit. 2. More countries than ever welcome tourists because of the economic benefits they bring. Many countries that not long ago had closed borders are now open and eager for tourist dollars. 3. The decade of the nineties witnessed significant worldwide economic expansion, which increased the disposable income for millions of families. This is particularly true of Western nationlÃ×