I'm going to open a travel company in the ancient town Hoi An (Vietnam). Pls give me some advices?

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MojaveDan

In my opinion, the big money is serving foreign travelers to Vietnam, and you should plan for services accordingly.

Australians and Europeans travel a lot to Vietnam because it is very inexpensive for them to holiday there. Americans are just starting to travel to Vietnam, and are expected to become the largest market of foreign travelers within the next five to ten years. You should tailor your services accordingly.

An important item that you should look into is having guides and interpreters available especially if your clients are to travel in the North. Having such services can give you a big edge over the competition already established there because most travel agencies in Vietnam don't offer such services.

There is a very practical and inexpensive means to provide such services. Several universities througout Vietnam have curriculums specifically for foreign commerce, and their students are learning English or other foreign languages. You should see about having such students available as guides for your clients.

Usually, the cost to the client is food and lodging for the student guide while the client is traveling the country with them. Your client will feel very comfortable having their own interpreter and guide because it will allow them to travel deeper into Vietnam and learn more about the incredible culture while the student receives more exposure to the language that they are learning. It is a win-win situation that I cannot believe other travel agencies in Vietnam have not taken advantage of yet.

You should make connections and become accustom with all the available transportation services throughout the country. Make connections with the bus, train and air services and especially have reliable drivers with either cars or mini-bus available for private tours and travel. Also make connections with tour companies and tour guides for everything that is to do while visiting Vietnam.

Have available a means to exchange currency, and don't screw the tourists whem you offer this service. The one thing that ticks off a foreign tourist more than anything is getting screwed on currency exchange.

Have a means to provide cell phone and calling card services. Most travel agents in Vietnam don't provide such services either. You can rent the phone to and sell the SMS cards so your clients can call you or call friends and relavites back home.

Perhaps the most important item is safety and security of your clients. It is very easy to get killed over there if you are a dumb tourist, and most of the tourists know that the moment they leave the airport. You should be able to offer accomodations and services that will assure your client's safety.

Saigon has many travel agencies that are already geard up for foreign tourists. Instead of reinventing the wheel, you should copy their business plan and improve on it by putting youself in the footsteps of the foreign traveler.

Good luck!

writerama

Are you marketing it to Vietnamese people or to foreigners? For foreigners, I would say that you could try to specialize in a few key places, such as selling tours to local destinations. Most foreigners who come there already have their plane tickets and itineraries, but they may want to see some local places that you could help them get to and enjoy.

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