How to Start a Travel Agency

Dreaming of running your own travel agency? It is more achievable than most people think — you do not need an IATA licence or your own airline deals to begin. This step-by-step guide shows how, and how JourneyDeal gives you instant access to flights, hotels and holidays to sell.

Steps to start a travel agency

1. Decide your niche and business model — leisure, holidays, hotels or a home-based agency.
2. Register your business and open a current account (sole proprietor, LLP or company).
3. Get the basics — GST registration, a brand name, logo and a simple website.
4. Choose a booking platform or partner instead of costly airline/GDS contracts.
5. Set your markups and payment methods, then start selling and marketing.

Making it your own

• Choose a brand name and niche you enjoy — holidays, honeymoons, Hajj/Umrah, corporate or group tours.
• Register the business and set up payments (UPI/cards/wallet).
• Plug into JourneyDeal for wholesale fares and start selling the same day.
• Grow with reviews, referrals and social media.

Typical start-up costs

• Business registration & GST — low, often under ₹15,000
• Website/branding — optional to start; a partner portal can replace it
• Working capital — a wallet top-up to issue tickets
• No need for your own airline contracts, IATA licence or office when you start on a partner platform

How JourneyDeal helps you start

Start with JourneyDeal: partner with us to sell flights, hotels and curated holiday packages, earn on every booking and lean on our deals and support — no inventory or airline contracts needed.