Holiday Agency Entrepreneur Needs a Complete Business Support System: A Dharmaraj, COO, Advantage Asia

Brief us about your business model

Advantage Travel Partnership, the UK’s largest independent travel agency consortium, has agreed its first licensee agreement with Indian travel agency Pricol Travel to replicate the successful UK business model in India. Pricol Travel, an existing business travel partner of Worldwide Independent Travel Network (WIN) – a majority-owned subsidiary of Advantage which operates a global hotel and special products programme, will utilise Advantage’s expertise in travel management to grow India’s first leisure consortium named Advantage Asia.

The Advantage Asia Travel Partnership Consortium provides the necessary edge to smaller or mid-sized Holiday Travel Agencies in Asia and the Middle East through its Empowerment Program. This program consists of Technology, Marketing, Training, Business Consulting, Suppliers Negotiations, Networking and assistance in designing Holiday Products. This will enable them to offer the best blend of travel products and services.

How do you plan to promote your business?

Since the inception of this business, our endeavour is to carve out value for each of our member partners which would impel longer association and holistic success of this partnership. We carry out informative sessions and educational conferences in various parts of India (To begin with) and invite the target agencies to these sessions. These sessions impart knowledge to overcome challenges that these agencies face on a daily basis and focus on growth. We explain to them how Advantage Asia can support their business in achieving the aspired goals.

What would you comment upon the growing travel consortiums in India?

Though there are various travel associations or franchise models that exist in the Indian Travel Fraternity, however at present it is hard to find a consortium supporting the Holiday Travel Business. We very strongly believe that the holiday agency entrepreneur needs a complete business support system who can help them find their way out from the onslaught of the online players and achieve success.

Tell us your USP:

In a nutshell, we are a Holiday Business support system very economically priced with all experts and industry veterans as part of our core team, who are motivated towards a common goal, that is to work very closely with our member partners, share collective knowledge and deliver value.

Brief us about your future plans with Advantage Asia?

We have a three-step development plan for this program:

1st to get the best fit agencies as members of the program, which we have already achieved.

2nd Reach the right size to continually deliver value

3rd Once we believe that the consortium has the right size which we believe is 80+ agencies within India, we will build upon that strength and deliver not just what is existing in the program but also strive for a continued upgrade of all solutions including marketing, technology, suppliers and training.

Also like what Advantage Travel Partnership UK (Our Parent Brand) has been doing now, providing assistance on Holiday products and building futuristic technology.

Sakshi

BW Reporters Sakshi did her Post Graduation in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. She works with BW Hotelier as a Senior Correspondent. She is an avid traveller by heart and loves to explore the unexplored.