Travel and tours business plan template for the Philippines

Executive summary

[Agency name] Travel and Tours will sell [domestic tour packages to (destinations), airline and hotel bookings, group tours for companies and schools] from [an office at (address) / a home office with online sales] in [city]. Owner: [name], [background in travel or tourism]. Staff: [number] travel consultants and [number] accredited tour guide(s) or partner guides.

Start-up budget: ₱____ (office set-up ₱____, computers and booking tools ₱____, website and social media content ₱____, DOT accreditation and permits ₱____, marketing ₱____, working capital for supplier deposits ₱____). Funding: owner ₱____, loan ₱____.

Products and suppliers

List your first packages in detail. For each: destination, days and nights, inclusions (transport, hotel, meals, entrance fees, guide), group size, and price per person (₱____). Start with [number] packages you can deliver well, built around places you know.

Suppliers. Hotels and resorts [names], land transport [operator], boat operators [names], local guides [names]. Write the payment terms, deposit requirements and cancellation rules each supplier gives you, because these set your own refund policy.

Booking services. If you also sell flights and hotel rooms, explain how you book (agent portals, direct contracts) and what service fee you charge (₱____ per booking).

Travellers and competing agencies

Fill this section with what you can check:

Example fill-in. "Our first market is [office workers in (city) planning long weekends / schools booking field trips / balikbayan families / foreign visitors to (destination)]. We asked [number] people in our network; [number] said they book tours through [social media sellers / large online agencies / directly with resorts]. [Number] agencies in [city] sell a [destination] package at ₱____ to ₱____ per person. We will offer [small groups / customised itineraries / an accredited guide on every tour / transparent inclusions]."

• Who will you sell to: families, barkadas, companies, schools, foreign tourists?
• Which destinations do they ask about most?
• How do they book now, and what problems have they had?
• What do competing agencies charge for the same destination, and what is included?
• Which months are busiest for your destinations?

Operations and customer care

Booking process. Inquiry → quote with written inclusions and exclusions → deposit → supplier confirmations → full payment by [days] before travel → travel documents and itinerary sent → tour → post-trip feedback.

Tour guides. DILG lists tourism frontliners and tour guides among the primary tourism enterprises that need DOT accreditation. Use DOT-accredited guides, or have your own guides accredited, and write their names in the plan.^[4]

Client money. Keep customer deposits in a separate account until you pay suppliers. Write your refund and rebooking policy, including what happens when weather cancels a trip.

Accreditation and permit costs

Register through the usual steps. DTI charges ₱200 to ₱2,000 for a business name depending on scope, plus ₱30 documentary stamp tax. BIR stopped collecting the ₱500 Annual Registration Fee from 22 January 2024.^[1,2]

The Tourism Act (RA 9593) lists travel and tour services among primary tourism enterprises, which must periodically obtain DOT accreditation. DILG has told LGUs that DOT accreditation must come before the permit to operate is issued to these enterprises. Apply through DOT's Online Accreditation System. The Inquirer reported in February 2023 that DOT extended free accreditation for tourism businesses. Confirm the current fee with DOT.^[3,4,5]

Financial plan

Published amounts filled in: DTI ₱500 plus ₱30 and BIR ₱0. DOT and local fees left to confirm.^[1,2]

Per package. Price per person ₱____ − hotel ₱____ − transport ₱____ − meals and fees ₱____ − guide ₱____ = margin per person ₱____. Groups per month [number] × people per group [number] × margin = ₱____.

Cash timing. Show when supplier deposits go out and when customers pay. Agencies often pay suppliers before the customer's balance arrives; your working capital must cover the gap.

• Office set-up or home office equipment ₱____
• Website, booking tools, content ₱____
• DTI ₱500 + ₱30; BIR ₱0
• DOT accreditation ₱____ (confirm current fee)
• Barangay clearance, mayor's permit ₱____ (assessed after DOT accreditation)
• Working capital for supplier deposits ₱____
• Monthly: rent ₱____, staff ₱____, ads ₱____, internet and phones ₱____

Risks

Write a response for each.

• Typhoon or flight cancellation. Written rebooking and refund policy; suppliers with flexible terms; travel insurance offered to clients.
• Supplier fails to deliver. Confirm every booking in writing; keep backup suppliers at each destination.
• Low season. Corporate and school trips, and destinations with different peak months.
• Operating before DOT accreditation. Apply early; the permit to operate should follow it.

Travel and tours permits and fees

Questions people ask

Does a travel agency need DOT accreditation?

Yes. Travel and tour services are primary tourism enterprises under RA 9593, which must obtain DOT accreditation, and LGUs should issue the permit to operate only after it.

Can I run a travel and tours business from home?

You can sell from a home office, but the DOT accreditation and permit rules still apply. See the home-based business guide for the local side.

How much margin should a tour package have?

We do not publish margins. Build yours from supplier quotes and the prices competing agencies charge.