Time To Dream: My Plan To Establish A Travel Agency

Introduction

I get excited about going to new places, learning about different cultures, and meeting other people who live life differently. Furthermore, I love the feeling I get when I am exploring innovative ideas, cultures, histories, sceneries, and beliefs.

Traveling is my passion, and I am not afraid of pursuing it. However, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 6. 8 million adults in the United States suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD). GAD can be defined as persistent and excessive worry about many different things. Some people with GAD are often hindered from living life to the fullest or, more explicitly, traveling solo. Personal disclosure: I am learning how to live life unafraid through changing my perspective about personal anxieties, fears, and excessive worry. The objective of this paper is to dream big through mentally reframing to establish a successful Online Home Based Travel Agency, where I am the owner, and I assist people through their fears.

Background

The idea of "Going Beyond: Sandy’s Travel Agency" was birthed in 2015 after I completed a Projects Abroad Volunteer program called Belize Care Program in San Pedro during my spring break. In my Case Management Class, each student was assigned to interview someone of a diverse cultural background and then present his or her findings to the class. Throughout this time, I received a lot of comments about traveling internationally solo. These comments came from my peers and again while transiting via San Diego Airport, where a lady spoke about her fears of going anywhere solo. The mission of Going Beyond, Sandy’s Travel Agency is to encourage all solo travelers to be open-minded, have an excellent attitude, and enjoy their new adventures.

As a retired Navy veteran career transitioner aspiring to seek a new career in an entirely different field, offering flexibility to work from anywhere - at home, from an office, or from any destination in the world, I asked, "Why not fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming an Independent Travel Agency?"

Reframing

Bolman and Deal say, "there is no one best way to organize". While planning for an organization, it is essential to consider all new realities as an independent travel agent in the age of technology and online travel planning. Successful travel agents have gained the appropriate credentials and training. Travel Planners International recommends, “utilizing a Host Agency to assist setting up home-based or storefront travel business. ” The organization should also focus on specific specialties to set them apart from other agents in the travel industry. Then, the organization must market services online to everyone you know and meet. Overall, the organization will focus on being a travel agent to reach goals and accomplish high-end results for clients who want to travel the world.

Kaufman et al. "suggests that strategic thinking is a "mindset". According to Bolman and Deal, "changing mindsets is difficult and risky". However, the Word of God says, “in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight”. Furthermore, as the prospective owner of Going Beyond, Sandy’s Travel Agency, the commitment is toward diversity and a willingness to go outside of our safe spaces. This commitment is necessary for the employees and the potential travelers as well. Since the organization will be relatively small, the responsibility comes from the one or two workers that will engage with likely travelers. Encouraging the workers to participate in solo trips will help them better sell the concept to their customers.

Vision

From personal experience, every day is a new day to learn how to breathe and do whatever it is that makes me afraid.

Purpose

Going Beyond, Sandy’s Travel Agency Purpose: Provide support to people so they can move “Beyond” their fears and into positive experiences.

Today’s relevance

Individuals around the world want and need to travel for business conferences, holidays, relaxation, and adventure. If you need any more convincing, consider the World Travel & Tourism Council's (2016) projection that by 2025, the "Travel & Tourism" sector will account for over 130 million new jobs. From that projection, it is an excellent time to launch a travel agency.

Did you know that leisure travel makes up 80 percent of the total travel within the travel industry, according to Plunkett Research? This represents even greater opportunities for entrepreneurs who desire to offer specialty travel services. By narrowing my differentiating area to solo travelers with mental illness and concentrating on relatable conditions such as anxiety disorders, I can create a prosperous business. To make it more attractive, I will offer categorized Tours, Specialty Tours, and Vacation Packages to destinations in the United States and other popular travel destinations throughout Central America. By publicly helping individuals overcome their anxieties or fears of traveling solo, I am standing up to existing mental health stigma and empowering others to live a more fearless and rewarding life. I will also have opportunities to educate others, begin open conversations to help others understand the facts surrounding mental illness, and share my stories. Bigger dreams, I would love to help dozens of individuals, but if it is only one person perhaps they will pass it along, very similar to the one small pebble and a thousand ripples analogy (Dalai Lama). Just as the “ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effect” in these circumstances adds value to our society.

Business logic

Make a swift, smooth, and successful career transition combining my passions: traveling and helping others to succeed. Deliver exceptional customer service. Advocate against mental health illness social stigmas in today’s society.

Opportunities

Nonetheless, establishing an online, home-based travel business still has lots of opportunities, such as low-cost start-up fees, more earning potential, flexibility, and being my own boss. Interestingly, Bolman and Deal say, “that plan becomes games, interactions, and advertisements" (2017, p. 289). Along with lots of effort, time, and hard work, it is not surprising why so many fail, give up, or stop dreaming.

Culture

The culture of my agency is in the slogan (Going Beyond) Sandy's Travel Agency. I enjoy traveling, meeting new people, seeing various places, and helping other people become better versions of themselves. After my own years of experiences battling fears and doubts of all sorts, I must share my testimony about how I learned to overcome them through God. Isaiah 12:2 states, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord himself is my strength and my defense he has become my salvation. ” I yearn to help anyone who is afraid of traveling alone or suffering from anxiety disorders and changes in his or her mental models. I want to help these people see the world through new lenses, from a place of love and confidence. Proverbs 11:30 states, the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and the one who is wise to save lives, and that is the culture around which I will build my business.

Future strategies

Becoming a travel agent is a natural fit for my DNA and personality. However, with no previous experience, it can also feel a bit overwhelming, and some tasks seem daunting. Psalm 28:7, NIV says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him. And He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him. ” Through my research, I have discovered it takes up to three to five years to reach high-end results through sales, profits, marketing, and clientele. I have come up with six different tactics that I could actively pursue over the next six months. I will initially start out as a one-person team, working as an online home-based travel agent for Going Beyond, Sandy’s Travel Agency, serving clients that have anxiety disorders, want to travel solo but have a fear of traveling alone anywhere in the United States or Central America, or need extra support to overcome their obstacles. The six tactics are as follows:

1. Get training and credentials.
2. Focus on building customer relationships.
3. Increase my travel agency visibility through business promotion and marketing strategies by creating powerful marketing tools such as logos, business cards, and websites, and creating multiple social media channels to meet and utilize potential future loyal customers.
4. Become more informed by attending travel industry events and networking with others, including friends and family in need of travel information and itinerary planning.
5. Select a Hosting Agency to help me get acquainted with jargon, products, and services within the travel industry.
6. Purchase a Travel Agency Franchise.

Conclusion

When one is starting a new company, it is essential to plan carefully and differentiate between needs and wants of the business. Over the past week, I had an opportunity to assess my ambitions, to pray about future goals, and to dream big as an entrepreneur. I utilized my two greatest passions of traveling and helping others to create a virtual home-based travel agency named Going Beyond, Sandy's Travel Agency. My business is specifically geared toward individuals who suffer from anxiety disorders or have a fear of traveling solo. From firsthand experience battling anxiety, I know that the best way to conquer fear is to learn how to attack the anxiety and press through discomfort.

My primary objective is to be a friendly, supportive person that assists others to reach higher levels of success in their own lives. Scripture reminds us: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”. Through traveling, my clients will gain meaningful life experiences. I have evaluated this company’s values through these multiple frames so that the business can be successful over time and achieve positive results for clients. Through traveling, we can all learn to become our better selves.