International Travel Agency Business Plan

Shea Delaney will act as the General Manager. However, ATI is a small organization and its employees will share in management duties and decision making. It will be important for each member of the team to be capable in all aspects of the business. Prerequisites for all ATI employees include at least five years travel industry experience, knowledge and ability in the types of activities ATI will promote, and Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) certification for applicable positions. The CTC designation can be obtained through the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA).

6.1 Organizational Structure

ATI will begin operations with 4 full-time positions. The positions are as follows.

General Manager and President: Shea Delaney, age 37, B.A. Marketing Management, University of California Santa Cruz. Shea has 12 years experience in the travel industry, including five years experience as manager of the Transworld travel agency, Southern California branch. As manager at Transworld, Shea increased revenues by $1.5 million and established the adventure travel division which, in its first 18 months, generated an additional $400,00 in revenues. His background in adventure sports includes four years on the U.S. pro kayaking tour, two years as a sponsored cross-country mountain bike racer, 25 years surfing, including three years as an amateur competitor, and participation in many other adventure and organized sports such as snowboarding, beach volleyball, and track and field.

Marketing and Advertising Director: Jordan Barnes, age 31, B.S. Communications, Brigham Young University. Jordan spent five years as an adventure travel and freelance writer and has been a marketing consultant specializing in adventure sports for the past three years. Jordan has an extensive mountaineering background and has summitted three 8,000 meter peaks, including Everest. In addition to mountaineering, Jordan is an avid climber and has skied since the age of five.

Accountant: Paul Mclellan, age 45, B.S. Accounting, University of Alaska, Anchorage. Paul is an accountant and an Alaskan. His ability with numbers has helped keep his mind occupied during competition in the Iditarod, marathons, and mountaineering expeditions. Paul worked as an auditor for the State of Alaska for four years after college and then as an accounting department manager for a non-profit organization for another four years. Before going back to school and earning his degree, Paul was a commercial sport fisherman out of Homer, Alaska. During that time he established connections with many service providers in the state of Alaska. ATI will capitalize on these connections as Alaska is a popular destination amongst adventure travelers.

Travel Agent #1: Sue Taylor, Certified Travel Counselor. Sue has eight years experience as a travel counselor. She is an avid cyclist, runner, and kayaker. In addition, Sue has traveled extensively and has first-hand knowledge of many of the destinations our clients wish to reach. Her trips include a year-long trek in South America, four months in Nepal, and a four-month stint as a ski instructor in Wanaka, New Zealand.

6.2 Personnel Plan

The personnel plan depicts ATI’s anticipated head count for the start up year. The following table provides more detailed information. ATI does not anticipate the need to significantly increase personnel in the first 2-3 years.