Holiday Booking website Set-up?

Kaybenson

I was thinking of setting up a holiday booking website. I am still wondering how they make profit?

They are generally cheaper than booking through the camps and resorts yet they are thriving in the business.

What is the magic formular?

My target is foreigners intending to visit UK.

Advise will be appreciated.

Cheers

Horace

You could join a company called Travel Counsellors as these are 'independent' travel agents who often work at home. They make money not from the client paying for the holiday but from the holiday companies themselves as they get paid commission.

cally6008

Use a website design company that has done holiday websites before and can show you examples. I wouldnt attempt it yourself as if there is any slightest inkling of problems then it will come back to bite you. Plus you'll be dealing with credit card transactions, customer details etc so will want SSL and the website to be as secure and trustworthy as possible. Not to mention which merchant thingy you would be processing transactions through.

Some website use affiliate banners and can offer discount codes that way.

motorguy

Kaybenson wrote: »

I was thinking of setting up a holiday booking website. I am still wondering how they make profit?

They are generally cheaper than booking through the camps and resorts yet they are thriving in the business.

What is the magic formular?

My target is foreigners intending to visit UK.

Advise will be appreciated.

Cheers

If you dont know how a web based holiday booking website makes money, then you're really going to struggle to get this to work.

Its a very crowded marketplace with waifer thin margins. I just plugged in 'holidays online' into google and it came back with 140 million results. How will you compete with all those experienced and already established sellers?

Kaybenson

pgilc1 wrote: »

If you dont know how a web based holiday booking website makes money, then you're really going to struggle to get this to work.

Its a very crowded marketplace with waifer thin margins. I just plugged in 'holidays online' into google and it came back with 140 million results. How will you compete with all those experienced and already established sellers?

My intended market is completely different.

It will be like UK based organisation exclusively for foreigners coming from 3rd world countries on holiday. I will do a lot of advertisement in those countries but want to know if i need to contact those cravans, beaches, seasides, hotel myself or NOT.

A web-based one always charges less than the actual park or hotel and i was wondering HOW and why?

Cheers

xrjtg

The usual answer (think utilities price comparison websites) to questions like this is that the middleman, you, would receive commission for each sale, and by giving up some of that commission you can offer cheaper prices to your customers. You are essentially receiving money from these places' advertising budgets.

Horace

Kaybenson wrote: »

My intended market is completely different.

It will be like UK based organisation exclusively for foreigners coming from 3rd world countries on holiday. I will do a lot of advertisement in those countries but want to know if i need to contact those cravans, beaches, seasides, hotel myself or NOT.

A web-based one always charges less than the actual park or hotel and i was wondering HOW and why?

Cheers

Residents of 3rd world countries tend not to have much money and wouldnt have the funds to travel anywhere. You would have to contact every caravan site, hotel, holiday park etc to see if they will advertise with you anyway. I think this idea isnt viable because of the amount of competition out there from bigger companies.

Savvy_Sue

Horace wrote: »

Residents of 3rd world countries tend not to have much money and wouldnt have the funds to travel anywhere. You would have to contact every caravan site, hotel, holiday park etc to see if they will advertise with you anyway. I think this idea isnt viable because of the amount of competition out there from bigger companies.

Never mind the finances, the visa requirements aren't trivial these days either ...

Kaybenson

xrjtg wrote: »

The usual answer (think utilities price comparison websites) to questions like this is that the middleman, you, would receive commission for each sale, and by giving up some of that commission you can offer cheaper prices to your customers. You are essentially receiving money from these places' advertising budgets.

Noted cheers

Kaybenson

Horace wrote: »

Residents of 3rd world countries tend not to have much money and wouldnt have the funds to travel anywhere. You would have to contact every caravan site, hotel, holiday park etc to see if they will advertise with you anyway. I think this idea isnt viable because of the amount of competition out there from bigger companies.

I disagree with the embolden statement. There is huge money in 3rd world countries.

lincroft1710

Kaybenson wrote: »

There is huge money in 3rd world countries.

Why are they called "3rd world countries" then?