Vietnamβs growing tourism industry creates opportunities for entrepreneurs who want to start a travel agency and serve domestic or international travelers. However, the requirements vary depending on the type of travel services you plan to offer and whether the business is Vietnamese-owned or foreign-invested.
This guide explains how to start a travel agency in Vietnam, covering business registration, travel business licenses, deposit requirements, and qualification requirements. It also covers startup costs, required documents, and the key steps involved in setting up your travel agency.
Requirements to Start a Travel Agency in Vietnam
To start a travel-service business in Vietnam, you must meet several legal requirements before providing regulated travel services. The main requirements include business registration, the required bank deposit, a qualified person in charge of travel services, and the appropriate travel business license.
1. Register Your Business
First, establish a legally registered enterprise in Vietnam with travel services included in its business activities. The company must complete the applicable enterprise registration procedures before applying for a travel business license.
2. Maintain the Required Bank Deposit
Travel-service businesses must maintain a security deposit at a bank in Vietnam. The required amount depends on the type of travel service:
| Type of travel service | Required deposit |
| Domestic travel | VND 100 million |
| International inbound travel | VND 250 million |
| International outbound travel | VND 500 million |
| International inbound and outbound travel | VND 500 million |
3. Appoint a Qualified Person in Charge
The business must have a person in charge of travel business who meets the qualification requirements under the Law on Tourism. For domestic travel services, the person must have at least an intermediate-level qualification in travel-related studies or an appropriate travel business certificate. For international travel services, the qualification requirement is at least a college-level qualification in travel-related studies or an appropriate international travel business certificate.
4. Obtain the Appropriate Travel Business License
After meeting the required conditions, the business must obtain a travel business license for its chosen scope. Domestic travel services require a domestic travel business license, while international travel services require an international travel business license.
5. Meet Additional Requirements for Foreign-Invested Businesses
Foreign investors must also comply with Vietnam’s market-access conditions for travel services. Foreign-invested businesses are generally permitted to provide international travel services for inbound tourists, subject to Vietnam’s applicable treaties and investment regulations.
How to Set Up a Travel Agency in Vietnam: Step-by-Step
Once you understand the legal requirements, the next step is to turn your business idea into a working travel agency. Follow these steps to plan your services, establish your business, build operations, and prepare for launch.
Step 1: Conduct Market Research
Start by researching Vietnamβs tourism market and understanding what different travelers expect. Analyze travel demand, seasonal patterns, popular destinations, and the types of experiences customers are looking for.
Identify your target customers, such as international tourists, domestic travelers, backpackers, luxury travelers, families, or corporate groups. Then research competing agencies to identify gaps in the market and choose a niche such as cultural tours, adventure travel, wellness trips, or customized holidays.
Step 2: Create a Travel Agency Business Plan
Define the services your agency will provide, such as guided tours, accommodation bookings, transportation, or customized travel packages. Decide which customer segments and destinations you want to focus on.
Create a financial plan covering your startup budget, expected operating costs, pricing, revenue targets, and cash flow. Your business plan should also outline your staffing, operations, sales channels, and growth strategy.
Step 3: Choose Your Travel Business Scope
Decide which type of travel service you want to provide before completing the registration and licensing process. Your options may include domestic travel services, international inbound travel services, or international outbound travel services, depending on your ownership structure and applicable market-access rules.
You should also understand the difference between a travel-service business that develops and operates tour programs and a travel agency that sells tour programs on behalf of another travel-service enterprise. This distinction can affect the legal requirements that apply to your business.
Step 4: Register Your Business
Choose an appropriate business structure based on your ownership, investment plans, and operating model. Then complete the applicable enterprise registration procedures.
Foreign investors must also follow Vietnamβs investment and market-access requirements before establishing a foreign-invested travel business. Make sure the registered business activities match the services you plan to provide.
Step 5: Meet the Travel Business Requirements
Before applying for the relevant travel business license, arrange the required bank deposit and appoint a person in charge of the travel business who meets the applicable qualification requirements.
Prepare the supporting documents required for your chosen travel service. The exact requirements depend on whether you are applying for a domestic or international travel business license.
Step 6: Apply for the Travel Business License
Prepare and submit the application for the appropriate travel business license to the competent authority. The application generally includes business registration documents, proof of the required deposit, and documents showing that the person in charge meets the qualification requirements.
Once the application is approved, you can legally operate the travel services covered by the license.
Step 7: Set Up Your Office and Team
Choose an operating location that fits your business model and customer needs. Depending on your operations, you may work from a dedicated office or use a suitable remote or hybrid setup where permitted.
Build a team based on your services. This may include travel consultants, tour coordinators, guides, customer support staff, and marketing specialists. Clearly define responsibilities so bookings, customer communication, supplier coordination, and tour operations run smoothly.
Step 8: Build Local and International Partnerships
Develop relationships with hotels, transportation providers, tour guides, restaurants, activity providers, and other tourism businesses. Reliable partners help you create complete travel packages and deliver consistent customer experiences.
For specialized tours, work with local providers that can offer cultural, nature, wellness, adventure, or other destination-specific experiences.
Step 9: Build Your Travel Agency Website
Create a professional website where travelers can learn about your destinations, compare tour packages, check itineraries, and make booking inquiries or reservations.
If you use WordPress, WP Travel can help you manage tour packages, itineraries, bookings, pricing, and other travel business functions from your website. Choose a mobile-friendly design and make important information such as pricing, inclusions, availability, cancellation policies, and contact details easy to find.
Step 10: Set Up Booking and Business Operations
Establish a clear process for handling inquiries, reservations, payments, customer information, confirmations, and cancellations. Use booking software or a travel management system to keep reservations and customer details organized.
You should also establish payment procedures, customer communication workflows, supplier coordination processes, and policies for cancellations, refunds, and changes before accepting regular bookings.
Step 11: Launch Your Marketing Strategy
Once your website and services are ready, start promoting your travel agency through channels that match your target customers. Travel SEO can help you reach travelers searching for destinations, tours, and travel services, while Google Ads and social media can support targeted campaigns.
You can also use email marketing, partnerships, travel events, and referral programs to attract customers. Focus your marketing on your chosen destinations, travel niche, and unique value proposition.
Step 12: Launch and Improve Your Services
Start accepting bookings and monitor how customers respond to your tours and services. Track bookings, revenue, customer inquiries, reviews, and the performance of individual packages.
Collect customer feedback and use it to improve itineraries, pricing, communication, and service quality. Continue monitoring tourism trends and update your offerings as traveler preferences change.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Travel Agency in Vietnam?
When planning your travel agency in Vietnam, you should take into consideration the one-time costs of setting up or the fixed expenses. Breaking it down step by step can help you budget effectively:
Step 1: Office Setup
- Home-based office: Small workspace with basic furniture, internet, and computer, approximately β«70,000,000ββ«150,000,000.
- Physical office: Rent, furniture, and utilities in tourist locality, approximately β«200, 000, 000-β«500,000,000, based on location and size.
Step 2: Website and Online Booking System
- Auto-create booking feature and professional webpage using WP Travel Plugin.
- Costs: Domain ($10β20/year), Hosting ($100/year), WP Travel Pro ($99).
- It is less expensive to start up since it costs less than $220 in total.
- Good online coverage will contribute to the attractiveness of more customers and enable customers to conduct business efficiently.
Step 3: Monthly Operations
- Salaries of staff, office utilities, and software can cost between β«50,000,000-β«100,000,000 a month.
- Good planning facilitates the daily operations.
Step 4: Marketing Budget
- Online advertisements, social media marketing, and offline advertising, including flyers and hotel partnerships, will cost β«15,000,000-β«60,000,000 a month.
- Effective marketing ensures visibility and client growth.
Step 5: Legal and Insurance Fees
- Registering the business, obtaining a tourism license, tax code, and professional liability insurance can cost β«35,000,000ββ«80,000,000 initially.
Conclusion
Starting a travel agency in Vietnam requires careful planning, legal registration, the required bank deposit, qualified staff, and a clear business strategy. From choosing your travel service scope and completing licensing requirements to building your website, developing partnerships, and promoting your tours, each step helps establish a strong foundation for your agency.
Once your business is ready to take bookings, managing tour information, itineraries, pricing, availability, and reservations efficiently becomes equally important. This is where WP Travel can help. As a WordPress travel booking solution, it allows you to create and manage tour packages, build detailed itineraries, handle bookings, and manage key travel-business functions directly from your website.
By combining a well-planned business model with the right booking technology, you can create a smoother experience for both your team and travelers while making it easier to manage and grow your travel business.
You can start with WP Travel’s free version to build your travel website and manage essential booking needs, then upgrade to WP Travel Pro when you need advanced features for managing and growing your travel business.
FAQs
How Long Does It Take to Start a Travel Agency in Vietnam?
Business registration usually takes a few days to a couple of weeks. After that, a domestic license typically takes about 10 business days to process, while an international license can take around 2β4 weeks, since it goes through an extra review step with the national tourism authority. Total time from start to launch is usually 4β8 weeks, depending on how fast you gather your documents.
Do I need a license to operate a travel agency in Vietnam?
es. Any business offering domestic or international travel services in Vietnam must hold the matching travel business license. Operating without one is illegal and can lead to fines or forced closure.
Can I operate a travel agency online in Vietnam?
es. You can run your booking, marketing, and customer service online. But you still need to register a real, licensed business in Vietnam and meet the same deposit and qualification rules; an online-only setup doesn’t skip the legal requirements.
Suwash Kunwar is the co-founder of WP Travel plugin, one of the best WordPress tour booking solutions for travel businesses. With 10+ years of experience in WordPress development, business strategy, and online growth, he has helped thousands of travel businesses establish and scale their digital presence.
Suwash specializes in website creation, business planning, and travel industry growth strategies. He shares practical insights on setting up travel websites, optimizing workflows, and leveraging digital tools to maximize bookings and revenue.
