Hi everyone,
I want to start a business operating in Piedmont (to start) that involves transporting customers from one location to another location. I have been working in tourism since 2014 in Italy with good experience in managing large scale land operations with over 25,000 clients per year. However, I am not Italian and have no formal qualifications in the tourism sector and I don't know how problematic this can be.
I want to create a contract with a transport provider and pay a flat rate for the bus - for example 500€.
I will then allow customers to book the bus transfer directly via my website, charging a per-person fee of, for example, 20 euros.
I will be present at the bus meeting point (but not driving the bus) to check customers tickets when they get on the bus. Once the destination is reached, customers will be on their own and nothing else will be provided. At the end of the day I'll be back at the bus to check tickets as customers board. I could travel by bus to the destination or drive my car to the place where I am.
1) In your opinion, do I need to be registered as a travel agency/tour operator to provide this service?
2) Would it make a difference if I only took a person-level commission instead of paying a flat fee? For example, if you paid the bus provider 10 euros per person and charged customers 20 euros per person. The money could be sent directly to the bus provider at the time of the transaction and I would only get 10 euros per person.
3) Does it make a difference if I travel on the bus with clients?
4) If you have any other useful information that I haven't thought to ask, let me know.
Thank you
I want to start a business operating in Piedmont (to start) that involves transporting customers from one location to another location. I have been working in tourism since 2014 in Italy with good experience in managing large scale land operations with over 25,000 clients per year. However, I am not Italian and have no formal qualifications in the tourism sector and I don't know how problematic this can be.
I want to create a contract with a transport provider and pay a flat rate for the bus - for example 500€.
I will then allow customers to book the bus transfer directly via my website, charging a per-person fee of, for example, 20 euros.
I will be present at the bus meeting point (but not driving the bus) to check customers tickets when they get on the bus. Once the destination is reached, customers will be on their own and nothing else will be provided. At the end of the day I'll be back at the bus to check tickets as customers board. I could travel by bus to the destination or drive my car to the place where I am.
1) In your opinion, do I need to be registered as a travel agency/tour operator to provide this service?
2) Would it make a difference if I only took a person-level commission instead of paying a flat fee? For example, if you paid the bus provider 10 euros per person and charged customers 20 euros per person. The money could be sent directly to the bus provider at the time of the transaction and I would only get 10 euros per person.
3) Does it make a difference if I travel on the bus with clients?
4) If you have any other useful information that I haven't thought to ask, let me know.
Thank you
