Articles

TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY OPENING PROCESSES

Introduction

Entrepreneurs who want to open a Tourism Travel Agency must have a Travel Agency Operating Certificate and be a member of the Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TÜRSAB). Obtaining the Travel Agency Operating Certificate is a legal requirement for travel agencies to operate in Turkey, and this certificate is issued by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The professional management of the process of opening a Travel Agency is particularly important in the application process for the Travel Agency Operating License, as it helps avoid rejections and delays due to deficiencies, allowing one to quickly obtain the license and begin operations.

To open a Tourism Travel Agency, the following steps should be followed:

1. Company Establishment

The first step is to establish a company. To obtain a travel agency business license, the most important point to pay attention to during the company establishment phase is that the company's articles of association must include the activity of operating a travel agency. If the activity of operating a travel agency is not included in the articles of association of your existing company, it is necessary to make an amendment to the company's purpose and subject through a general assembly decision.

2. Obtaining the Travel Agency Title

In this step, you need to apply to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey ("Ministry") for a "Travel Agency Title Request" alongside your company name. This application is made with a letter in which you list the titles you are requesting in order of priority to the Ministry. This stage is one of the most important steps in obtaining a Travel Agency Business License. To avoid rejection, the titles should be chosen in compliance with the Ministry’s standards, requiring careful attention. In the title application process, strict follow-up and research are necessary to avoid time loss and to obtain approval quickly. For this reason, it is beneficial to seek professional support. It is possible for the company title and the agency title to be the same with the approval of the Ministry.

3. Application for Travel Agency New Operating Certificate to TÜRSAB

The title of Agency must be applied to TÜRSAB with the necessary documents within 30 (thirty) days from the notification to the applicant that it has been approved by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey.

 
A) Preparing the Application Documents and Submitting to TÜRSAB:

The careful and complete preparation of the application letter and documents is essential to prevent the rejection of the application. Conducting legal reviews on the documents and ensuring they are ready for submission is crucial for the application to be approved on the first attempt.

To obtain a Travel Agency Operating Certificate, it is mandatory to employ a staff member who holds one of the following certificates: 

• A document proving graduation for individuals who have completed vocational high school, associate degree, or undergraduate education in hospitality and tourism.
• A foreign language proficiency certificate for information officer.
• A guide certificate issued by the Ministry.

Information and documents about the staff member must be included in the application file. 

After all conditions and documents are provided, an application is made to TÜRSAB (Association of Turkish Travel Agencies)

 
B) Workplace Compliance Inspection by TÜRSAB

After the review and evaluation of the application file by TÜRSAB, a suitability inspection is carried out at the reported business address. In this inspection, it is inspected whether the workplace complies with the regulations. It is crucial to check whether the workplace meets the necessary requirements before the inspection, as it is not possible to obtain a travel agency operating license unless the conditions are met.

 
C) Payment of Membership Registration Fee and Annual Membership Fee

If the review, evaluation, and inspection at the address in the application file are in accordance with the relevant legislation, the applicant must pay the "membership registration fee" and "annual membership fee" within the specified period. The membership fee is determined according to the year in which the certificate is issued.


D) Attendance at the Information Meeting

In order to complete the membership process for the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), applicants who pay the membership registration fee within the specified period are required to have their authorized representative(s) attend the Newly Established Agencies Information Meeting, where TÜRSAB's activities are introduced.

 

E) TÜRSAB's Opinion to the Ministry

TÜRSAB informs the Ministry of its opinion regarding the applications that have completed the previous stages. For applications not deemed appropriate by TÜRSAB, the reason for the non-compliance will be provided to the applicant.

If any deficiencies are found as a result of the review conducted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, these deficiencies are reported to TÜRSAB. If the application is deemed appropriate by the Ministry, approval for the issuance of the 'Travel Agency Operating License' is given. Subsequently, the Ministry issues the Travel Agency Operating License and notifies TÜRSAB. The issued operating license is sent to the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, where it is delivered to the applicant by the Ministry. TÜRSAB membership is finalized with the issuance of the operating license by the Ministry.

With the receipt of the operating license, the travel agency can legally begin operations.

Operating Without a Travel Agency Operating Certificate:

Operating a travel agency without the certificate is illegal. This can result in heavy fines and administrative penalties. As of 2025, those engaging in activities of travel agencies without obtaining a license from the Ministry are subject to administrative fines ranging from 35,416 TRY to 88,663 TRY, in addition to an administrative investigation. Additionally, businesses without a license may lose customer trust and face damage to their reputation in the industry.

Conclusion

The process of opening a travel agency and obtaining a travel agency business license is a procedure that involves many technical and legal details and must be carried out with great care.

Professional legal support ensures that the application is completed quickly and correctly. Incomplete or incorrect documents can lead to rejection, so it is vital to prepare the documents in compliance with regulations. rrect steps taken can lead to legal issues in later stages and make the process more complicated. Therefore, obtaining legal support is the most reliable way to minimize potential risks. Additionally, it is crucial for the business to meet the required conditions during inspections conducted by TÜRSAB and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Legal consulting services help ensure thorough preparation for inspections and assist in identifying potential deficiencies in advance.

To effectively manage the processes for obtaining the Travel Agency Operating Certificate, you can contact Nexpo Legal, a team composed not only of lawyers but also industry professionals.

Att. A. Niyazi Ülkü

Partner, Nexpo Legal

Att. Ş. Ahsen Çetinkaya

Attorney, Nexpo Legal