Voluntrip was founded in 2016 by three individuals who had each traveled extensively throughout the world. They were strangers when they met in Vietnam but became fast friends. Eventually they decided to start a business together. Ari, Luiz, and Sarita envisioned a business that would appeal to clients interested in sustainable tourism in both domestic and global regions of the world. They each agreed to invest $5,000 from their personal finances to start the business.

Each founding owner of Voluntrip brings a unique set of experiences and skills that are critical to the businesss success. Ari is an English language teacher committed to creating an active learning experience for her students and provides them with ample opportunity to engage in conversational English. She possesses excellent organizational and time-management skills, as well as strong leadership and communication skills. When asked to describe her strengths as a business owner, she reflects on her extensive travel experience and her passion to help those in need. Luiz has more than 10 years experience in the tourism industry. As a tour organizer and tour leader, Luiz is adept at creating personalized experiences for travelers throughout multiple cities and countries. As a business owner Luiz is focused on setting up quality homestays, wherein travelers can stay with local families, giving them the opportunity to engage with and learn more about the local cultures. He leads rough guide tours, taking travelers to lesser-known attractions, and providing them with a brief history of each site he tours. Sarita, an environmental engineer, has extensive experience working with local engineers in primarily river communities. Most recently, she worked with engineers and builders in Vietnam to construct an irrigation system that would bring fresh water to local villages along the Mekong River. She takes great care to learn about local construction ordinances, always obtaining the necessary permits to plan and build sustainably. Saritas ability to communicate with local governments makes her an asset to a business like Voluntrip, which relies on the support of the local businesses and communities in order to survive.

Voluntrip is categorized as a Travel Agency, operating in the Travel and Tourism industry, which already comprises more than 20,000 businesses and maintains a market worth of more than $7 trillion annually. Key players in the industry have evolved from traditional brick-and-mortar locations to wholly online services. The major online competitors are Priceline and Expedia, while AAA and smaller travel planners occupy the local market. Despite the competition, the owners of Voluntrip believe their company will provide a unique service and fill the market gaps, serving segments that are not currently being served today. The owners plan to conduct further research to identify their exact target market, market value, and market growth for its service.

As the Tourism & Travel industry is already serviced by more than 200,000 agents, brokers, and agencies, Ari, Luiz, and Sarita want to make sure that Voluntrip provides travel products and services that are superior, yet affordable, for their unique clientele. The following are some of their popular core products and services:

Core products:

• Travel Planning Consultant
• Personalized Tour Guide Services
• Humanitarian Project Travel

Product services:

• Customized travel itineraries
• Travel concierge services (point-to-point)
• Online customer account management
• Currency conversion and currency exchange services
• Convenient payment options
• AAA, military, AARP discounts
• Extended Customer Service Hours

What does the company do better than any other company?

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What competitive advantage does the company have?

What environmental factors impact the business (positive and negative)?

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What is the STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES,OPPORTUNITIES, and THREATS.