Visa service free to open up a new battlefield online travel

At the end of June, Baidu.com, the main business of which was a visa, promised to "refuse to refund the full amount" on the high-profile promises. On July 14, Bai Cheng announced the "global free visa service." Almost the same time, Ctrip announced that " Visa full service fee 0 yuan "activities. In addition, the World Travel Network devoted to free exercise abroad, recently formally announced the cancellation of visa charge d'affaires service fee, for the user to choose their "super free exercise" products to provide free visa agency service ... ... World War I, visa, this travel The cards are being unveiled.

Why is it free?

Get user information, expand the outbound travel market share

"The last time is the ticket dispute, this time is the visa dispute." Zhong Hui, general manager of the environment Ctrip seems, Ctrip involved in the various elements of travel competition, "This time the visa war, in fact, is not free, it should be It is not only a simple buying and selling process, but an industry with high service added value, high labor service cost, such as translation, form filling, delivery, signature, etc. Link, this is a not small fee. "

Analysis of the article on the network, the calculation of a visa to go through the entire process, labor costs plus hidden costs, the basic 200-300 yuan, plus a reasonable profit, service costs in Southeast Asian countries should be 50-100 yuan, Europe and the United States visa services Fee should be 500-800 yuan. Whether visa-free service fee or visa service fee is 0, it means that the cost will be borne by the enterprise.

When a reporter asked Bai Bai Bai, vice president of network LIN Kang, visa-free service fee, then how Bai Bai visa center value? His answer is: "You are the problem, or the thinking of traditional business management.Opnet companies value the positioning of the future development of enterprises and business model issues, rather than a temporary stage of profitability."

Analysis of the tourism industry, in the current visa war, the ideal result is that when the free service fee gradually by the market and tourists are familiar with, a large number of free-traveling tourists are changed to come here to apply for a visa, then Ctrip and Bai Cheng Will get more user information than before.

In the process of visa processing continue to communicate with tourists, according to the needs of tourists to provide the appropriate products, so as to expand its outbound travel market share of the fundamental purpose. In such a repetitive process, by collecting the detailed materials submitted by tourists while increasing the size of their databases, we can understand the market in a more targeted manner, develop more market-recognized products and attract more tourists, thus forming a virtuous circle.

What is the value?

Tour booking products through a free agency visa

"Visa, can be converted into an exit of the entrance." Li Bai, vice president of Bai Cheng Bai Bai Cheng from 2005 to start a visa consulting services, is to see the visa can bring the fastest accumulation of end-consumer data through this entry to gradually complete the accumulation of the client and the internal process of transformation, construction, establishment Brand awareness, when consumers reach a certain stage, you can do in the pre-sales, after-sales extension, according to the extension of the customer's needs to provide the corresponding products and services to meet consumer demand, to create "one-stop" service platform.

However, when reporters asked Ctrip, Bai Cheng, visa-free service fee into the specific data of outbound travel entrance, both did not give a specific answer. However, the growth of outbound travel driven by visa agents is also affirmative.

Chen Yun, head of Ctrip China Visa Center introduced some outbound travel countries require a visa must have a policy of insurance, air tickets, hotels and other booking a single together as the application information; as well as Japan and other countries, where a personal travel visa requirements It is necessary in the agency travel agency booking hotel and air tickets.

Visa-driven travel booking products, is undoubtedly the maximum value of the insurance agent visa service. According to the analysis of the travel industry, the profitability of international air tickets constitutes a more complicated and diversified business. Booking ahead of a month in advance and bookings made a week ago have completely different profits. In particular, the cost of connecting air tickets is hard to be transparent in China. The profits of hotels are also impressive. Therefore, reducing the profits of the visa, or short-term visa-free service fees, are a promotion.

Wei Changren CEO Consulting Consulting pointed out that for online travel companies to make free travel in terms of the current visa business is more like the key to its business to open outbound travel. In the industry view, Ctrip, Bai Cheng network are in the market share of the expansion of the occupation period, the two companies now pay more attention to market share, rather than whether the profit.

As for the visa price war can play for a long time, Ctrip App page shows that the visa "service fee of 0 yuan" activities will continue until July 25; Bai Cheng side said that the visa-free service will be at least one year . Lin Kang said: "During this period due to free incremental service will Bai Bai's operational efficiency and many other challenges, but also improve the internal database and management processes an opportunity." However, Bai Cheng this year won the Alibaba And millions of dollars in broadband capital investment, "it is time to make a strong horse." From this point of view, it is also understandable why online visa processing operations, which are characterized by price wars, are so simple and crude.

FAQ

No service charge, not visa fee

At present, the fee for acting visa service often consists of two parts, part of which is the visa fee to be paid by the embassy or consulate and the other part is the service charge collected by the agency.

A visa is a document issued by a country's immigration authority (such as the immigration office or its overseas embassy or consulate) that expresses the permission of a foreign citizen to enter China. Visa fees and visa processing fee (or service fee) are two concepts. Visa fee refers to the fees paid for the processing of visas, usually after the visa is completed; if rejected, you do not have to pay. Visa service fee is the fee for the examination of visa materials. When the general visa application is accepted, the fee will not be refunded no matter whether it is finally signed or not. Countries decide how to charge their own visa fees. Often, countries set their fees based on the principle of reciprocity.

In other words - Bai Cheng free visa service, that is, through the Bai Cheng official website and mobile terminal for outbound travel visas, only to pay the consular post to pay the visa fee can be. Ctrip announced on the mobile terminal on-line "global visa booking platform" and launched the "full service fee $ 0" activities for all mobile phones in the booking visa products free service fee waived.

Service fee refers to the cost of services provided as a professional visa agent including translation, evaluation, instruction, submission of materials and other services. It is determined according to the complexity of the agent and the operating costs, and is charged at the mark-price. The cost of visa agents in each country is also based on the number of services included in the pricing. In general, countries such as Southeast Asia, where visas are relatively easy to use, have low visa service fees, and need to provide medium and long-term overseas visas such as documents translation, on-call application forms, on-site escort and visa collection services Service fee is relatively higher.

The agency has no right to decide to sign or refuse

Mr. Hou, who has been in charge of providing visa services for many years, introduced that the current visa for outbound travel is basically divided into two situations. Visas of some countries can be applied by the tourists themselves on the official website to fill in the information and personally submit them to the embassy or consulate. However, this openness The operation is less.

In most countries, the visa process is for embassies and consulates to outsource their application documents to visa-center companies for their safety and labor costs. VFS, BLS and other companies that do visa outsourcing around the world, There are also many companies that charge d'affaires visa services. In other words, agencies that handle visa issues, traditional travel agencies, websites, immigration companies, etc., can assist applicants directly to face consumers (terminals) and provide assistance in applying for services.

Chen Yun, head of Ctrip's Visa Center, stressed that any agency that handles visa services, whether it is an intermediary or even the second and third level intermediaries, has absolutely no power to decide whether to sign or refuse visa.