8 Important Steps Required to Start a Tourism Business
Tourists travel around the world to visit different places for specific purposes. The types of tourism in the industry such as recreational, nature, cultural,
sports, etc. have their own set of working principles and services to offer to a particular target audience. However, if spoken generally there are certain
steps required to open any type of tourism business as detailed below.
Decide Which Sector of Tourism You
Want to Cater There are several options to choose from when opting to start a tourism business.  Travel agencies are a one stop shop offering a multitude of services including everything for visiting a place such as transportation, accommodations, different attractions or sightseeing, etc.
Transportation services include everything related to travelling like transporting tourists to, from and through the tour. Accommodations calls for hotels, motels, condos, guest houses, or any other place where tourists normally prefer to stay during their tour.
Guided tours or individual guides who specialize in giving descriptive and entertaining tours to tourists while visiting any area’s local attractions. Hospitality services that tourists may frequent to visit for food and beverages refreshments.
See your Geographical Location
Major tourist attractions in an area largely influences the success or failure of
any tourism business established in that locality. For instance, if an area is popular for its BBQ food then guided tours of such BBQ restaurants, breakfasts and transportations services are all feasible business options.
Study The Competition Find and study all the competitors in your planned area of operation. It’s obvious you will want to go
with that sector of tourism which is not overly crowded along with the one you can offer some
uniqueness as a competitive edge.
Develop A Business Plan Your business plan should truly reflect your actual business by including the following components: Executive Summary which will explain your business’s purpose, name, location, staffing needs, tourism management staff, competitors’ information, industry requirements, financial projections, and devised marketing strategies.
Business summary that will state how the business ownership will be accommodated and the startup requirements in terms of funding and assets.
Products/services your business will be offering to clients. Market analysis containing details about the competition and targeted customers. Business strategy regarding how you plan to operate the firm, and applicable marketing and pricing strategies for the product and service
offerings. Financial information detailing the projected business expenses and profits.
Acquire the Relevant Funds Present your business plan to potential investors or other interested parties who will fund you the required capital to kick start your tourism business.
Select a Business Location Be patient when selecting a business location for your office. It’s not every day you shift your office here and there! Also do take important factors such as traffic conditions and accessibility into account.
Obtain all Mandatory Business Licenses Apply for all the required licenses you need to legally run your operations from the local government’s business regulatory agency.
Promote Your Business You can go for different types of marketing approaches for your business including:
Social media platforms where you can create pages to fill a healthy fan following. Creating a corporate website and hiring a professional SEO expert to higher up
your ranking on a search engine page and be able to gain you large counts of visitors. Listing your business in online directories and related reviews. Advertising in print mediums such as filling some content in newspapers, travel magazines, lifestyle publications, etc.
Contact Details Call: +27 (0)61 249 9213
Mail: info@aptourism-consulting.com Website: www.aptourism-consulting.com Address: 4 Wilberforce Street, 9301 Bloemfontein, South Africa