The SRTEP Business Start-Up Toolkit is part of SRTEP’s commitment to empowering Azerbaijani youth and women to start their own businesses.
There is a wealth of information within this toolkit that is relevant both to entrepreneurs starting up a business or thinking of doing so, and to those who are developing their business. Entrepreneurship, business development, and innovation through SMBs are major sources of income in the travel and tourism industry, as well as major sources of jobs.
Since the covid-19 pandemic began to have an impact early in 2020, our everyday lives and business practices have fundamentally changed. However, that was mainly in 2020 and the beginning of 2021. All through mid-2021, the industry has been quickly recovering, thanks to the mass immunisation projects that are being implemented all over the world. The recovery will be slow but steady.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, there is evidence that many people see this as an opportunity to start a business. You have no better time than now to get started with a tourism business to join the industry now and grow as it recovers.
The SRTEP toolkits offer a vast array of resources to support your business journey through the Silk Road Tourism Enterprise Programme initiative.
- Buiness Plan Toolkit
- SWOT Analysis Toolkit
- Legal Requirements
- Branding Toolkit
- Access the tourism project report 01
- Access the tourism project report 02
To begin, let’s look at some of the examples of types of tourism where you could establish your business.
Ethnic tourism:
Tourists visit a place because of its cultural heritage, such as historic sites, monuments, festivals, art galleries, and museums. It also refers to visits made by travellers interested in experiencing another culture different from their own. This рertains the artistic natures of people who live within a specific region. It involves visiting local sites such as churches, monasteries, cemeteries, castles, ruins, parks, gardens, beaches, mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, caves, historical buildings, monuments, archaeological sites, art galleries, theatres, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, and many others.
Adventure tourism:
Adventure tourism involves activities that challenge participants physically and mentally. People usually choose this kind of vacation if they want an adventure-filled trip that will allow them to see new sights. Examples include rock climbing, bungee jumping, white-water rafting, paragliding, hang gliding, skiing, snowboarding, scuba diving, snorkelling, surfing, kayaking, mountain biking, horse riding, sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, kitesurfing, sky diving, zip-lining, parasailing, skydiving, hot air balloon rides, jet boating, deep-sea fishing, cave exploration, mountaineering, trekking, camping. Adventure tourism is all about exploring new things and trying out exciting adventures.
Culturаl tourism:
Culturаl tourism is based upon the idea that visitors can learn something new about themselves while travelling abroad. Travellers often seek experiences that allow them to interact directly with locals and experience aspects of foreign cultures that cannot be found elsewhere. For example, travellers may choose to participate in religious ceremonies, attend sporting events, volunteer at orphanages, work in factories, or simply observe daily life.
Golfing tourism:
Golfing tourism is one of the fastest-growing forms of tourism today. The number of golf courses has dramatically increased over the past few decades. Many countries now have well-developed systems for promoting this sport.
Historical tourism:
Historic tours include walking through old streets, viewing ancient architecture, learning about history, and seeing how people lived thousands of years ago. Some tourists travel back in time by staying in period homes, eating authentic foods, wearing traditional clothing, and even sleeping on real beds instead of modern mattresses. Others enjoy watching movies depicting scenes from centuries gone by.
Leisure tourism:
Leisure tourism is defined as “a trip undertaken primarily for pleasure rather than a business.” People who engage in leisure tourism usually do so for enjoyment; they want to relax and take it easy without having to worry too much about meeting deadlines. They might stay just long enough to see a show, eat an interesting meal, shop till they drop, or try some water sports.
Medical tourism:
Medical tourism is similar to other kinds of tourism except that patients come to hospitals outside their home country for treatment. Patients typically pay higher prices but receive better quality care than if they had stayed at home. In addition to receiving medical attention, travellers sometimes get free accommodation, food, and entertainment during hospital stays.
Religious tourism:
Religious tourism includes pilgrimages to holy places where believers feel closer to God. These destinations are called shrines because pilgrims flock there seeking blessings. Shrines attract millions of worshippers every year. Pilgrims visit these sacred locations to pray, give thanksgiving offerings, make donations, ask forgiveness, and perform rituals. Religious tours provide people with opportunities to experience religious traditions and customs through travel.
Sporting tourism:
Sporting tourism refers to visits made by individuals to watch professional athletes compete in various types of athletic competitions such as soccer matches, tennis tournaments, horse races, boxing matches, etc. This type of tourism requires tickets which cost more money. However, most fans would not mind paying extra money since they love what they are watching. Participants get to meet new friends and enjoy unique destinations during these vacations.
Shopping tourism:
Shopping tourism is another form of retail tourism. It involves travelling abroad to purchase goods like clothes, accessories, electronics, furniture, household items, and many others. Travellers often buy expensive products due to high demand and limited supply.
Social tourism:
Social tourism is also known as community tourism. It focuses on interacting with locals and experiencing everyday aspects of local culture. Tourists can learn about different cultures by living among them.
Volunteer tourism:
Volunteering is when volunteers contribute their services freely to help improve communities somewhere else. Volunteers may work either temporarily or permanently depending on the situation.
Eco-tourism:
Ecotourism encourages visitors to focus on nature while away from their own environment. The term was first used in the 1970s. Today ecotourism has become increasingly popular around the world. Pristine natural environments provide opportunities for interaction between humans and wildlife, giving both parties benefits. Ecotourism provides economic development through environmental protection and preservation.
Historical tourism:
Historical tourism is based upon visiting historical sites, buildings, monuments, museums, and other structures associated with past events. Many people travel to historic cities to experience life in ancient times. Some tourists even wear period clothing and recreate daily routines from centuries ago.
Cultural tourism:
Cultural tourism is focused on cultural activities and experiences within a destination rather than sightseeing. Activities include attending festivals, participating in ceremonies, learning about history, tasting foods, shopping at markets, and engaging in sports and recreation.
Study tourism:
A study tour is a short visit overseas designed primarily to enhance personal skills and knowledge. Students typically spend one semester studying abroad. These trips have been shown to increase students’ language abilities, academic performance, self-confidence, international awareness, and career prospects.
Business & technology tourism:
Business technology tours offer business professionals the opportunity to explore foreign countries and immerse themselves in the local culture. This type of tour allows companies to gain insight into how businesses operate across borders. In addition, it gives participants the chance to network with potential partners and clients who are operating in similar industries.
Sports tourism:
Sports tours give athletes the chance to compete against each other in various sporting competitions such as basketball, tennis, golf, cricket, rugby, soccer, etc. Participants get to meet new friends and enjoy unique destinations during these vacations.
Culinary tourism:
Culinary tours let travellers try different cuisines by sampling food from restaurants located throughout the country. Travellers can also learn about the origins of dishes and ingredients.
Artistic tourism:
Artistic tours encourage individuals to appreciate art forms like painting, sculpture, photography, music, dance, theatre, film, literature, architecture, design, fashion, crafts, and many others. Tourists often use artistic tours to broaden their horizons and discover something new.
Educational tourism:
Education tours help teachers develop teaching strategies and improve classroom management techniques. Teachers can attend workshops, seminars, conferences, lectures, and training sessions to expand their professional networks and become better educators.
Virtual tourism:
Virtual tourist programs allow travellers to interact with locals through online platforms. For example, you could create websites that provide users with information about where they should go or what they need to do while travelling. Other virtual tourist programs connect travellers directly with host families so that guests feel more comfortable when staying with hosts for long periods of time.
The first thing to do would be to determine your goals are for running a successful business in tourism:
Do you plan on making money? Or are you looking to make connections and build relationships?
Once you know why you’re doing what you’re doing, then you’ll be able to figure out which types of tourism-related services you should provide.
Yоu hаvе ѕеvеrаl options tо choose from whеn it соmеѕ tо establishing a buѕіnеѕѕ іn tоurіѕm:
- Transportation Service
Thіѕ ѕесtоr іnvоlvеѕ trаnѕроrtіng tоurіѕtѕ tо, frоm and аrоund thе tоurіѕt dеѕtіnаtіоn. However, this option requires extensive marketing efforts to attract customers. - Travel Agencies
Trаvеl аgеnсіеѕ аrе the one-stop-shop fоr еvеrуthіng involved wіth vіѕіtіng a place, including transportation, ассоmmоdаtіоnѕ аnd аttrасtіоnѕ. - Tour Operator
A tоur ореrаtоr tурісаllу соmbіnеѕ tоur and travel components to create a holiday. Thеу рrераrе аn itinerary. - Destination Management Company
A DMC роѕѕеѕѕеѕ еxtеnѕіvе lосаl knоwlеdgе, еxреrtіѕе аnd rеѕоurсеѕ, ѕресіаlіzіng іn thе design аnd іmрlеmеntаtіоn оf еvеntѕ, асtіvіtіеѕ, tоurѕ, transportation аnd program logistics. - Accomodation
Thеѕе іnсludе hоtеlѕ, guesthouses, bеd аnd brеаkfаѕtѕ, hоѕtеlѕ, rеntаl hоuѕеѕ, lodges аnd any оthеr places tourists mау ѕtау while trаvеllіng. - Guided Tours / Tourist Guide
A guided tоur service оr professional tourist guіdе іѕ a tоurіѕm buѕіnеѕѕ thаt ѕресіаlіzеѕ in рrоvіdіng іnfоrmаtіvе аnd еntеrtаіnіng tours thrоugh аn аrеа’ѕ lосаl аttrасtіоnѕ. - Hospitatlity
A hоѕріtаlіtу buѕіnеѕѕ реrtаіnѕ tо аnу fооd or beverage еѕtаblіѕhmеnt.
For example, if you have plan to open a travel agency, here are some tips to help you get started.
1) Research – Before opening a travel agency, research all aspects of the industry. You will learn how other agencies operate, who their clients are, and what products/services they offer. This information will give you insight into where you need to improve upon.
2) Marketing Plan – Create a detailed marketing plan outlining everything you intend to accomplish during the next year. Include specific dates by month and include milestones along the way such as signing contracts, hiring employees, etc. Make sure you stick to these deadlines! If not, you could lose valuable clientele if you fail to deliver on promises made.
3) Business Structure – Determine whether your business structure needs to change before starting your own travel agency. For example, do you require licensing for operating a travel agency? Do you need liability insurance? Will you hire staff members? These questions can affect your decision about whether to go ahead with setting up your own travel agency.
4) Legal Documents – Obtain legal documents that outline ownership rights, liabilities, and responsibilities. Also, obtain licenses required for running a travel agency.
5) Financials – Once you know exactly what it is going to cost to start your own travel agency, calculate out monthly expenses and see if there’s enough money left over each month to cover those costs. It might be wise to save more than you think you’ll spend so that when unexpected expenses arise, you won’t run short of cash.
6) Insurance – Find out which types of insurance coverage you need to protect yourself from potential risks associated with being a travel agent.
Now that you have everything squared away, it’s time to put together a solid business plan!
The next section walks you through the steps to create a business plan.