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Tour Operator Business Plan

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Are you a travel enthusiast making itineraries for your friends & families? Well, if yes, then you are going to be an excellent tour operator. But for a successful business out of a hobby, a proper plan is needed.

Need help writing a business plan for your tour operator business? You’re at the right place. Our tour operator business plan template will help you get started.

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  • Fill in the blanks – Outline
  • Financial Tables

How to Write A Tour Operator Business Plan?

Writing a tour operator business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

Introduce your Business:

Start your executive summary by briefly introducing your business to your readers.

Market Opportunity:

Tour operator services:.

Highlight the tour operator services you offer your clients. The USPs and differentiators you offer are always a plus.

Marketing & Sales Strategies:

Financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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example of tourism business plan

2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your company. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

Business Description:

Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information:

Describe what kind of tour operator company you run and the name of it. You may specialize in one of the following tour operator businesses:

  • Inbound operators
  • Outbound operators
  • Domestic operators
  • Adventure tour operators
  • Group tour operators
  • Luxury tour operators
  • Online travel agencies
  • Describe the legal structure of your tour operator company, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.
  • Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.

Mission Statement:

Business history:.

If you’re an established tour operator service provider, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc.

Future Goals

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

Target market:

Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.

Market size and growth potential:

Describe your market size and growth potential and whether you will target a niche or a much broader market.

Competitive Analysis:

Market trends:.

Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.

Regulatory Environment:

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your tour guide business plan:

  • Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
  • Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
  • Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
  • Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

Describe your services:

Mention the tour operator services your business will offer. This list may include services like,

  • Itinerary planning
  • Accommodation booking
  • Guided tours
  • Activities & excursions
  • Travel documentation & visa assistance
  • Travel Insurance
  • Destination management services

Quality assurance & safety measures:

This section should explain how you maintain quality standards.

Additional Services:

In short, this section of your tour operator plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.

Pricing Strategy:

Marketing strategies:, sales strategies:, customer retention:.

Overall, this section of your tour company business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your tour operator business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

Staffing & Training:

Operational process:, equipment & software:.

Include the list of equipment and software required for tour operators, such as computers & laptops, printers & scanners, communication devices, safety equipment, booking & reservation system, tour management software, etc.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your tour operator business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Founders/CEO:

Key managers:.

Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.

Organizational structure:

Compensation plan:, advisors/consultants:.

Mentioning advisors or consultants in your business plans adds credibility to your business idea.

This section should describe the key personnel for your tour operator services, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

Profit & loss statement:

Cash flow statement:, balance sheet:, break-even point:.

Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.

Financing Needs:

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

  • Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
  • In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
  • Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
  • Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
  • Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your tour operator business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

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This sample tour operator business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful tour operator plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our tour operator business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a tour operator business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful tour operator business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your tour operator company.

How to get funding for your tour operator business?

There are several ways to get funding for your tour operator business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

  • Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
  • Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
  • Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
  • Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your tour operator business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your tour operator business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your tour operator business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any tour operator business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

How do I write a good market analysis in a tour operator business plan?

Market analysis is one of the key components of your business plan that requires deep research and a thorough understanding of your industry. We can categorize the process of writing a good market analysis section into the following steps:

  • Stating the objective of your market analysis—e.g., investor funding.
  • Industry study—market size, growth potential, market trends, etc.
  • Identifying target market—based on user behavior and demographics.
  • Analyzing direct and indirect competitors.
  • Calculating market share—understanding TAM, SAM, and SOM.
  • Knowing regulations and restrictions
  • Organizing data and writing the first draft.

Writing a marketing analysis section can be overwhelming, but using ChatGPT for market research can make things easier.

About the Author

example of tourism business plan

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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Travel Agency Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Travel Agency Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Travel Agency business plan.

We have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their travel agencies.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Travel Agency business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

My Itinerary Travel Agency is a new travel agency located in Boca Raton, Florida. The company is founded by Sandra Rodriguez, an experienced travel agent who has gained valuable knowledge on how to run a travel agency during the past ten years while working at Fun Destinations Travel Agency. Now that Sandra has experienced managing a travel agency, she is ready to start her own company, My Itinerary Travel Agency. Sandra is confident that her organizational and communication skills, combined with her understanding of business management, will enable her to run a profitable travel agency of her own. Sandra is recruiting a team of highly qualified professionals to help manage the day-to-day complexities of running a travel agency – sales and marketing, vendor relationships, customer relationship management, budgeting, and financial reporting.

My Itinerary Travel Agency will provide a full suite of travel planning services for individuals nationwide through its sophisticated online platform and accompanying customer app. My Itinerary Travel Agency will be the go-to travel agency for personalized service, convenience, and expertise of its travel agents. The company will be the ultimate choice for customer service while offering the best travel accommodations available.

Product Offering

The following are the services that My Itinerary Travel Agency will provide:

  • Airline travel bookings
  • Tour and travel package sales
  • Accommodation reservations and bookings
  • Cruise bookings
  • Car rental reservations
  • Travel ticket sales and reservations
  • Tour ticket sales and reservations

Customer Focus

My Itinerary Travel Agency will target individuals nationwide who are looking for personalized and convenient travel planning services. The company will target vacationers, tourists, and business travelers who are seeking the best deals on premium accommodations. No matter the customer, My Itinerary Travel Agency will deliver the best communication, service, and the best prices.

Management Team

My Itinerary Travel Agency will be owned and operated by Sandra Rodriguez. Sandra is a graduate of Florida University with a degree in business. She has over ten years of experience working as a travel agent for another local agency. Sandra will be the company’s chief executive officer. She will oversee the travel agency staff, manage customer relationships, and build vendor relationships.

Sandra has recruited sales and marketing expert, Sara Anderson, to be the company’s chief marketing officer and help oversee travel agency’s sales and marketing activities. Sara will handle all branding, marketing, advertising, and outreach for the company. She will also create and maintain the company’s online and social media presence. Sara has a Master’s degree in Marketing and has nearly ten years of experience working as a marketing director for a leading travel industry corporation.

Success Factors

My Itinerary Travel Agency will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

  • Skilled team of travel agents combined with the latest technology in the industry will allow the company to provide its clients with personalized service and modern convenience to make planning their trip easy and efficient.
  • The members of the leadership team have long standing relationships with a large pool of vendors, allowing them to provide clients with the best deals possible on premium accommodations.
  • The company offers a variety of modes of communication to better serve more clients’ preferences. Customers can speak with a travel agent in person, via telephone, video call, email, or chat through the website or app. Support is available 24/7 to ensure all clients’ questions and concerns are promptly attended to.

Financial Highlights

My Itinerary Travel Agency is seeking $290,000 in debt financing to launch its travel agency. The funding will be dedicated towards securing the office space, and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff and marketing expenses. The breakout of the funding is below:

  • Office build-out: $110,000
  • Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $70,000
  • Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, utilities): $90,000
  • Marketing costs: $10,000
  • Working capital: $10,000

The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for My Itinerary Travel Agency.

Company Overview

Who is my itinerary travel agency.

My Itinerary Travel Agency is a newly established travel agency in Boca Raton, Florida. My Itinerary Travel Agency will be the first choice for anyone seeking a personalized approach, 24/7 support, and streamlined technology to make trip planning easy. The company will serve customers nationwide from their headquarters in Florida.

My Itinerary Travel Agency will be able to guarantee the best deals possible thanks to the leadership team members’ long standing relationships with a large network of vendors in the hospitality, transportation, and entertainment markets. The company’s team of highly qualified travel agents will provide personalized service to each client, removing the uncertainty and hassles associated with finding and booking the right accommodations.

My Itinerary Travel Agency History

My Itinerary Travel Agency is owned and operated by Sandra Rodriguez, an experienced travel agent who has gained valuable knowledge on how to run a travel agency during the past ten years while working at Fun Destinations Travel Agency. Now that Sandra has experienced managing a travel agency, she is ready to start her own company, My Itinerary Travel Agency. Sandra is confident that her organizational and communication skills, combined with her understanding of business management, will enable her to run a profitable travel agency of her own. Sandra is recruiting a team of highly qualified professionals to help manage the day-to-day complexities of running a travel agency – sales and marketing, vendor relationships, customer relationship management, budgeting, and financial reporting.

Since incorporation, My Itinerary Travel Agency has achieved the following milestones:

  • Registered My Itinerary Travel Agency, LLC to transact business in the state of Florida
  • Has identified the ideal location for the company’s office and is in the process of securing a lease
  • Reached out to numerous contacts to include transportation, hospitality, and entertainment companies to begin securing vendor contracts
  • Began recruiting a staff of accountants, travel agents, and other office personnel to work at My Itinerary Travel Agency

My Itinerary Travel Agency Services

  • Airline travel comparisons and bookings

Industry Analysis

The U.S. travel agency industry is valued at $48.5B with more than 90,600 businesses in operation and over 318,600 employees nationwide. Factors currently driving industry growth include an increase in domestic tourism and travel for overnight trips, vacations, and business purposes. More domestic travel typically results in more consumers using travel agencies to book their trips. The travel agency industry can be segmented by brick-and-mortar establishments or online businesses. The global market size for the online travel agency segment reached $432B last year and is expected to rise as more people use the internet to book their trips. The travel agency industry relies heavily on the use of technology. Industry operators must stay up-to-date on the latest travel technology in order to remain competitive in the market.

One of the most significant hurdles for travel agency operators is attracting customers in the age of do-it-yourself booking. Now that customers are able to book many of their travel accommodations themselves, travel agents must be able to demonstrate why booking with them is a better option. Some ways industry operators can add value are by providing personalized services, promotional discounts, and helpful information about accommodation options.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

My Itinerary Travel Agency will target individuals nationwide who are looking for personalized and convenient travel planning services. The company will target vacationers, tourists, and business travelers who are seeking the best deals on premium accommodations. No matter the customer, My Itinerary Travel Agency will deliver professional communication, service, and the best prices.

The precise demographics for Boca Raton, Florida are:

Customer Segmentation

My Itinerary Travel Agency will primarily target the following customer profiles:

  • Individuals and families planning a vacation
  • Business travelers
  • Individuals and families in need of accommodations for events such as weddings, reunions, or conventions

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

My Itinerary Travel Agency will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Fun Destinations Travel Agency

Fun Destinations Travel Agency is one of the largest and oldest travel agencies in Florida. The company was founded in 1958 in Boca Raton with one small office location. Now, the company has over 50 locations throughout multiple states. Fun Destinations specializes in booking accommodations for family vacationers. The company books accommodations near key family destinations such as theme parks, resorts, and tourist attractions. Fun Destinations is family owned and operated so the founders are familiar with the hassles associated with planning a family vacation. For this reason, Fun Destinations focuses on booking the best family-friendly accommodations so its clients can relax and enjoy the family fun.

Best Fit Vacations Travel Agency

Best Fit Vacations Travel Agency is a small travel agency catering to Boca Raton locals from its central office and nationwide clients via its online booking platform. The company was established in 1995 with the mission of providing vacation accommodations that will be “the best fit” for every client. Best Fit Vacations is owned and operated by industry professionals that have extensive experience working with vendors to negotiate the best deals for clients. The company strives to get the lowest prices for every booking and regularly finds additional savings and discounts other agencies might not know about.

Trustworthy Travel Agency

Trustworthy Travel Agency is a Boca Raton, Florida-based travel agency that provides superior service to its consumers. The company is able to provide a wide variety of travel accommodation bookings for customers in the area. Trustworthy Travel Agency has three locations throughout the state and operates an online booking platform for nationwide travelers. Customers can book online or over the phone at their convenience. The company uses an algorithm that finds the lowest prices on travel, lodging, and other accommodations across the country.

Competitive Advantage

My Itinerary Travel Agency will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

My Itinerary Travel Agency will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

  • My Itinerary Travel Agency offers the best deals through its extensive vendor network.
  • The company offers personalized customer service, a variety of communication modes, and 24/7 support.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for My Itinerary Travel Agency is as follows:

Social Media Marketing

The company’s chief marketing officer will create accounts on social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. She will ensure My Itinerary Travel Agency maintains an active social media presence with regular updates and fun content to get customers excited about traveling.

Professional Associations and Networking

My Itinerary Travel Agency will become a member of professional associations such as the Travel Agency Association, American Travel Agents Society, and the Florida Travel Industry Association. The leadership team will focus their networking efforts on expanding the company’s vendor network.

Print Advertising

My Itinerary Travel Agency will invest in professionally designed print ads to display in programs or flyers at industry networking events. The company will also invest in professional ads to place in travel magazines and local publications.

Website/SEO Marketing

My Itinerary Travel Agency’s chief marketing officer will design the company website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that My Itinerary Travel Agency is able to provide. The website will also list testimonials from happy customers.

The chief marketing officer will also manage My Itinerary Travel Agency’s website presence with SEO marketing tactics so that when someone types in a search engine “best travel agency” or “travel agency near me”, My Itinerary Travel Agency will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of My Itinerary Travel Agency will be on par with (and often lower than) competitors so customers feel they receive value when purchasing the company’s services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for My Itinerary Travel Agency.

Operation Functions:

  • Sandra Rodriguez will be the chief executive officer for the company. She will oversee the travel agents, vendor relationships, and customer relations. Sandra has spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
  • Sara Anderson – chief marketing officer who will oversee all marketing strategies for the company and manage the website, social media, and outreach
  • Tom Brown – accountant who will provide all accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting for the company
  • Christopher Jones – lead customer support manager who will directly oversee all customer support activities

Milestones:

My Itinerary Travel Agency will have the following milestones complete in the next six months.

12/1/2022 – Finalize contract to lease the office

12/15/2022 – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for the My Itinerary Travel Agency management team

1/1/2023 – Begin build-out/renovation of the office, and purchase office equipment and supplies

1/15/2023 – Begin networking at industry events and implement the marketing plan

2/15/2023 – Finalize contracts for initial vendors

3/15/2023 – My Itinerary Travel Agency officially opens for business

Financial Plan Business Plan FAQs

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for My Itinerary Travel Agency are the commissions earned as a percentage of bookings from vendors and fees charged to customers for consultations and services.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff a travel agency firm. The expenses will be the payroll cost, utilities, greenhouse equipment and supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

  • Average accommodations booked per month: 9,000
  • Average commissions per month: $15,000
  • Overhead costs per year: $640,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, what is a travel agency business plan.

A travel agency business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your travel agency business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your travel agency business plan using our travel agency Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Travel Agencies?

There are a number of different kinds of travel agencies , some examples include: independent agency, host agency or franchise.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Travel Agent Business Plan?

Travel agencies are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.  This is true for a travel agent business plan and a tour and travel business plan.

What are the Steps To Start a Travel Agency Business?

Starting a travel agency business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Travel Agent Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed business plan for your travel agency  that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your travel agency business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your travel agency business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Travel Agency Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your travel agency business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your travel agency business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Travel Agency Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your travel agency business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your travel agency business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful travel agency business:

  • How to Start a Travel Agency Business

Step-by-step guide to creating a tour operator business plan [template included]

tour operator business plan

By Kevin Tjoe — 13 Jan 2022

Business plan   Business set-up

Updated July 2023 – Ready to take the plunge and launch that tour company or adventure travel business you’ve been envisioning? Before you start welcoming guests, the best first step is always to build a detailed business plan. 

A tour operator business plan is more than just a formality; it is the compass that will navigate your business’s journey. A well-structured business plan for a tour operator provides the framework for transforming your vision into a thriving and sustainable business. It will help you clarify your goals, streamline your operations, and make informed decisions.

Let’s explore the immense value of a clear tour operator business plan as well as the most important elements to consider in this comprehensive document. 

Why create a business plan?

Crafting a business plan allows you to lay the groundwork for your tour operator business effectively. Whether you plan to help travelers make travel plans or to provide amazing tourism experiences, your business plan will serve a couple of key purposes:

  • You can hit the ground running with a plan in place, and goals to work towards in the long term.
  • You’ll have a quality business case to use if you’re applying for loans or grants.
  • You can point your start-up resources, such as cash flow and staff, where they’ll provide the most benefit. This is particularly important if you’re starting with a tight budget.
  • You’ll also have a ‘roadmap’ to help you navigate through the inevitable challenges, obstacles, and surprises in business!

Key elements of a tour operator business plan

In order to understand how to set up a tour operator business, you’ll first need to learn the key elements of a tour operator business plan.

How to set a tour operator business plan

1. Business overview

This section of your tour operator/ tour agency business plan provides a holistic snapshot of your company, offering readers a clear understanding of your business’s identity. Ideally, it should include the following:

  • Business Name: Your business name should resonate with your target audience, conveying the essence of your offerings and the unique experiences you promise to deliver. Ensure it is memorable, evocative, and future-proof.
  • Location: Detail the physical location of your tour operator business. Your location can influence your target market and the types of tours you can offer. Be specific about your base of operations and, if applicable, mention any satellite offices or future expansion plans.
  • History: Describe the story behind your tour company’s inception. Share the passion and inspiration that sparked your journey into the travel and tourism industry, and ensure that it aligns with your brand values. 
  • Ownership Structure: Clarify the legal structure of your tour operator business. Are you a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a limited liability company, or a corporation? Describe the ownership arrangement and highlight the key stakeholders involved in the venture. 
  • Assets and Debts: Provide an overview of your company’s assets and debts. This includes tangible assets such as vehicles, equipment, and office space, as well as intangible assets like intellectual property and brand equity. If applicable, disclose any outstanding debts or financial obligations that may impact your business’s financial health and ability to grow.

2. Market analysis

Start by defining your target market. Are you catering to adventure-seeking travelers, history enthusiasts, or nature lovers? Consider their demographics, interests, and spending behavior. Research industry trends and analyze competitors to gain insights into their strengths and weaknesses. This will help you identify opportunities and potential gaps in the market that your business can fill.

In addition, study the external factors that could impact your business, such as seasonal fluctuations, economic conditions, and any regulatory requirements specific to the tourism industry.

3. Tour offerings

Crafting compelling and diverse tour offerings is at the heart of your tour operator business. Consider the unique experiences and attractions your target market seeks. Develop a range of tour packages that cater to different preferences and budget levels.

sustainable tour operator

Your tours should not only showcase the best of the destination but also provide memorable and immersive experiences. Whether it’s organizing guided city tours, thrilling adventure expeditions, or cultural explorations, your offerings should reflect your passion for travel and your commitment to creating unforgettable memories for your customers.

Use your tour operator/ tour agency business plan to emphasize what sets your tours apart from the competition. Whether it’s exclusive access to hidden gems, knowledgeable guides, or sustainable practices, highlight the value that customers will gain from choosing your services.

4. Marketing strategy

Successful businesses have strong brands, so your business plan should set out branding guidelines . Consider the following key elements when coming up with a strategy that will guide how you should start marketing your tour business:

  • Branding Guidelines: Outline your branding guidelines, including your brand’s visual identity, mission statement, core values, and brand voice. Emphasize consistency across all touchpoints, from your website and social media platforms to your tour brochures and customer interactions. 
  • Advertising Channels: Identify the advertising channels that best align with your target audience and budget. Consider a mix of online and offline channels to reach potential customers effectively. Online channels may include pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, display ads, and sponsored content on travel websites. Offline channels could involve partnering with local travel agencies, and tourism boards, or participating in travel trade shows and events. 
  • Social Media Channels: Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with travelers and building a loyal community around your brand. Engage users with captivating visual content, compelling storytelling, and interactive posts that evoke a sense of wanderlust. Utilize platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to share breathtaking photos, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and testimonials from satisfied customers.
  • Customer Reviews and Testimonials: Encourage satisfied customers to share their stories and feedback on platforms like Google Reviews, TripAdvisor, and your website. Positive reviews build credibility and serve as powerful social proof, enticing potential travelers to choose your tours with confidence. Respond promptly and graciously to all reviews, demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction.

positive reviews

  • Content Marketing: Create valuable and informative content that educates travelers about your destination, highlights unique aspects of your tours, and offers travel tips and insights. Utilize blog posts, videos, podcasts, and downloadable guides to establish your tour operator business as a trusted authority in the travel industry.
  • Partnerships and Collaborations: Consider strategic partnerships with complementary businesses in the travel and hospitality industry. Collaborate with local hotels, restaurants, and activity providers to create enticing package deals that appeal to travelers seeking a holistic experience. This is especially important if you are considering creating an international travel agency business plan, as collaborations can help broaden your reach.

5. Operations and management

The operations and management section of your tour operator business plan delves into the practical aspects that keep your business running smoothly and efficiently. This nitty-gritty exploration ensures that every aspect of your tour company is well-organized, legally compliant, and focused on delivering exceptional experiences to your customers. 

Here are the key components to include in this section:

  • Business and Legal Structure: Clearly outline your chosen business and legal structure. Whether you are operating as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a limited liability company (LLC), or a corporation, this information provides a framework for your business’s governance and responsibilities.
  • Risk Management and Workplace Health & Safety Plans: As a tour operator, the safety and well-being of your guests are paramount. Detail your risk management procedures and workplace health & safety plans to mitigate potential hazards and ensure a secure experience for travelers. Assess the risks associated with different tours and activities, develop contingency plans, and implement safety protocols that align with industry best practices.
  • Terms and Conditions: Craft comprehensive and transparent terms and conditions for your tour offerings. Clearly communicate cancellation policies, refund procedures, and any limitations or requirements for participants. 
  • Staff Scheduling and Training: Outline your staff scheduling procedures to ensure smooth operations and optimal customer service. Consider investing in staff training programs that equip your team with the knowledge and skills to offer insightful commentary, excellent customer care, and handle unforeseen situations professionally.
  • Reservation System: In the digital age, a robust and secure reservation system like Rezdy is vital for streamlining your booking process for both you and your customers. Invest in a reliable booking software that allows real-time availability updates, secure payment processing, and automated customer confirmations.

purpose of online booking system

  • Distribution Channels and Partnerships: Consider the distribution channels that will help grow your bookings and expand your market reach. Will you collaborate with online travel agencies (OTAs) or travel agents to promote your tours? Explore partnerships with local businesses, such as hotels and restaurants, to create enticing package deals. 
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM): A well-organized CRM system enables you to build lasting relationships with your customers. Implement CRM software to keep track of customer interactions, preferences, and feedback. Personalize your marketing efforts and start building customer loyalty through targeted promotions and personalized offers.

6. Financial plan

The financial plan is a key component of your tour operator business plan. It outlines your revenue streams, costs, and projected financial performance over time. A well-structured financial plan demonstrates the viability of your business and helps you secure funding if needed.

Start by estimating your startup costs, including equipment, licenses, marketing, and initial staff training. Calculate the expected cash flow, factoring in the seasonality of the tourism industry. Identify the pricing strategy for your tours, ensuring that it covers your expenses while remaining competitive in the market.

Create financial projections for at least the first three to five years, considering both conservative and optimistic scenarios. This will enable you to anticipate potential challenges and make informed decisions that will help you with growing your tour business.

Remember to regularly review and update your financial plan as your business progresses. Monitoring actual financial performance against projections will help you make timely adjustments and stay on track towards achieving your business goals.

example of tourism business plan

Ready to start building your business plan as a tour operator?

Download the free all-in-one checklist for easy reference.

Getting your tour business off the ground

Now that you have an effective business plan in place, it’s important to ensure your business has the right software.

Online booking software for tour operators like Rezdy is designed to equip your business for success. It includes multiple features integrated into the system, which allows you to reduce your overall admin duties. Some of these tools include real-time availability to avoid double bookings, automatic customer updates and reminders, and secure payment processes.

Furthermore, Rezdy also offers a channel manager platform that connects your business to thousands of resellers instantly. Joining Rezdy Marketplace is as simple as listing your products and setting your commission rates. From there, you can let resellers on the platform promote and sell your services to their customers.

Set your business up for success with Rezdy

Set your business up for success with a FREE 21-day trial or alternatively, book a demo to learn more about Rezdy and our products!

If you enjoyed this article then make sure to follow the Rezdy blog . There are a lot of marketing tools and tour operator tips designed with businesses like yours in mind.

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How to create a tour operator business plan in 8 steps

tour operator business plan

Preparing to Write a Business Plan

Tour operator business plan template, tips and tricks for a strong tour operator business plan.

Wondering how to turn your tour operator idea into a real business? The first step to launching a startup and getting investors onboard is to develop a formal proposal called a business plan . Whether you want to start a travel agency, a walking tour company, or an adventure travel business, you will use a business plan to communicate exactly how you plan to make your idea come to life. 

Creating a tourism business plan might sound daunting; in this article, we’ll show you how to do one and offer lots of advice for first-time founders. You’ll be able to use this article as a tour operator business plan template to write your own sample business plan (as an exercise) or to create the real thing.

To more clearly illustrate how to create a tour operator business plan, we’ll use a sample business as we go through each section. Our sample business is a small tour operator startup that specializes in ecotourism in Thailand.

Before you start to create your official business plan, it can be helpful to think through several aspects of your business so that you are fully prepared to address each topic in the business plan template. One excellent preparation exercise is to complete a Business Model Canvas for your company. 

The Business Model Canvas encourages you to think critically about your customers, cost structure, revenue streams, marketing strategy, and more. It’s the perfect warm-up for your business plan because you’ll incorporate your Business Model Canvas notes into the actual business plan document. We recommend that you do this exercise with your co-founders, if you have any, and with a whiteboard – you’ll probably make lots of changes as you go!

You can find a printable Business Model Canvas template here .

Your tour operator business plan should contain at least seven sections: an executive summary, a company overview, a description of your services, an analysis of your market, an implementation plan, a team summary, and a financial plan. You might have one or more appendices at the end, if you have additional relevant information to include. The finished product should be formatted nicely and incorporate your company’s logo and branding.

Executive Summary

As the first component of your business plan, the executive summary is arguably the most important section. If you’re pitching your idea to investors, they’re likely very busy people, so you want to grab their attention from the beginning. The executive summary should contain a concise outline of your tour operator company’s objectives and goals, your mission and/or vision statements , your key success factors, and a clear description of your value proposition. 

Company Overview

Think of this section as what you would post on the “About” section of your tour operator company’s website. The company overview should explain who your company’s key leaders are, how and when the business started, what the ownership structure looks like (if you have investors, for example), where your office is located, and an outline of your current assets and debts. If you’re in the early stages of your business, this section might be quite short.

Operations Plan

The operations plan is where you describe exactly what your company will offer. What kinds of tours will you sell? Where exactly will you operate? This is the type of information you would list on your website for potential customers or guests to read – but without too much of a sales pitch. 

In this section, it can also be helpful to include a description of the full “ life cycle ” of your business. What happens before, during, and after a tour? What steps does the guest complete, and what happens behind the scenes at your company’s office?

Thinking about our Thai ecotourism company, we might illustrate how someone could book a tour perhaps six months in advance on our website. Between booking and arrival, we coordinate accommodation, meals, and transportation with partner providers. When the tour concludes, we offer transportation back to the airport and follow up with a special offer to book another tour with us at a discount. 

Market Analysis

This section explores your specific niche within the tourism industry and the geographic location(s) where you plan to operate. Who are your target clients or guests? Who are your main competitors? What trends exist in this facet of the industry? Is the amount of visitors to your location increasing or decreasing? 

Try to include statistics from reputable sources whenever you can. Destination marketing organizations, tourism bureaus, and air traffic data, just to name a few, can provide valuable insight and add credibility. This section should leave no stone unturned so that your reader can truly understand your market conditions.

In our ecotourism business in Thailand, for example, we would include information about travel trends in Thailand (like the most popular feeder markets), new air routes, economic trends, the number of new hotels being built, etc. We would also explore the ecotourism market; are more people choosing eco-friendly travel options today compared to five years ago? What companies are the current ecotourism market leaders globally and in Thailand?

Implementation

Now that you’ve explained your business idea and described the market in which you plan to operate, it’s time to outline exactly how you will bring your tour operator business to life. This section should include a SWOT analysis , details about your marketing and pricing strategies, and a sales projection. 

In the SWOT analysis , you will explore your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. What does your company offer that nobody else in the market does? What are some potential challenges that you will need to face? Using our ecotourism company example, a threat could be natural disasters – if there are floods or mudslides, our business cannot operate. On the other hand, an opportunity is that more people are interested in eco-friendly travel options. 

Your marketing and pricing strategies should be very specific. How will customers find your company? Which online channels will you use? Will you work through travel agents or directly with your customers? 

Your pricing strategy should include the exact rates you plan to charge for at least a year in advance. For example, our ecotourism company in Thailand might charge $699 for a package during low season, $899 during high season, and $999 over holiday periods, with rates increasing 5% each year. 

We might also offer a 10% discount for advance purchase bookings made at least 6 months in advance and charge a 50% cancellation fee for any reservations cancelled within 3 months of the tour departure date. Based on your pricing strategy, you can create a sales projection that will estimate your company’s sales performance, preferably over the next three years.

Team Summary

After your reader understands what your tour operator business will do, they’ll wonder who is going to make it happen. And if you’re planning to launch a full-fledged tour operator business, you’re probably not going at it alone. The Team Summary section should include a thorough plan for your company’s organizational structure, key leaders, employees, and training processes. 

Do you already have a management team in place, or will you need to hire additional leaders? How many employees will you need, and how much will you pay them? And how will you train and develop your employees? The Team Summary should answer all of these questions and provide enough information for potential investors to understand exactly how you plan to staff your business, pay your employees, and ensure all team members are trained properly. 

Financial Plan

The financial plan is extremely important to potential investors because they will want to maximize the return on their investment. Your financial plan is essentially a projection of your revenue streams and cost structure for your company’s first five or so years of operation. It will include not only revenue from ticket sales and costs from employee salaries, but also details like tour-operator software costs, insurance, taxes, marketing spend, depreciation of assets, interest on loans, and more. 

If you don’t have a finance background yourself, it may be helpful to seek assistance from an accountant or someone who knows the ins and outs of financial modeling. 

Additional Information

In an appendix, you can include supporting information or statistics that may be helpful for potential investors, but not essential to your business plan. For instance, you could include a full report on air traffic trends that you used in your Market Analysis section.

Writing a business plan is certainly not an easy task. It’s time consuming and requires a lot of thought, but a well written business plan can lead to significant growth for your company. As you complete your business plan, keep these pieces of advice in mind:

  • Conduct thorough research on your market . When you pitch your company to investors, you want to be seen as an expert, so learn as much as you can about your competitors and market trends.
  • Simplify your words and descriptions whenever possible . A business plan is not the place to wow your reader with flowery language – instead, you want your reader to easily grasp your value proposition. Think about writing so that a fifth-grader can understand it. The last thing you want is for your reader to be confused about what your company actually does.
  • Don’t be afraid to make changes . As you work on your business plan, you might discover that some aspects of your business need to be adjusted for the greater good of the company. After all, the companies that are the most adaptable are the ones that survive!
  • Get a second opinion (or a third or a fourth). A good test of your business plan’s readability and clarity is to let someone outside your industry read it, like a family member or friend. If they have a lot of questions, you might need to adjust your descriptions or more clearly explain your plans.
  • Proofread ! Your business plan is a reflection of your company’s values. If your formatting is sloppy and your text is full of typos, your reader might question whether you have the attention to detail necessary to run a successful business.

Now that you have all the tools to create a great tour operator business plan, it’s time to get to work!

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Adrienne Fors is the founder of Strategic Stays, a consultancy specializing in tech solutions and copywriting for short-term rental businesses and boutique hotels. She was previously a Market Manager at Expedia, and she graduated from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. Adrienne is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and enjoys traveling and playing tennis.

Mize is the leading hotel booking optimization solution in the world. With over 170 partners using our fintech products, Mize creates new extra profit for the hotel booking industry using its fully automated proprietary technology and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue across its suite of products for its partners. Mize was founded in 2016 with its headquarters in Tel Aviv and offices worldwide.

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How to Write a Tourism Business Plan

by Bryan Reynolds | Jul 10, 2023 | Destination Marketing

a person writing a business plan on a computer

Step 1: Executive Summary

  • Start with an executive summary, which provides a snapshot of your business.
  • It should include your business name, location, and a brief description of the services you offer.
  • This section should also highlight your unique selling proposition – what sets your tourism business apart from the competition.

Transitioning from the executive summary, we dive into the business description.

post it notes on a bulletin board

Step 2: Business Description

  • Provide detailed information about your tourism business.
  • Describe your target market, the types of tours or services you’ll offer, and your business structure (e.g., sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation).
  • Also, discuss any partnerships with local businesses or organizations that will enhance your offerings.

Next up is the market analysis.

Step 3: Market Analysis

  • This section requires research into the tourism industry in your area.
  • Identify your competitors and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Understand your target customers – their preferences, behaviors, and what they value in a tourism experience.

After understanding your market, it’s time to outline your organization and management structure.

Step 4: Organization and Management

Outline your team structure..

  • Include the roles and responsibilities of each team member, and provide brief bios if possible.
  • If you’re a sole proprietor, describe any outsourced roles (like accounting or marketing).

With your team set, let’s move onto your services or products.

a pencil on a paper book

Step 5: Services or Products

  • Detail the services or products your tourism business will offer.
  • Whether you’re offering guided tours, travel planning, or other tourism-related services, make sure to describe each offering clearly.
  • Explain the benefits of your services and how they meet the needs of your target market.

Finally, let’s talk numbers in your financial projections.

Step 6: Financial Projections

  • This section should provide a clear picture of your business’s financial outlook.
  • Include sales and revenue projections, a budget, a break-even analysis, and a projection of your cash flow.
  • These figures will be crucial when seeking funding or investment for your tourism business.

Your tourism business plan is now ready to guide you towards success. But before we wrap up, let’s answer some frequently asked questions about writing a business plan.

people walking outside at a tourism location

Why do I need a business plan for my tourism business?

A business plan helps you understand your business better, assists in securing funding, and serves as a roadmap for your business’s growth. A company overview is important in the travel and tourism industry.

How long should my business plan be?

The length of a business plan can vary significantly depending on the size and complexity of the business. However, typically, a business plan ranges from 20 to 50 pages.

Who should write the business plan?

As the successful business owner, you are the best person to write the business plan. However, you can also hire a professional business plan writer or use business plan software.

How often should I update my business plan?

It’s a good idea to update your business plan at least once a year or whenever significant changes occur in your business or industry.

What if I’m starting a small tourism business and don’t have a team yet?

That’s perfectly fine. In your organization and management section, simply focus on your role and any outsourced functions.

Do I need to include all these sections in my business plan?

Yes, each section plays a critical role in providing a comprehensive view of your business. However, the depth of detail in each section can vary based on your specific business.

Can I use my business plan to secure funding?

Absolutely. Investors and lenders will often request to see a business plan to understand the viability and potential of your business.

A well-crafted business plan is crucial for the success of your tourism business. By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to creating a comprehensive and effective business plan.

Best Practices when Writing a Tourism Business Plan Template

Writing a business plan for a tourism business involves several best practices that can increase the likelihood of your venture’s success. Here are some key points to consider:

1. Be Clear About Your Business Idea:

  • Define your tourism business concept clearly.
  • Specify the type of services you will provide, such as guided tours, travel planning, or accommodation booking.

2. Conduct Thorough Market Analysis:

  • Identify your target audience and understand their needs and preferences.
  • Analyze your competitors, their offerings, strengths, and weaknesses.

3. Create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

  • Determine what sets your tourism business apart from competitors.
  • Your USP could be unique tour packages, superior customer service, or partnerships with local businesses.

4. Detail Your Marketing Strategy:

  • Develop a marketing and sales strategy to attract and retain customers.
  • This could involve online advertising, social media promotion, collaborations with local businesses, or special offers for repeat customers.

5. Plan Your Operations:

  • Outline how your business will operate on a day-to-day basis.
  • Include details about logistics, staff requirements, equipment needed, and any regulatory compliance issues.

6. Develop a Financial Plan:

  • Prepare a detailed financial plan, including revenue projections, budget, and break-even analysis.
  • This section is crucial if you’re seeking investment or loans.

7. Review and Revise Regularly:

  • A business plan should not be a static document. Review and update it regularly to keep it aligned with your current business situation and future goals.

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Tourism Business Plan Templates To Craft Your Success Trip Story!

Tourism Business Plan Templates To Craft Your Success Trip Story!

Naveen Kumar

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We live in a world where one man’s poison is another man’s meat. One person’s needs become an opportunity or business for another to meet that need and establish a business around it. The rise of food delivery apps epitomizes our opportunistic world; as busy lives demand convenience, these platforms turn hunger into profit while providing employment for drivers.

Tourism is one such industry that was born and growing on this fact. Travelers need to find comfort and avoid the headache of planning a trip, booking transport, finding stays, and researching local culture, making tourism a profitable business.

Tourism: Travel, Culture, Memories, And More!

Tourism is traveling for leisure, recreation, or business purposes to destinations outside one’s usual place of residence. It encompasses a wide range of experiences, including visiting historical sites, enjoying natural landscapes, local cuisines, cultural activities, participating in adventure sports, attending events, and more. Tourism contributes to economies (6.1% of global GDP in 2021), job creation (about 3% of the world’s total), and cultural exchange, often fostering understanding and appreciation between cultures and regions. It involves transportation, accommodation, entertainment, and hospitality, working together to provide travelers with enriching and enjoyable experiences.

Post-pandemic Challenges of the Tourism Industry

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Travel & Tourism (including its direct, indirect, and induced impacts) accounted for 1 in 5 new jobs created across the world during 2014-2019 and 10.3% of all jobs (334 million) and 10.4% of global GDP ($10 trillion) in 2019.

The lockdowns and travel restrictions enforced globally upended the travel and tourism industry. According to the latest annual research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2022, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed 7.6% to global GDP – a 22% increase from 2021 but still 23% lower than in 2019. Despite a 7.9% annual increase, the number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide remains 11.4% lower in 2022 compared to 2019. Meanwhile, total global travel and tourism spending remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels in 2021. Following a drop to the lowest point in 2020 since 1989, international tourist arrivals worldwide rose in 2021 yet fell far short of the nearly 1.5 billion peaks reported in 2019.

PROBLEMS THAT PLAGUE TOURISM 

The tourism industry grapples with challenges like uncertain travel restrictions, waning consumer confidence, and fluctuating policies. Traveler safety, digitalization, and rethinking operational models further compound the hurdles. Amid this landscape, a robust tourism business plan offers a strategic compass.

Tourism Business Plan Templates

A business plan addresses safety concerns, enhances experiences, and embraces digital strategies to cater to cautious travelers. It fosters resilience and adaptability with strategies to capitalize on local markets and identify emerging trends. Amid the evolving dynamics of the post-pandemic tourism landscape, a well-crafted tourism business plan is not just a necessity – it's a lifeline. Our expert-designed tourism business plan templates offer a strategic roadmap to navigate challenges that have reshaped the industry. These content-ready business plan PPT Slides give the much-needed and comprehensive framework for adapting to the new normal. The 100% customizable nature of these templates empowers tourism companies to rebuild, redefine, and reignite their success.

Without ado, let's explore these tourism business plan templates to strategize the next big move for your tourism company.

1. Investor Business Plan Template For Travel And Tourism Company

This presentation layout is a roadmap to transform your travel and tourism aspirations into a profitable business venture. Packed with strategic brilliance, it unveils a dazzling display of key partners and value propositions that shine brighter than the sunsets you'll witness. Tourism firms, curious explorers, and entrepreneurs can map customer relationships, segments, marketing channels, essential resources, and revenue systems using this PPT Design to convince potential investors and strategic partners. Download it now!

Investor Business Plan Template For Travel And Tourism Company

Download this template

2. Tourism Business Plan PowerPoint Presentation Template

Elevate your trade strategy with our dynamic PPT Layout that will guide you through the intricacies of tourism business planning. This expert-designed framework is a home for an intuitive table that outlines key focus areas, such as connectivity, human resources, product/services, and marketing. Within each domain, it provides a comprehensive roadmap for short-term, mid-term, and long-term tasks, ensuring your business journey toward sustainable success feels like a breeze. Perfect for seasoned professionals and budding entrepreneurs alike, this template empowers users to chart a strategic course, align teams, and present a compelling vision to stakeholders. Get it now!

Tourism Business Plan PowerPoint Presentation Template

3. Tourism Business Planning and Strategy Presentation Template

Transform your tourism business vision into reality with our exquisite business planning PPT Layout that offers a neat canvas for painting a compelling narrative of your tourism venture. Designed with finesse, it has a pristine white backdrop to showcase key components and sub-components of your business plan, from visitor segments to revenue streams. Entrepreneurs, executives, and industry enthusiasts can use this presentation template to impress investors, engage stakeholders, and collaborate with partners. Elevate your business discussions with impactful visuals, and set sail towards an exciting and prosperous journey in the world of tourism with this PowerPoint Slide.

Tourism Business Planning and Strategy Presentation Template

Journeys That Enriches Lives and Economies!

From adventure seekers traversing remote landscapes to culture enthusiasts immersing themselves in vibrant traditions and from sun-soaked beachcombers to intrepid explorers of bustling urban centers – the world of tourism is as diverse as the travelers it embraces. While post-pandemic challenges have reshaped how we travel, a well-crafted tourism business plan guides these diverse endeavors. Crafting this blueprint becomes pivotal as companies seek to navigate uncertainty, revive momentum, and thrive. That is where our research-based tourism business plan templates stand ready. 

These PPT Designs provide businesses with the tools needed to navigate uncertainty, tap into emerging trends, and create unforgettable experiences for travelers. As your tourism company charts a new course, let these PowerPoint Slides be your steadfast companion, paving the way for resilience, innovation, and growth. 

Download these tourism business plan templates to see the future with foresight, strategy, and confidence – ensuring your place in the vibrant tapestry of global tourism.

FAQs on Tourism Business Plan

How do you plan a tourism business.

Planning a tourism business involves a strategic and comprehensive approach to ensure its success. 

  • Start by conducting thorough market research to understand the target audience, competition, and trends. 
  • Define your unique value proposition.
  • Develop a detailed business plan outlining your goals, strategies, financial projections, and marketing efforts. 
  • Establish partnerships with local suppliers, accommodation providers, and attractions. 
  • Build a strong online presence through a user-friendly website and social media. 
  • Implement effective marketing campaigns and adapt to feedback and market conditions. 

How do I start a tourism business from scratch?

Starting a tourism business from scratch requires careful planning and execution. You can follow these steps:

  • Begin by identifying your niche within the tourism industry, whether it's adventure travel, cultural tours, or eco-tourism. 
  • Conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience and competition. 
  • Create a detailed business plan outlining your business structure, offerings, marketing strategies, and financial projections. 
  • Secure necessary permits, licenses, and insurance. 
  • Establish partnerships with local vendors and suppliers. 
  • Develop a professional online presence.
  • Promote your business through effective marketing and networking efforts. 
  • Assess and adapt your offerings based on customer feedback and market trends.

What are the seven steps in the tourism planning process?

The tourism planning process involves the following seven steps:

  • Research and Analysis: Conduct thorough research to understand the destination, target market, and competition. Analyze trends, opportunities, and challenges.
  • Market Segmentation and Targeting: Identify and segment your target audience based on demographics, interests, and travel preferences. Tailor your offerings to meet their needs.
  • Destination Development: Create appealing and unique tourism products and experiences that showcase the destination's attractions, culture, and heritage.
  • Infrastructure and Services: Develop or procure necessary infrastructure such as transportation, accommodation, and amenities to support tourism activities and enhance visitor experience.
  • Marketing and Promotion: Use effective marketing strategies to promote your destination or tourism business. Use a mix of online and offline channels to reach your target audience.
  • Implementation and Management: Execute your plans, manage operations, and ensure the quality of services. Establish partnerships with stakeholders and monitor the visitor experience.
  • Evaluation and Monitoring: Assess the success of your tourism initiatives through data collection, feedback analysis, and performance metrics. Make necessary adjustments to improve and enhance the customer’s engagement with your business, as travel itself is all about experience. 

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Travel Agency Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Growthink.com Travel Agency Business Plan Template

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their travel agencies. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through a travel agency business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your travel agency as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan

If you’re looking to start a travel agency or grow your existing travel agency you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your travel agency in order to improve your chances of success. Your travel agency business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Source of Funding for Travel Agencies

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a travel agency are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable. But they will want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

The second most common form of funding for a travel agency is angel investors. Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will write you a check. They will either take equity in return for their funding, or, like a bank, they will give you a loan.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

Your travel agency business plan should include 10 sections as follows:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of travel agency business you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a travel agency that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of travel agencies.

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the travel agency industry. Discuss the type of travel agency you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of travel agency you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types:

  • Commercial Travel Agencies : this type of travel agency caters to business travelers. These agencies specialize in tracking down deals for business travelers to help companies manage travel costs.
  • Online Travel Agencies : this type of travel agency exists only in cyberspace. They provide clients with the convenience of online booking and discounts that are available only to professional travel agencies.
  • Niche Travel Agencies : this type of travel agency provides clients with specialized knowledge of a region.
  • Membership Associations : Memberships associations give travelers access to the organization’s travel planning services for the cost of an annual membership rather than charging per transaction. This type of agency offers the most benefit to frequent travelers.

In addition to explaining the type of travel agency you operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

  • When and why did you start the business?
  • What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include sales goals you’ve reached, new location openings, etc.
  • Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry analysis, you need to provide an overview of the travel agency business.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the travel agency industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy particularly if your research identifies market trends. For example, if there was a trend towards glamping, it would be helpful to ensure your plan calls for plenty of luxury camping packages.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your travel agency business plan:

  • How big is the travel agency business (in dollars)?
  • Is the market declining or increasing?
  • Who are the key competitors in the market?
  • Who are the key suppliers in the market?
  • What trends are affecting the industry?
  • What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
  • What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your travel agency. You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your travel agency business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: sports enthusiasts, soccer moms, baby boomers, businesses, etc.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of travel agency you operate. Clearly baby boomers would want a different atmosphere, pricing and product options, and would respond to different marketing promotions than businesses.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most travel agencies primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other travel agencies.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes customers making travel arrangements themselves at home. You need to mention such competition to show you understand that not everyone who travels uses travel agency services.

With regards to direct competition, you want to detail the other travel agencies with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be travel agencies located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

  • What types of customers do they serve?
  • What products do they offer?
  • What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
  • What are they good at?
  • What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

  • Will you provide better travel packages?
  • Will you provide products or services that your competitors don’t offer?
  • Will you make it easier or faster for customers to book your offerings?
  • Will you provide better customer service?
  • Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a travel agency business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product : in the product section you should reiterate the type of travel agency that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to regular accommodation and transportation booking, will you offer items such as tour packages and excursions?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the packages you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the location of your travel agency. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your travel agency located next to a heavily populated office building, or highly trafficked retail area, etc. Discuss how your location might provide a steady stream of customers.

Promotions : the final part of your travel agency marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

  • Making your travel agency’s storefront extra appealing to attract passing customers
  • Distributing travel brochures outside the travel agency
  • Advertising in local papers and magazines
  • Reaching out to local bloggers and websites
  • Social media advertising
  • Local radio advertising
  • Banner ads at local venues

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your travel agency such as serving customers, procuring supplies, keeping the office clean, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to serve your 1,000th customer, or when you hope to reach $X in sales. It could also be when you expect to hire your Xth employee or launch a new location.

Management Team

To demonstrate your travel agency’s ability to succeed as a business, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience in the travel agency business. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in travel agencies and/or successfully running retail and small businesses.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

Income Statement : an income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenues and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you serve 50 customers per week or 100? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : While balance sheets include much information, to simplify them to the key items you need to know about, balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. For instance, if you spend $100,000 on building out your travel agency, that will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $100.000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement : Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and make sure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a travel agency:

  • Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
  • Cost of equipment like computers, website/platform, and software
  • Cost of marketing materials and maintaining an adequate amount of supplies
  • Payroll or salaries paid to staff
  • Business insurance
  • Taxes and permits
  • Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your store design blueprint or location lease.

Travel Agency Business Plan Summary

Putting together a business plan for your travel agency is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the travel agency business, your competition and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful travel agency.

Travel Agency Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my travel agency business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily complete your Travel Agency Business Plan.

Where Can I Download a Travel Agent Business Plan PDF?

You can download our travel agent business plan PDF template here. This is a business plan template you can use in PDF format.

What is the Goal of a Business Plan's Executive Summary?

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Free Travel Agency Business Plan Template

Okay, okay. I know you’re crazy thrilled that you’ve found a free travel agency business plan template for your agency! I promise we’ve got a super razzly-dazzly one that will help you craft THE BEST travel agency business plan out there. So we’ll have you download your free travel agency business plan template in just a second, and then we’ll walk you through the different pieces of the business plan in the article.

Sound like a (business) plan?!

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What Is the Purpose of a Travel Agency Business Plan?

Here's a sneak preview of what you can expect from HAR's business plan below. (Need no convincing? Download it here .)

Business plans got their start as a way for banks to vet new businesses before deciding to give them a loan. After all, people that have thought long and hard about their business and taken the time to painstakingly write down all the steps and intricacies have a higher likelihood of success.

Now when it comes to travel agencies, you may think having a business plan is overkill or outdated. Sure, if you’re opening a storefront agency or a franchise you may need some capital from the bank/investor so a business plan may be a necessity. But now that most agencies are home-based, the median start-up cost for a non-franchise travel agency is $1,000 . If you’re not getting a loan, do you really need a business plan?

If you’re starting a travel agency, here’s a few reasons why creating a travel agency business plan might be helpful to you:

  • Practical: it will help you feel prepared and confident as you make important business decisions.
  • Inspirational: it will help remind you what it is that inspired you to start a travel agency and what kind of impact you hope to have on your clients. The kinds of things that will remind you why you started all these shenanigans when logistical tasks like taxes get boring or complicated.

The other thing a travel agency business plan can do? It will help you describe your agency—the service you provide (do you have a niche?), the market in which you’re operating, the money you need to get started and keep going, and the people you need to help you get there (accountants? Sub agents? Bookkeeper? Web Developer?) In short, it can help you feel prepared and confident, and our free travel agency business plan is going to help you with that!

Download HAR’s Free Travel Agency Business Plan Template

We have a handy dandy (and free) travel agency business plan template for YOU, dear reader! Yay, it is the companion to this article.

We’re offering our travel agency business plan template free (no catch) because we want your new business to be off to the best start possible!

Alright, now you’ve downloaded our free travel agency business plan template, great! We’ve already filled it out for our fictional travel agency, Corona Travels , and now we need to work on personalizing this business plan to your travel agency.

To update your personal business plan template with your brilliant ideas, all you'll need to do is delete the sample description provided in the template and add in your own material! In the next section, we walk you through each part of the business plan. I recommend that as you read through the article, you compare the sections of the travel agency business plan template. That way, you'll have an explanation for each part with an example.

Let’s jump in and start tailoring the business plan template to your travel agency!

Hold up. Still need to get your agency set up? We have just the thing.

Now, a business plan template may feel like you're getting ahead of yourself if you haven't named and/or registered your business yet! If you still need to take strides to get your agency off the ground (your agency, name, niche, registration, host affiliation etc.) we have a course that will fast-forward that process.

Check out HAR's 7 Day Set Up Accelerator course to get your agency set up faster so you can start monetizing sooner! The course is written and taught by HAR Founder, Steph Lee, and professional Educator, Bridget Lee. It includes nine chapters with 70+ instructional videos, course quizzes, peer accountability, and monthly meet-ups with HAR members and industry experts.

7DS Accelerator Travel Agency Startup Courses

Now, let's go over the business plan!

Travel Agency Business Plan, Part 1: Overview

The overview is like an executive summary that briefly summarizes all aspects of your travel agency business plan. You can think of this as the “elevator pitch” of your travel agency business plan. Oddly enough, I like to do these summaries last, since then you’ll have all the info at your fingertips that you'll need to summarize.

So what details are you filling out in this first part of the travel agency business plan?

  • Name of Your Business: Not sure what your travel agency name is yet? We can help you with that .
  • Location: Is it your house? A PO box? A storefront? Your sister’s basement?
  • Your Travel Niche: Specializing as a travel agent is more important than ever. Selling travel is about much more than booking. It’s also about bringing knowledge, expertise, access, and resourcefulness to the table—all the qualities that help separate you from an OTA (online travel agency).
  • Your Target Client: Luxury? Families? LGBTQ? Cruisers? Boomers or Millennials? Honeymooners? Foodies? Who do you imagine your client to be and how will this shape the way you develop your travel agency?
  • Your Competition: Another way to look at this is, who are your industry peers? What might your customers consider if they don’t use you as a travel agent? (Try to think beyond OTAs like Expedia.)
  • The expertise of Management Team: Okay, so your management team might be you and the office dog (we know who’s the alpha in the office!). But even if that’s the case, this section is an opportunity to reflect on your strengths as a travel agency owner.
  • Financial Projections: Unless you’re coming into the industry with a book of business, this might seem intimidating. It’s hard to know what to expect right? But the good thing is we have an amazing resource for you: “ Travel Agency Startup Costs and Earnings: What to Expect ” Wow! Who knew?!
  • Travel Agency Mission Statement: This will help you remember why you did this in the first place, and remind you what kind of impact you hope your business will have on others! Warm fuzzies, right?!

And hey, we’re done with Part 1!! Just like that. ;)

I know you can barely contain your excitement to start reading about our next section, business foundations !

Travel Agency Business Plan, Part 2: Business Foundations

This section of your travel agency business plan provides background information on your agency. If you’re brand-spanking new, much of this information will be provided in the overview. If your business has roots, it may be a little more complex.

This section can include:

  • Legal Structure : What type of business is your agency? LLC? Sole Prop? S Corp? Has it changed over time?
  • Agency Founders and Their Role in the Formation of Your Travel Agency : Who are the founders and what are their roles?

Ah, that was a nice and easy section, wasn’t it? Now we need to start getting real. Yes, folks, the well-loved travel agency business plan template goes OCD in the next section!

Travel Agency Business Plan, Part 3: Product or Service

This section is where the rubber hits the road with your niche and will help you begin to think about developing preferred supplier relationships with your travel agency.

  • Products/ Services Provided: This may seem obvious—you sell travel! But if you’re considering providing other services (even if it’s a future goal), it will be important to consider that too. In addition to planning and booking travel, this may include: Coaching clients to book their own trips; trip consultations; wedding planning; providing education, training or mentorship to other agents; facilitating educational webinars (etc.); speaking at industry events.
  • Sales Projections: This is hard if you haven’t booked any travel yet. But consider what kind of travel you want to sell. How many clients are you booking? How many trips do you aim to sell weekly/monthly/annually?

This is a good opportunity to make financial goals for your travel agency. What kind of annual income are you aiming for? How much would you have to sell in one year to reach that?

If you are providing multiple services as a part of your travel agency business, what is the breakdown among those different services?

  • Industry Projections for Your Travel Services: We’ve done a lot of legwork for you on this one in our travel agency business plan template. But, if you want to add more, imagine this as describing the industry viability to someone who is not within the industry. What influences demand for your travel services? How is the health of the travel industry overall? Check out HAR's latest income survey results !

Now that you’ve dug into the details in this section, let’s move into the next section of your travel agency business plan that doesn’t tax your brain. It’s about management structures and it’s equal parts easy and boring (#honest).

Travel Agency Business Plan, Part 3: Management Structures

This will be a very fast exercise if you are opening your agency alone :). If you’re working for yourself, you may also want to consider outside organizations that influence your business:

  • If applicable, which host agency/franchise do you belong to?
  • If you or your host belongs to a consortium, which one?
  • What travel organizations are you a part of? (i.e. ASTA, IGLTA, PATH, CCRA etc.)
  • Since you are an independent agent, these outside organizations won’t have a direct stake in your business, but they may influence your day-to-day operations in some way.

If you're flying solo, you can probably stop here! But if you have or want to take on sub agents or employees you’ll want to do the above, and you’ll also need to go into more depth with your travel agency management structure below:

  • If applicable, create an organizational chart of your travel agency. You can think of this as a business version of a family tree. This will help you visualize who the players are and what roles they serve to your agency.
  • What value do the different management positions add to your travel agency?
  • What are the responsibilities of their positions?
  • Describe other ICs or employees/ positions and their responsibilities. How will they complement what you do for your agency? (i.e. Sell a different type of travel under your brand? Work on sales? Bookings only? Administrative assistant?)
  • If you have sub agents or employees, break down overall payroll expenses. What is their compensation? A commission split? A base salary? A combination of the two? Will you provide any bonuses or benefits if you have employees?
  • Do you anticipate future additions to your staff?

Phew! That was a long one. Well, you certainly nailed it. Kudos!

Travel Agency Business Plan, Part 3.2: Who Is Your Office Mascot?

This is probably the most important factor in building a business plan. How the heck are you going to get up and work every morning without a dog pushing their cold nose into your face, or a cat trying to use your neck as their personal radiator?

HAR dogs

Still with me? Okay, no more goofing off. Just wanted to throw in a fun interlude . . . I’ll get back to business now.

Travel Agency Business Plan, Part 4: Marketing Strategy

This section of your travel agency’s business plan will help you clarify some of your marketing goals in the long term.

  • Who are your major clients? Include names, location, and what kind of travel they prefer. What was the sales volume for each customer? Have they provided referrals for your business?
  • Who are prospective clients? Who might be other potential travel clients for you? Parenting class members? Your yoga class? Regulars at your favorite bookstore? Do you have a way to informally see how they might respond to your travel services?

Marketing Plan

What is your marketing plan? Consider things such as:

  • Your pricing. For example, if you want to charge fees.
  • How do you want to market to clients? Online, at wedding expos, in line at the grocery store?
  • What region do you want to target and if you want to target clients outside your locale, how do you plan to do so?
  • What is the flow of your services during planning, travel and post-trip? How do you plan on getting feedback from your customer once the travel is complete?
  • What are your marketing priorities ? Networking? Referral? Online? Social media?
  • Sales Strategy: Now that you have a list of potential clients and a marketing plan, how will you reach out to prospective clients? Host a cocktail hour? Send a mailing? Go to networking meetings? Do you need to outsource or delegate any tasks to help you with your sales efforts?

Are you ready to head on over to that travel agency business plan template you have a love-hate relationship with? Good, because you’re gonna read all about Corona Travels marketing strategy and how they plan on closing the leads they get . . . and maybe you can steal some of Sol’s ideas for your agency. :)

Travel Agency Business Plan, Part 5: Technology

What kind of tech do you need to help your agency get up and running, and what technology will you need to keep your travel agency machine humming? You don’t need everything at once, but you’ll want to have an idea of what you need to reach some travel agency milestones you’re going for.

You might want to consider things like:

  • Travel Agency Website
  • Read up on different website options for agencies
  • Customer Relations Management (CRM):
  • ClientBase Online
  • Online Scheduling Tools:
  • Itinerary Builders:
  • Axus Travel App
  • IT Explorer
  • Payment Processing (for fees)
  • Quickbooks Payments (use this link for 50% off first SIX months -- normally it's 3 months)
  • TESS (built into CRM)
  • Travel Joy (built into CRM)
  • WixPayments
  • Bookkeeping and Accounting
  • Google Sheets ( part of Google Workspace )
  • Mac Numbers
  • Quickbooks Online / Quicken (use this link for 50% off first SIX months -- normally it's 3 months)
  • Quickbooks Online (use this link for 50% off first SIX months -- normally it's 3 months)
  • Booking tools
  • Google Workspace : We have an exclusive 10% off promo code for Google Workspace! Just fill out the form and we'll send you the code.
  • Office equipment
  • Fax: FaxZero
  • Scanner: Scanner Pro ($3.99 in Apple App Store)
  • Scanner: Tiny Scanner (Google Play Store)
  • Business Card Scanner: CamCard (Free on Apple App Store | .99 on Google Play Store )
  • Forms / E-signatures*
  • JotForm (free plan allows e-signatures)
  • RightSignature
  • Email Automation
  • Sendinblue (that's what we currently use, and I highly recommend it!)
  • Active Campaign
  • Constant Contact
  • Online Meetings / Video Conferencing
  • Google Meet (part of Google Workspace )
  • Secure Password Manager (also known as The Handiest Thing Ever )
  • Mileage Tracking
  • MileIQ (Free but if you ever decided to upgrade, use this link for 10% off paid plans)

Just because it’s technology, it doesn’t mean it has to be state of the art or über fancy. You can pick and choose where you want to allocate your financial resources on tech: I’ve spoken with several travel agents who swear by a combination of sticky notes, physical calendars, and Excel spreadsheets.

Think about which of these technologies you really need. If you go with a host agency or consortium, which of these technologies do they provide? Looking forward as your business grows, which technologies do you anticipate you’ll want to phase in?

Choosing those technologies was fun, wasn’t it? But now we need to iron out how you’re going to run the agency. So let’s move into the next section of your travel agency’s business plan template and make sure you’re running a tight ship!

Travel Agency Business Plan, Part 6: Operations

Developing a plan for travel agency operations will help you understand how to ensure your business runs smoothly, in addition to understanding the capacity of your travel agency. For this section of your travel agency business plan you’ll want to consider:

  • What is your sales volume compared to your sales capacity? How much travel can you actually sell in the time you want to spend working to sell travel?
  • Who are your preferred suppliers? Who are your host or consortium’s, preferred suppliers? How do these suppliers (and your host) disburse commissions and on what timeline? How does this impact your bookkeeping and workflow?
  • If you are booking groups, plan ahead. Are there any special cruise sailings or new ships you want to block space for? Is a resort opening a new property that you’re excited about and might be in high demand? Is there a new exciting product coming up that you want to get ahead of?
  • In order to find out about some of these opportunities, what travel publications do you want/ need to subscribe to? (*Ahem* Make sure HAR is one of them!!) How are you utilizing your host or consortium resources to stay ahead?

OMG. OMG!!! That’s right, keep that grin plastered on your face because we’re entering the final leg. You did it!

Travel Agency Business Plan, Part 7: Administrative Support

As a business owner, there will be a lot of external organizational support as you go. First, we’ll focus on financial logistics. What are the business names (or contacts) and addresses of some of your administrative support? This may include:

  • Your bank/ banker
  • Accountant and/or Bookkeeper
  • Host agency or consortium
  • Legal counsel/ lawyer

Congratulations. You Have a Travel Agency Business Plan!

Seriously, that was INTENSE. Give yourself a huge pat on the back. Creating a business plan for your travel agency ain’t for the faint of heart, but you did it.

Go ahead and tell us about your process. Was our free travel agency business plan template helpful? Did it help to think things through and write a business plan for your agency? Was it a waste of time? Most importantly, what kind of office pet do you have and what sort of moral support do they provide?

Comment below!

*Editor's Note: This article was originally published on April 16th, 2019. We updated it on the publish date listed on the article!

About the Author

Mary Stein - Host Agency Reviews

Mary Stein has been working as a writer and editor for Host Agency Reviews since 2016. She loves supporting travel advisors on their entrepreneurial journey and is inspired by their passion, tenacity, and creativity. Mary is also a mom, dog lover, fiction writer, hiker, and a Great British Bake Off superfan.

Mary Stein - Host Agency Reviews

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Business Plan (Template)

A good business plan can help your business secure finance, define the direction of your business, and create strategies to achieve your goals. A thorough and effective tourism business plan will include an executive summary, a business description, short and long term goals, business structure (legal and internal management structure), product or service description, a sales and marketing plan and financials to date. This Business Plan template steps you through the process of creating a solid, well-structured plan tailored to your business.

If you are preparing or updating your business plan for internal uses, the Business Plan template may be more than you require. The four critical documents to review and complete/update are:

Goals and Strategies  

SWOT Analysis (Template)

Marketing Plan (Template)

Action Plan (Template)

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Set-jetting, Forest Bathing, and Hush Trips: 20 Innovative Tourism Business Ideas and Trends for 2023

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In This Article: Trends to Inspire Your Tours and Activities

Top tourism trends of 2023.

It’s that time of year again to ask ourselves, “What’s new, cool, and innovative in tourism?”. We’ve compiled a list of new, innovative tourism business ideas for 2023 so you can find your niche. 

The travel and tourism industry is in a state of constant flux, never more so than in the last few years. Every change and new trend brings with it an opportunity for tour operators to deliver what their customers old and new want—as well as add new tours and experiences they don’t yet even know they want. 

  As countries began to ease restrictions, 2022 saw the travel industry rebound from 2021 and 2020. Despite new global challenges appearing during 2022 and continuing into 2023, including the Russian-Ukraine war and the global economic fallout, the most important trend of all is that people still want to travel and are even budgeting for more travel.

As one travel professional interviewed for TravelAge West ’s article on travel trends put it: “It’s almost like travel went from a discretionary spend to an essential spend for a lot of people.”

Despite all that is still happening in the world, around the industry there is a continued air of optimism in 2023. Travel Pulse noted that “ while 2022 was the year of recovery [recovered almost 60 percent of its pre-pandemic levels], 2023 is poised to be the year of reinvention.” Booking.com research prompted them to label 2023 as a year of “creative imagination of travel.” Skyscanner’s Travel Trends report concluded that “Post-COVID restrictions, travellers continue to prioritize adventures abroad and embrace travel freedoms with relish.”

Here are some of the latest major trends and innovative tourism business ideas to keep an eye on and potentially incorporate into the tours and travel experiences you offer. We’ll also highlight a few of the more unusual and niche trends that could take off during 2023 or in the longer term, or just inspire some “out of the box” thinking when looking at your own products and services.

1. Transformational trips

Group of people on a lake practicing yoga during sunset

A buzz phrase you’ll hear a lot in 2023 is “transformational retreat.” This refers to travel experiences that cater to people who want to undergo a significant personal or spiritual transformation. Retreats and activities include meditation, yoga, therapy, workshops, and other experiential practices. Most promote self-awareness, personal growth, and positive change, typically taking place in a secluded and peaceful setting and led by experienced facilitators or coaches. 

Booking.com’s Travel Predictions 2023 report called these trips “peace and pleasure pilgrimages.” The report found that 42 percent of travelers want to focus on their mental and physical health, including retreats to smooth the processes of pregnancy and menopause.” A large proportion of travelers are interested in meditation or mindfulness retreats. Some retreats even take the word “trip” literally, catering to people interested in the potential therapeutic benefits of the controlled and supervised use of “magic mushrooms” and other psychedelics.

Innovative tourism business ideas:

  • Beckley Retreats : Science-backed psychedelic retreats
  • Explorer X : A tour operator dedicated to transformational trips
  • Organic Tuscany : Organic cooking retreats in Tuscany.

2. Forest bathing and digital detoxing

Group hiking through the forest

Not everyone is looking for a transformational outcome from their vacation; many simply want to unwind and enjoy some quality “me time.” Wellness vacations have been a growing tourism business trend for some time, with demand accelerated by the pandemic. Tours that offer people the chance to pamper themselves and generally recalibrate are likely to be extremely popular for the foreseeable future.

Two specific innovative tourism business ideas that look likely to be especially popular in 2023 are “forest bathing” and “digital detoxing.” 

Forest bathing, or Shinrin-yoku , originated in Japan. It involves becoming immersed in nature to enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It can be as simple as going for a long walk through a forest, or sitting by a lake and taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural surroundings. Research has shown that forest bathing can reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and even boost the immune system and reduce blood pressure and heart rate. After the last few years we’ve all been through, it’s no wonder it’s proving popular with travelers.

In a similar vein, many people want to unplug and undertake a “digital detox” where you never need to ask for the Wi-Fi password because there is no Wi-Fi. They could be seeking respite from “doom scrolling” through social media and news feeds on their digital devices, or they just want a break from the glowing screens so prevalent in their day-to-day. Trips that encourage travelers to leave their devices at home will be popular, whether to wellness retreats that ban or discourage digital devices or an out-of-the-way destination that makes electronic communication extremely difficult.

  • Gaia Wellness Retreat : Digital detox packages in a forest setting
  • Sheldon Chalet : A luxury chalet in Alaska
  • Talaysay Tours : A corporate tour to “connect to the forest with all your senses”

3. Off-grid and “survival” travel

Hikers high fiving each other

One way to both commune with nature and unplug from your digital life is to go where no signal can reach you. Booking.com’s report found that 55 percent of travelers want to spend their vacations off-grid, resulting in an increase in tour operators offering trips to places where you can’t easily be reached. This could be a lodge in a remote part of a country or backcountry camping.

A related trend is the opposite of “glamping.” A growing number of travelers want to challenge themselves to survive in inhospitable conditions (you know… just in case), while learning new skills at the same time. In Booking.com’s report, 58 percent of travelers want to learn survival skills on holiday—everything from fire lighting and food foraging to the more full-on prepping for societal breakdown. Zombie survival camp anyone?

  • Off Grid Travel : Company offering a variety of off grid accommodation around Europe
  • Docastaway : Offers a desert island castaway experience
  • Black Tomato : Offers a “Get Lost service” for people who want to challenge themselves

4. Hush trips, workcations, and micro-cations

Man taking phone calls while in a pool

Shhh, don’t tell anyone (especially your co-workers and definitely not your boss), but “hush trips” are on the rise. A hush trip is a secret trip taken by an employee without their employer’s knowledge. It’s all linked to the huge rise in remote working. People who work in a different city and country from their employer can theoretically do their work from anywhere. However, a hush trip can be slightly different from a “workcation,” another popular trend in the age of remote working, when an employer’s permission is often sought. On a hush trip, no actual work might be done; the employee wants a real holiday to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life and recharge, but they may not use their vacation days to take it. They complete their work and take a day or two off without anyone knowing (they hope,) perhaps logging in now and then for appearances’ sake. Or, they may travel somewhere and continue to work, while enjoying their downtime in a new place, again without telling anyone. 

Many hush trips are “micro-cations,” short trips often taken close to home, often at the last minute. The micro-cation trend has continued to grow for the last few years, as people look for quick, convenient, and often budget-friendly getaways that don’t require a lot of planning. 

When you combine the acceptance of remote working among many more employers with a large number of people who left the office behind and didn’t miss it for a second, you have an opportunity to create workcation and hush trip experiences for digital nomads and remote workers.  

  • Selina : Opportunities for people to stay, travel, and work in interesting places around the world
  • Ethos Remote Habitat : Remote working retreats
  • Work from Hyatt : Packages for people who want to work from a Hyatt hotel

5. Traveling for “bleisure”

The travel industry does love a good old word mash-up to describe the latest trend. Hot on the heels of workcations, we have the related trend of “bleisure”—a name coined to describe the trend of business travelers tacking on some leisure time to the end of business trips. Where a workcation is often a longer trip designed around work, the growth of bleisure trips reflects the fact that as business travel bounces back, people still want as much vacation time as they can get. 

Although the economy could affect business travel in 2023 as companies cut costs, it’s worth keeping an eye on the business and conference market to target business travelers who want to carve out some vacation time to explore a destination on their own time.

6. Set-jetting

Hobbit house in New Zealand

If you’ve ever wanted to visit the set of your favorite movie or TV show, you’re not alone. A top travel trend for 2023 is “set-jetting,” when travelers visit destinations primarily because they were featured in a popular movie, TV show, or book. According to research, 39 percent of travelers have booked trips to places featured on shows or movies ( Expedia ). While people have long been drawn to iconic movie locations, perhaps the earliest example of mass set-jetting was New Zealand’s tourism industry getting a huge boost after the country played a leading role in the “Lord of The Rings” movies. Fans of the “Outlander” books and TV series have also been making pilgrimages to Scotland to see the country that provides the backdrop for their favorite show.

People don’t just want to visit the actual physical set and filming location, but also just the cities or countries featured in a particular production. Keep an eye out for popular shows where the location is as much the star of the show as the actors, such as “The Crown” (England,) “Emily in Paris” (Paris,) and “The White Lotus” (Sicily), as they could trigger a surge in demand for particular locations and experiences relating to the shows, such as a themed tour.

  • The Potter Trail : Harry Potter-themed walking tours in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Red Carpet Tours : “Lord of the Rings” set-jetting specialists
  • On Location Tours : TV- and movie-themed tours in New York, Chicago, and Boston

7. Sustainable tourism and electric travel

“Ecotourism” has been on the rise for several years, and continues to be popular. According to Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report 2022 , 81 percent of global travelers say sustainable travel is important to them, and 50 percent are influenced by news reports on climate change when it comes to booking choices. 

So-called “ecotours” let tourists enjoy a vacation while also learning about environmental and sustainability issues in a particular location. Some enable people to do something tangible to help, such as volunteering to plant trees or help to restore habitats. Many travelers these days also seek out “small footprint” or socially-responsible travel. This may not be an eco-tour as such; it could just mean they favor tour companies that take steps to minimize the impact of their tours or incorporate a social responsibility element. 

Many travelers also want to stay in planet-friendly accommodations. According to Booking.com’s report, 57 percent of travelers prefer accommodation with sustainable certification. Another related trend to watch is road trips or other travel using electric vehicles. Some car rental companies are adding electric cars to their fleets, and VW has even built an electric version of their classic camper van, the ID Buzz. Within cities, travelers might want to do tours on electric bikes and focus on other more sustainable modes of transport rather than the traditional taxi and car hire approach. In the not too distant future, electric air travel may even become the norm thanks to companies like Eviation that are developing electric planes.

  • Jumbari Family Safaris : Eco-safaris in Africa.
  • OneSeed Expeditions : Responsible adventure travel around the world.
  • EV Travel : Sustainable adventures in Iceland

8. Indigenous experiences

Indigenous Touri

Countries around the world are making an increased effort to reverse past wrongs when it comes to treatment of Indigenous peoples, while also empowering Indigenous communities to take a lead in areas like travel and tourism. Canada is one nation going through a period of reconciliation as it faces up to and attempts to make amends for its colonial past. This has resulted in a huge growth in Indigenous-led travel companies, experiences, resorts, and accommodation options. 

Australia and New Zealand are also seeing a growth in opportunities for travelers to support and learn about Indigenous communities, histories, and cultures.

If you are an Indigenous entrepreneur, you may find great opportunities available with an increase in programs that support Indigenous tourism in these countries. For others, there may be opportunities for partnering with or supporting Indigenous-led businesses and organizations in your region.

  • Worn Gundidj at Tower Hill : Tours offering the chance to connect with Australian aboriginal culture
  • Road Scholar : Offers a New Zealand cultural experience, learning from local experts  
  • Haida Style Expeditions : Cultural trips on Haida Gwaii on Canada’s west coast

9. Budget-friendly travel

The economic upheaval we saw through 2022 looks set to continue through 2023. Inflation and cost of living rises mean while the desire to travel is still strong, many travelers will still have at least one eye on their budget. This could mean more interest from thrifty travelers in camping, self-catering, and all-inclusive holidays. Activities and vacations that involve renting rather than buying equipment could also be more popular. 

Packlist : Camping gear rentals in Canada

Lazy Days : Camper van rentals in Ireland

Tampa Bay eBikes : eBike rentals on the Gulf Coast

10. Luxury cruises and upscale all-inclusive

Friends jumping off a boat into tropical waters

While there will be a lot of budget-conscious travelers in 2023, there are also plenty of opportunities in the luxury travel market, including two types of travel luxury travelers may previously have turned their noses up at—all-inclusive trips and cruises. The luxury cruise market, as well as the cruise market in general, is set to rebound in style. CN Traveller reported on “ a new breed of luxury yachts from the world’s leading hotel brands,” including  The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection , which boasts  “ the most sophisticated and expensive civilian ship ever built in Spain.” Cruise companies like Scenic and Emerald Cruises are expecting high demand for spots on their luxury ships . If you are on a luxury cruise route, catering your activities to a luxury-seeking clientele, with prices to match, might be worth considering.

Cruises tend to be all-inclusive as standard, but there is also a growth in upscale all-inclusive vacations in general. These experiences offer the best of everything—food, accommodation, and experiences, all for a set (and premium) price. Ikos Resorts will open a new five-star all-inclusive resort in Mallorca in June 2023.

  • Ama Waterways : Luxury river cruises in Europe
  • Windstar Cruises : Luxury small-ship cruises
  • Conrad Maldives Luxury Island : All-inclusive resort in the Maldives

11. Train travel

Passenger train passing through field overlooking mountains

From the “Flying Scotsman” to the “Orient Express,” there are few more romantic ways to travel than by train. However, train travel is also increasingly overlapping with other trends in our list, as it becomes more popular as a way to travel more sustainably by reducing car and air travel, travel slower (unless we’re talking train travel in Japan) and for longer, and travel to more countries on the same trip.

Train travel can also offer scenic views, comfortable travel with spacious seats, sleeping accommodation for longer or overnight trips, and the opportunity to socialize with other travelers, and convenient access to city centres. Piggy-backing the trend toward more immersive travel experiences, train travel also lets travelers see more of a country while mixing with locals. Many countries and rail companies, especially in Europe, offer passes that let travelers visit multiple places in one trip without leaving the ground. If your tours and activities are near a popular rail route, look for ways to capitalize on the increase in train travel by catering to people who may want something to do for a day or two before they move on.

  • Byway : Lets travelers build their own train vacation
  • Intrepid Travel : Offers a range of “Train it” itineraries
  • Glacier Express : Cultural and foodie train trips in Switzerland

12. Glamping

During the pandemic, with international travel off the menu for most people,  RV rentals spiked dramatically . Road trips made it easier for tourists to physically distance from other travelers in a post-COVID world, and “glampervan” vacations became popular. Glamping is still on the rise in 2023; the glamping market is expected to reach US$4.1bn in 2028 ( Stratview Research ). Glamping lets people enjoy sleeping and living in the great outdoors, but with a step-up in comfort from traditional camping. Glampers can stay in everything from classic Airstream trailers to yurts and all manner of other non-tent accommodation.

example of tourism business plan

  • Woods on Pender : Stay in a classic Airstream trailer on an island.
  • Huttopia : Glamping getaways in Canada and the US 
  • Under Canvas : Upscale camping in Moab, the Grand Canyon, and other spectacular locations 

13. Go solo or go social

solo traveler in desert

While “travel bubbles” are no longer required for COVID-related reasons, group travel continues to rise in popularity. Hotels and tour companies increasingly cater to family groups or groups of friends who want to take a memorable trip together. For example, Atticus Hotel  in Oregon’s  Bunkhouse room for groups . It’s not just families making up for lost time with “reunion” or “celebration” travel. Tour operator Contiki noticed an upswing in demand for what they call “social travel” from groups of Gen Z-ers who want to get together on a trip to celebrate birthdays, graduations, and other milestones: “Gen Z want to make up for lost time spent together and get travelling.” Another type of social travel piggybacks the rise of “travel influencers” on social media platforms like Instagram. Some popular influencers are pivoting to provide the opportunity for their followers to literally follow them on a trip. People can go on a trip or do an activity with their favorite influencer and a group of fellow followers.

Of course, not everyone has a posse to travel with or wants to travel with others. Solo travel continues to be very popular and has moved from a niche to a mainstream market. A Skyscanner report found that 40 percent wanted to travel solo for mental health wellness reasons, while singles and divorcees ranked highly for being ready to take a solo trip. The report concludes: “There is no longer any stigma attached to taking a trip on your own, and many tour companies cater specifically to this market.”

  • Flash Pack : Small group adventures for solo travelers in their 30s and 40s.
  • On the Go Tours : Pre-designed tours for private groups.
  • My Life’s a Travel Movie : Join social media influencer Alyssa Ramos on a trip

Watch this space: Unusual and niche  tourism trends to track in 2023

14. flat pack hotels.

In a move that reflects the growing interest in responsible and sustainable travel, hotel company Habitas have opened a number of flat-pack hotels around the world for “like-minded people seeking connection, inspiration and a better future together.”

15. Crypto trips

A number of tour operators and travel companies now offer travelers the ability to pay with cryptocurrency. Some examples include Borrow a Boat , Soneva Resorts  and Get Your Guide . 

16. Dark tourism

There has been a rise in so-called “dark tourism,” when people travel to places or sites associated with disasters and darker historical events. Famous examples include Pearl Harbour, Alcatraz, and Hiroshima. If this is the first you’ve heard of this term, it can sound a bit ghoulish. However, travelers who explore these sites generally do so to pay their respects or learn more about important historical events that hopefully will never be repeated.

17. Sober travel

Sober travel has been around for a while, but it mostly catered to people in recovery. In 2023, sober travel is a subset of wellness travel. Travel companies like Travel Sober and  Sober Outside have pivoted to target anyone who wants a sober vacation.

18. Virtual travel

Forbes Magazine thinks 2023 will be “the year that tourism in the metaverse takes off.” Travel companies can use VR to give potential customers a taste of the experience they can expect from a tour or location. VR can be accessible through web browsers or people can enjoy a much more immersive experience using VR headsets.

19. Nostalgic travel

Booking.com’s 2023 travel predictions found that 88 percent of travelers want to go on a “nostalgic getaway,” whether that’s theme parks we went to as kids, nostalgic movie locations, or other trips down memory lane. 

20. Sleep tourism

Everyone likes a good night’s sleep, especially on vacation, and the travel is waking up to the opportunities offered by a rise in “sleep tourism.” The Park Hyatt New York now offers a stay in their  One Bedroom Sleep Suite by Bryte , while Swedish bed brand Hastens opened a branded Sleep Spa . Good night, sleep well.  

How to take advantage of innovative tourism business ideas

Illustrations of ideas being locked away

The key to taking advantage of these innovative tourism business ideas and other tourism industry trends is to always be thinking of your next profitable business opportunity. Here are a few ways to keep on top of what’s new and interesting in the travel business:

Maintain an ideas file

Include those “out there” trends that seem absurd the first time you hear them. Think about some recent innovations that would have been dismissed with a laugh not that long ago: Self-driving cars, passenger space travel, drone deliveries… Even that Holy Grail of futuristic inventions, the personal jetpack, is getting closer to reality. All but the most outlandish trends are worth tracking in case there’s a germ of an idea for a new business opportunity in there.

Listen to your audienc e

Hang out in online travel discussion forums, on social media, and in other places where travelers gather to swap notes and ideas or express needs and dreams. You might uncover a new business idea no-one else has come across yet.

Follow your competitors

Monitor what your direct competitors and others in the tourism business are up to. Subscribe to every industry newsletter you can, including those of your competitors, to keep up with emerging trends and help with your business idea generation.

Solicit customer feedback

Be proactive in asking your customers for feedback. Don’t just ask them what they liked and didn’t like about their experience with your company; ask them if there’s anything they would like to do that they currently can’t. 

Invest in the right booking system

It goes without saying that every tour operator should offer online booking and take a mobile-first approach. Not doing both of those things makes taking advantage of the above trends very difficult. The customer experience starts the moment they enter your website. Online booking enables them to easily browse, book, and pay for tours anytime and from is anywhere. Learn more about how Rezgo booking software is tailor-made for adventure companies.

At Rezgo, we always have our ear to the ground when it comes to the latest tourism trends and business opportunities. The Rezgo booking system is a comprehensive platform that enables you to become a more profitable business. It can also help you future-proof your business so you can develop and grow as the tourism industry changes.  Book a demo today or  sign up for free and start using Rezgo

Wondering what to read next? Here are our suggestions: The Future of Tourism: 10 Things Tour Companies Need To Prepare For in 2022 A Guide to Branding in the Travel and Tourism Industry Low Season Strategies to Prime Your Tour and Activity Company for Success

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Written By | Rob Mathison

Rob Mathison is a Vancouver-based freelance writer focusing on tech, travel, digital marketing, and education. He is a co-author of The Complete Resident’s Guide to Vancouver.

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Sample Travel & Tourism Agency Business Plan

Travel agency business plan.

Are you planning to start an online travel agency from home? Today, traveling has been much easier than it used to be a decade ago. There are many travel agencies these days taking care of everything that has to do with traveling.

Starting a travel agency at this present time won’t be a bad idea.

Travel agency provides a lot of services to clients starting from booking of flight, to find a good taxi, to booking hotels and resort reservation, to providing information about specific destinations.

If you have always had a love for traveling and providing traveling advice, you should start a travel agency so as to compliment your passion. Though relatively competitive, it is a very lucrative business and doesn’t require too much capital to start.

It is also an industry that is not affected by the economy because people must travel and some are too busy for the running around and so will need traveling agencies to do the running for them.

Here is a business plan for starting an online or home based travel business.

1.  Conduct a Market Research and Find Your Niche

The travel agency is a vast industry with many niches. You have to conduct a market research to find out the kind of travel agency that is hot in the market and would suit you. Use the needs of the market to decide on the niche you should launch your travel agency in.

For example, corporate or academic travel may be what might be in high demand from a travel agency in your locality, but you won’t know until you conduct a market research. This will be helpful when choosing a travel business name to use .

During the research, also inquire about the startup cost for the niche that you might choose. Travel agency expenses are not more than office rent, office equipment like computer and phone lines, furniture and electricity.

So, don’t skip this step as if you do, you will find yourself to blame.

2.  Check Local and State Laws

After you must have decided on the niche of travel agency you want to embark on, you need to make sure you are complying with the applicable laws concerning starting a travel agency.

Depending on your location, some paperwork will be needed to become established as a recognized business in your state. You will need to register your travel agency with the appropriate agents of government and apply for a Tax ID number.

Also, have it in mind that you will be needing a corporate account to operate this business.

3.  Create a Travel Agency Business Plan

Not only does a business plan help you run your agency effectively, it also helps you secure funding from investors in the case you might need additional capital. If you will need financial backing from investors for your travel agency, your business plan must be professionally written to include a great deal of information.

Don’t rush into creating your business plan. Try to gather enough information before coming to conclusion.

Notwithstanding, if creating a business plan is something you are not sure of yourself that you can do, kindly outsource it to a professional business consultant.

Also, you may likely find samples of a travel agency business plan if you search online. There is also business plan software that can ease the process for you too.

4.  Get a Location

I know you must have heard about home-based travel agency. Yes, they exist. But, check out the top travel agencies, are their offices located at home? if you want to join the top players in your market, you will need to get a location for your travel agency.

Contact real estate agent to find a good retail space for your business. Space should be large enough to accommodate clients while also housing furniture, marketing materials, and office equipment. There should also be enough car parking space too.

Location most suited for this kind of business is where the business is needed which include places like flight booking channels, hotels and airports. Your location should also reflect your brand image.

5.  Market Your Travel Agency

You don’t just start a travel agency and sit down waiting for clients, you must market aggressively to your target clients. Making your business visible to the local people in your city is also a way to position your business for success.

You will need to have a promotional plan in place and be ready to spend money on the business card, logo design and also online marketing. Advertise your business in newspapers, billboard, hangout fliers etc.

Social media is still another channel you can use to market your business. you will have to create an account on social media platforms specifically Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. These are social sites your potential customers are always visiting. You should take your business to them.

Creating a website is also a must. This is where you will be directing your traffic from social media to so as to engage them with your content. A well- designed website conveys professionalism to potential clients and it is the best way to convert interested customers.

How to Start a Tourism Company

Do you have the mindset to start a tourism business but don’t have the confident to kick-start because you are not clear about some aspect of the business? Tourism business is a very profitable business if you are well-informed about the business and how you can make money with it.

Why Do People Travel

People travel from one town to another, one city to another, one country to another and one continent to another for different purposes. They include;

  • Conferences: This can be academic, religious, economic and so on.
  • Leisure: People travel for relaxation, to ward off stress, to initiate and complete a healing process.
  • Health: People travel to get better medical assessment and assistance.
  • Sports: People travel from place to place for sports.

Above are some of the reasons why people travel and hence promote tourism.

The tourism business is a broad business in the sense that there are many aspects of it. A person that want to start a tourism business will have to study the different aspects of the tourism business.

Tourism services are provided for tourists. A tourist can be said to be a stranger to the visiting environment and so will need assistance in performing almost all his/her activities in the said environment.

It is in providing these required assistance to a tourist that one can really start a tourism business and make money.  A tourist will need assistance with:

  • Accommodation

The hospitality aspect of the tourism business comes in handy here. A place to live for the time being is very fundamental to a tourist and so accommodation is a key need of tourists and this is why you need to start a tourism business.

Of course human beings need food to function maximally. Food business is a thriving sector of the tourism business.

The local cuisine of the environment can be well prepared and made available to tourists. Even the native cuisine of the tourists can be made available to make them feel at home.

  • Transportation

Another reason why you should start a tourism business is because being a stranger in the environment, a tourist will need a reliable means of transportation to take him or her around to desired destinations. Flight tickets can also be booked for them.

  • Language Translator

Sometimes, tourists go to countries with languages that he or she is not familiar with and therefore need a translator who understands both his or her language and the language of the environment. This is one way to make money from tourism business.

Most tourist, especially the ones traveling solely for leisure will need a person who is familiar with the terrain and sites of importance or places of tourist attraction as a guide to lead him/her around.

  • Sales of Cultural Items/Goods

Most tourists want to take home some goods or items that are indigenous to the countries they visited.  This is also a means of income to the tourism business. Local items and materials like clothing, footwear, jewelry, stationary and so on can be beautifully made and sold to the tourists at attractive prices.

  • Local Entertainment

Every country is known to have their own cultural heritage and identity.  This aspects of culture can be explored to be a source of income for the tourism business. The local dance of the people, local plays and so on can be performed to entertain the tourists.

Having mentioned the different ways of how to make money in the tourism business, it is now left for a person that wants to start a tourism business to decide on the aspect of the tourism business that he/she intends to focus on.

STARTING A TOURISM & TRAVEL AGENCY

Location is very important factor to consider in starting a tourism business.  Most tourists want to see exciting sights and sounds. To start a tourism business , one has to be in a location that is easily accessible to tourists.

The environment where a tourism is located has to be such that visit regularly and one that geographically has a lot of tourist attractions.  Environments with caves, rocks, stream, waterfalls, museums and so on are suitable environments to start up tourism business.

Tourism Business Plan

A business plan is a very important tool that will help a person intending to start a tourism business. A business plan is a document, more like a roadmap on how to start any business.

Aspects of the business that will be captured in the business plan include:

  • The company profile
  • The service/products to be offered
  • The financial plan
  • The marketing plan
  • The unique selling point of the business
  • The selling strategy and so on.

There are complete courses available for free on writing a business plan and an individual interested in starting a tourism business should study such courses as it will come in handy in providing a guideline for the success of the business.

There are authorities that control business startups and growth in the different sectors of the economy. These authorities issue licenses to business operators which enable them to run their businesses under the provisions of the law.

In starting a tourism business, the appropriate authorities should be contacted and the conditions that need to be met for a license to be issued to operated a tourism business should be taken into cognizance and met in order to obtain a license to start a tourism business.

The world tourism organization forecasts that international tourism will continue growing at the average annual rate of 4%. Did you hear that?  4%! What are you waiting for?  Arise and take the steps above on how to start a tourism business and start rolling in the “bucks”!

How to Start an Online Travel Agency Working From Home for Free

Do you know how to become a home based travel agent? Here are the basic steps to becoming a successful travel agent from home.

The internet has increasingly changed the way work is done. This applies for a wide range of businesses including the travel industry.

If you seek to establish a travel agency business and also want to work from home, you can achieve both. This article will show to how to start an online travel agency working from home.

  • What Products/Service will you be selling?

As a home based travel agency, you can still function effectively. But what type of services will you be providing? There are several of these travel products. These include car rentals, hotel and accommodation, and special packages such as cruises and incentive programs.

Guide: Ideas to Choose a Travel Agency Name

Other services and products include airline loyalty, travel insurance and emergency services and many more.

  • A Business Partnership is Highly Essential

Operating a successful online travel agency requires partnership. This is the lifeblood of the business. But who are these partners? They consist of tour or activity providers. These are businesses which are on ground and will offer direct services to clients. Such include hotels or other types of accommodation arrangements, car hire services, flight companies, tour services and many others.

This partnership is bound by an Agency Agreement that allows you as the travel agency to resell their products.

Under such an agreement, the client or consumer pays for the service while you pay the net rates to the provider(s).

  • Choosing a Host Agency

These agencies offer you the incentive of using its booking numbers, therefore presenting a unified front as a single agency. This is highly crucial for a new online travel agency business. The benefits of host agencies are enormous.

Any host agency you choose has its numerous benefits. Hosting agencies provide different business models. You get to choose which best fits your needs. Some host agencies require the payment of a one-time fee only. You get to retain every commission made.

Others charge a fee for each booking made without a commission split, while others will require a commission split.

  • Advantages of Using a Host Agency

One of the major benefits of using a host agency is the low start-up requirement. It significantly lowers your cost of doing business. Others include ready support for your online travel agency, training, helpful tools, using its accreditation as well as access to its Seller of Travel (SOT) license.

In spite of its obvious benefits, there are those who would prefer not to use this option. If you are one of such persons, other options like joining a co-operation,  operating independently or buying an online travel agency franchise are available.

  • Patience is a Necessity

Starting an online travel agency as with other businesses requires a reasonable amount of time to stabilize. For a new business, it is usually challenging getting your first clients and maintaining steady patronage at the early stages. You will need to also understand that there are peak seasons. This means that apart from such periods, patronage is usually low even for established online travel agency businesses.

We recommend that you maintain your current job while gradually building your travel agency business. This is because if you depend on it for some income from the onset, you are likely to get disappointed. A lot of work is necessary to build a strong brand.

  • Choice of a Niche

If you are surprised, you shouldn’t be. There are several online travel agency niches you can choose from. These can be effectively run from the comfort of your home. Some of these include wellness travel, specialty cruises, lifestyle or libertine travel, organized tours and special needs travel.

Others are women-only travel, travelers with pets, adventure travels, luxury travels and those for honeymooners. There are several more niches you can pick from.

It is necessary when picking a travel niche that you choose those with a higher demand. This should also align with your interest.

  • Do you have a Source of Funding?

In other words, have you made adequate financial preparations for your proposed online travel agency business?

Luckily, running a successful online travel agency business from home will cut down significantly on funding. This is because you do not need a brick and mortar office. This takes up a substantial amount of your start-up costs.

With your computer and an internet connection, the funding requirement is significantly reduced. Having the right relationships are important to your success.

  • Consider Sorting Out All Legal Issues

There are several laws that apply to different types of businesses. This includes travel agencies operating from home.

Such laws may vary from one state to the next. Whatever the case is, you should ensure that you abide by all stipulated guidelines. The legal structure of your business is also crucial to its smooth running or otherwise.

  • Create Catchy and Effective Ads

Because your business is done entirely online, you should pay special attention to your marketing strategies. You need to create highly engaging ads with catchy infographic content. You may want to seek/hire the services of experienced graphic designers to get the job done. You also need marketing tips to sell your business to your target market.

  • Is Your Business Deserving of Trust?

This is an important question that you will need to ask yourself. To build trust, you will need to establish a close relationship with your clients. A good thing with starting an online travel agency from home is that you set your pace. You should genuinely care for the needs of your clients.

In other words you should go the extra mile to satisfy your clients.

Once they know of your willingness to make them comfortable and happy, you would have won over some dedicated clientele.

We have discussed on how to start an online travel agency working from home . If you have followed to this point, you would see that there are definite steps that contribute to success.

Above all, your clients should not be taken for granted. Your whole aim should be to maintain the trust of these clients and to give them the picture of a reliable and well run business. The benefits are tremendous!

Related posts:

  • Sample Travel Agency Marketing Plan Template
  • 360 Catchy Tour and Travel Agency Business Name Ideas For Your Company
  • Sample Recruitment Agency Business Plan

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20+ SAMPLE Tourism Action Plan in PDF | MS Word

Tourism action plan | ms word, 20+ sample tourism action plan, what is a tourism action plan, types of tourism, the importance of tourism and travel  , how to create a tourism action plan, how do you make a tourism plan, what are the 4 a’s of tourism, what are the 3 main types of tourism.

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10+ Tourism Marketing Plan Examples in MS Word | Pages | Google Docs | PDF

Tourism Marketing Plan

After the Cold War, the world became more involved in Tourism. The peace of the 21st Century has been the cause of this industry’s explosion. However, since this industry became more apparent in a country’s economy, many businesses sprout left and right to fill in the void. That’s why having a clear marketing plan whilst venturing into this industry is necessary. For that, we have 10+ Tourism Marketing Plan Examples that will surely help you scale up your marketing effort and deliver sizable marketing for your company . We also provided an excellent guide to help you create one. Check them down now.

10+ Tourism Marketing Plan Examples

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9. Tourism Development and Marketing Plan

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10. Tourism Strategic Marketing Plan

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11. Basic Tourism Marketing Plan

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What is a Tourism Marketing Plan?

A Tourism Marketing Plan is a report document that people in the tourism industry uses to scale up or improve their marketing efforts. This document provides strategies and tactics to improve the current marketing efforts of the company. In this way, the company can catch up to the competition’s standards and take more customers.

What are the three types of tourism?

Nowadays, tourists are everywhere. Sometimes, they pop up into your favorite store , while at other times, you see them adorning a landmark you always forget to notice. Nonetheless, for people within the tourism industry, there are at least three basic types of tourism, and these are written below.

Domestic Tourism involves people of the same country traveling within the country either for professional or personal reasons. Depending on the nation you are in, domestic tourism could be your main business facet.

Inbound Tourism is a type of tourism that involves people from other country vising your country for professional or personal reasons. This type of tourism sometimes has a duration; that’s why it is quick most of the time. If the person decides to stay for work , then this will no longer be considered tourism.

Outbound Tourism is the same as inbound but is only the opposite. This type of tourism involves someone from your country, visiting another country for personal or professional reasons.

How to Create a Tourism Marketing Plan

Marketing is one of the most important aspects of business, especially small businesses and social media , because these industries need advertising more, and both are flexible. However, the tourism business is also in need of this if you want your business to stand out. So to help you create one, these steps are provided below.

Step 1: Executive Summary

Executive Summaries is as icing is to the cake. They are there to invite people to read through the topic more. An executive summary is a concise version of the whole plan . It incorporates all of the parts of the marketing plan into a page or two, which shows everyone the rationale behind the whole endeavor and its subsequent produce.

Step 2: Goals

The next thing you need to do is to set business goals for the whole campaign. You should make sure that you have specific metrics or data on why you decided to create such an objective. Ambition is good, and being hopeful is excellent. However, when it comes to business, you needed to balance both heart and mind. That’s why it is necessary for your plans to be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound). Things you need to note are your target market, your competition, and your metrics in knowing how you are faring compared to the main goal.

Step 3: Action Plans

Since you now have a general idea of what the market is like and what you want to do, you should now include an action plan to tell people how you can do it. This is necessary because, without action, any plans and strategy you have will only end up a corporate wish. So make sure you have a proper action plan.

Step 4: Communication Plan

Sometimes people end this whole planning with the action plans, and that’s why they fail. They have a detailed analysis of the key problems, an outline of the tactics, but because there’s no communication plan, the team would find it difficult to progress. Some say write an email, while others want to provide a full report , then other times people send two identical reports that only consumes time. That’s why the point here is that a communication plan is necessary, so you can go on your international travel and not get lost in what’s happening with the project .

What are the seven elements of a marketing plan?

The seven elements of a marketing plan are:

1. Market Research 2. Target Market 3. Metrics 4. Budget 5. Positioning 6. Marketing Strategy 7. Competitive Analysis

What is tourism marketing?

Tourism Marketing is a method of business that creates a sense of cooperation between businesses in the industry. Depending on the level of their business, they may coordinate at the regional, national, and international levels of the business. The key idea of tourism marketing is to ensure that the tourist has the service they require in their travels.

Who is the father of tourism?

Thomas Cook is the father of tourism. He started his first traveling business in 1841 when he planned an excursion for 570 people to a rally in Loughborough. He even made the first holiday brochures.

Any sample or template can help you create a good presentation. However, if you want to venture into this industry, you need grit and a whole lot of it. Starting from scratch is never easy. Nonetheless, with an excellent idea and a detailed action plan, you’ll be like Thomas Cook, planning himself into stardom.

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How to Write an Agritourism Business Plan + Example Templates

Agritourism business owner works with local plants.

Elon Glucklich

5 min. read

Updated February 7, 2024

Free Download:  Sample Agritourism Business Plan Template

Agritourism is a rapidly growing industry. From winery tours, to concerts, to letting tourists experience a day working on a farm or ranch, farmers more than tripled their revenue through agritourism uses over the past two decades.

The practice has opened up valuable new revenue streams for entrepreneurial farmland owners looking to diversify their traditional farming operations.

But there are serious challenges to running a commercial enterprise on agricultural land. Any farm, forest or ranch-based business has to balance the expectations and safety of their customers with the need to preserve the environment and maintain daily agricultural operations. There can also be complex regulations to work through.

And even if you’re in the clear legally, you’re at the mercy of seasonal fluctuations and weather disruptions.

Yet all of these challenges can be mitigated with effective business planning. It’s an essential piece to secure funding from an investor or a loan from a bank, develop a solid marketing strategy, and identify opportunities for diversifying revenue sources.

An agritourism business plan contains much of the same information you’d see for other industries. Here on Bplans, we’ve got a great guide already on how to write a traditional business plan. In this article, we’ll look at how to write a business plan specifically for an agritourism business. You can also download our free sample agritourism business plan to get started.

  • 1. Thorough market research is essential

Because of the startup costs and unique land use considerations involved in agritourism, it’s crucial to invest significant time in researching your market before getting started. 

If you’ve already identified the site of your business, make sure you understand the allowable activities on the property. Checking with the relevant government agencies and documenting that your proposed use meets all the legal requirements will add credibility to your plan.

Conduct your own research in the local and regional tourism industry by compiling information on:

  • Regional demographics and psychographics
  • Seasonal tourism and travel trends
  • Visitor numbers at regional tourist destinations
  • Direct competitors (other agritourism offerings) and indirect competitors (other recreation activities)

This information will help you understand what sets your business apart , so you can develop effective marketing campaigns around your competitive advantages.

What’s your biggest business challenge right now?

  • 2. Emphasize the Mission in Your Plan

Succeeding in an industry that exposes the public to nature requires an authentic commitment to environmental stewardship. Your business plan is an opportunity to show that commitment. The plan lets you highlight the core values and mission that drive your agritourism venture, and explain how they align with the growing demand for authentic, sustainability-focused travel experiences.

Depending on the type of agritourism venture you plan to start and the atmosphere you hope to create, you can detail how your business will meet those demands. Will your business cater to an unmet need in an area with limited outdoor experiences? Or will it provide a one-of-a-kind offering in a region already known for nature-based attractions?

These are all factors to take into consideration when crafting your mission statement , and preparing to develop operations and marketing strategies.

  • 3. Prepare for Unique Challenges

Operating an agritourism business comes with inherent risks, from weather-related disruptions to economic downturns that reduce tourism activity.

It’s important to identify the potential risks and challenges your business may face and develop contingency plans for addressing them.

Is your land owned or leased? Are your employees part-time, full-time or seasonal? From an operational perspective, you should show an understanding of the staffing, training, facility, maintenance and safety requirements.

Describe the processes and systems you will use to manage bookings, customer service, event coordination and visitor feedback. In addition, explain your plan for managing the agricultural side of your business. Your operations plan should demonstrate that you have a comprehensive understanding of both the tourism and agricultural aspects of your business.

  • 4. Nail Your Go-To-Market Strategy

The sales and marketing section of your business plan is where you’ll outline how you plan to reach your target audience and promote your agritourism offerings.

Start by identifying your target market segments, such as families, couples, eco-conscious travelers, or educational groups. These are the audiences you’ll tailor your promotional efforts to.

Discuss your advertising and promotional efforts, emphasizing the most relevant channels to your target market. These might include niche travel websites, eco-tourism forums or local tourism boards. Consider creating content that will showcase your authentic experiences, sustainable practices and educational opportunities. Social media outreach and blogging can promote your business and create valuable partnership opportunities.

Speaking of partnerships, detail any plans to engage with tour operators, local businesses and other industry partners to create package deals, joint promotions, or referral programs that increase exposure for your business.

Your plan should also include a pricing strategy for your offerings. Make sure the prices you set cover your costs, and are competitive with other tourism offerings.

  • 5. Plan for the Future

Though it’s growing in popularity, agritourism revenue makes up less than 6 percent of all farm-related income, according to recent data .

Some business models have been established around agritourism offerings like farm stays, educational workshops, farm-to-table dining experiences and seasonal festivals. But uncertainties around regional preferences, seasonal factors, and regulatory changes make it more challenging to plan an agritourism business than some other ventures.

That’s why you should explain in your business plan how you will measure success and make changes when they become necessary . Outline possibilities for scaling your business over time, including any new products or services, facility upgrades, or additional locations.

Also, consider how you will respond to external threats, from new competitors in your area, to economic downturns, to poor weather seasons.

Taking time to and plan your agritourism business will help you respond to unforeseen challenges and pivot to meet new opportunities. You’ll need it to ensure you can afford to add a new service, purchase new equipment, host events to promote your business or add employees.

  • Download your free Agritourism business plan template

If you’re ready to start your own agritourism business, you can download our free sample agritourism business plan from our library of over 550 sample business plans . Get started today, and see first-hand why businesses that plan grow 30% faster than those that don’t.

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Content Author: Elon Glucklich

Elon is a marketing specialist at Palo Alto Software, working with consultants, accountants, business instructors and others who use LivePlan at scale. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism and an MBA from the University of Oregon.

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Agro Tourism Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business Plans » Tourism & Hospitality

Do you want to start an agro tourism company and need to write a plan? If YES, here is a sample agro tourism business plan template & feasibility report.

An agro tourism agency is a good business to start in the United States because, aside from Israel, the United States can boast of having some of the best inventions when it comes to the agricultural industry. As a matter of fact, the united states is among the top destinations for foreigners looking for countries to understudy new breakthroughs in agriculture.

Agro tourism receives massive support from the government because it gives farmers and other stakeholders in the industry opportunity to generate additional income and an avenue for direct marketing of their produce to consumers. Aside from that, agro tourism provides educational opportunities to the public, helps to preserve agricultural lands, and allows states to develop business enterprises.

If you are sure this type of business is what you truly want to do after you must have conducted your feasibility studies and market research.

The next step to follow is to write a good business plan; a detailed blueprint of how you intend raising your seed capital, setting up the business, managing the flow of the business, sorting out tax and marketing your services. Below is a sample agro tourism business plan template that will help you write yours with little effort.

A Sample Agro Tourism Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

The travel and tourism industry of which agro tourism belongs to is a big and profitable industry in the United States of America and in most developed countries with known breakthroughs in the agriculture industry. Agritourism or agro tourism involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch especially for the purpose of understudying.

Agro tourism is a booming line of business in the United States. Agro tourists can choose from a wide range of activities that include picking fruits and vegetables, riding horses, tasting honey, learning about wine and cheesemaking, or shopping in farm gift shops and farm stands for local and regional produce or hand-crafted gifts.

According to the USDA Cooperative State, Education and Extension Service, “Tourism is becoming increasingly important to the U.S. economy. A conservative estimate from the Federal Reserve Board in Kansas, based on 2000 data, shows that basic travel and tourism industries accounted for 3.6 percent of all U.S. employment.

Even more telling, data from the travel industry Association of America indicate that 1 out of every 18 people in the U.S. has a job directly resulting from travel expenditures”.

According to the Small Farm Center at the University of California, “Agricultural tourism or agritourism, is one alternative for improving the incomes and potential economic viability of small farms and rural communities. Some forms of agritourism enterprises are well developed in California, including fairs and festivals.

Other possibilities still offer potential for development”. The UC Small Farm Center has developed a California Agritourism Database that “provides visitors and potential entrepreneurs with information about existing agritourism locations throughout the state.

The Tourism industry that agro tourism business is a subset of is a thriving sector of the economy of the United States and the industry generates over $970 billion annually from more than 443,165 tourism companies (strictly agro tourism agencies inclusive) scattered all around the United States of America.

The industry is responsible for the employment of over 5,546,023 people. Experts project the industry to grow at 1.0 percent annual rate. The market for the tourism industry is open to all stakeholders because no tourism agency has the lion market shares in the industry

A recent report published by IBISWorld shows that in the last five years, the Tourism industry has experienced relatively steady growth.

However, despite increasing consumer sentiment, declining unemployment and an increase in the number of trips domestic and international travelers were taking in the United States, revenue growth was sluggish early during the period amid heightened competition and unstable commodity markets.

Nevertheless, consumer spending continued to increase over the past five years, due to rising disposable income and positive consumer sentiment, benefiting industry operators.

Some of the factors that encourage entrepreneurs to start their own agro tourism business could be that the business is easy to set up and the startup capital is indeed affordable; you can actually start your own agro tourism business from a small farm.

But you must ensure that you have things in place or activities that will compel people (tourists) to travel from far and wide to pay to tour your farm.

2. Executive Summary

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is a registered commercial farm with strong bias in generating additional income from agro tourism. The farm will be located in a farming community in Steamboat Springs – Colorado.

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is a 500 – acre family – owned and operated farm that hosts over 40 attractions and activities for visitors between May and their Harvest Festival in October. Our visitors (tourists) have the opportunity to feed their baby animal addiction by visiting during the Baby Animal Days, or they can can participate in our many festivals, such as the Sunflower Festival.

From activities such as apple cannons and pig races, there are many different opportunities to entertain the entire family all the while learning about farm life. We will also offer agro tourists the chance to work on cattle ranches, and sometimes participate in cattle drives.

We are aware that while revenue and education are often primary drivers for farmers to diversify and invite guests onto their property, we will ensure that safety is always a top priority to us.

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is a client-focused and result driven agro tourism business that provides excellent treatment and broad-based experience at an affordable fee that won’t in any way put a hole in the pocket of our clients.

At Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc., our client’s best interest would always come first, and everything we do is guided by our values and professional ethics. Which is why our visitors are greeted with a beautiful building that houses a café and souvenir shop.

We also have in the visitor center area an agriculture-themed escape room and interactive stations for people of all ages to learn about the agriculture industry and our farm, from what farmers do. We will ensure that we hire professionals who are well experienced in the industry.

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely.

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is founded by Frank Tyson and his immediate family members. He has over 15 years’ experience working at various capacity within the agriculture industry and of course the travel and tour industry in the United States of America.

3. Our Products and Services

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is going to offer varieties of services within the scope of the agro tourism line of business in the United States of America. Our intention of starting our agro tourism business is to make profits from the industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the United States to achieve our business goals. Our business offerings are listed below;

  • Giving visitors (tourists) first hand experience of farm life
  • (Accommodation services) – Renting out our agriculture-themed escape room and interactive stations
  • Food services and drinking place services
  • Donkey, Cart and Horse rental
  • Travel agent and tour arrangement services
  • Sell our farm produce to visitors (farm market)

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

  • Our vision is to build an agro tourism brand that will become the number one choice for clients who are seeking to visit Steamboat Springs – Colorado or any commercial farms in the United States for the purpose of agro tourism.
  • Our mission is to provide the most ideal environment, ambiance and activities that will encourage people to visit our farms.
  • We will position the business to become the leading brand in agro tourism in the whole of Steamboat Springs – Colorado, and also to be amongst the top 20 agro tourism destinations in the United States of America within the first 10 years of operation.

Our Business Structure

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. will build a solid business structure that can support the growth of our business.

We will ensure that we hire competent hands to help us build the business of our dream. The fact that we want to become one of the leading commercial farms that is also engaged in agro tourism in the United States makes it highly necessary to build a well – structured business from the onset.

We will make sure that we hire people that are qualified, honest, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stakeholders.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our member of staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

  • Chief Operating Officer

General Farm Manager

Administrator/Accountant

  • Cattle Ranch Manager/Supervisor
  • Agro Travels and Tours Consultant
  • Sales and Marketing Executive
  • Field Employees
  • Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Operating Officer:

  • Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
  • Responsible for providing direction for the business
  • Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
  • Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
  • Evaluates the success of the organization
  • Responsible for the planning, management and coordinating all farm activities across the various sections on behalf of the organization
  • Supervise other section managers
  • Ensure compliance during project executions
  • Providing advice on the management of farming activities across all sections
  • Responsible for carrying out risk assessment
  • Using IT systems and software to keep track of people and progress of the growth of crops, fishes, birds and animals
  • Responsible for overseeing the accounting, costing and sale of farm produce after harvest
  • Represent the organization’s interest at various stakeholders meetings
  • Ensures that farming goals desired result are achieved, the most efficient resources (manpower, equipment, tools and chemicals et al) are utilized and different interests involved are satisfied. Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
  • Defining job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
  • Carrying out staff induction for new team members
  • Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
  • Oversee the smooth running of the daily farming activities across the various farming sections.

Agro Travel and Tour Consultant

  • Responsible for booking flight tickets, securing transit visas, booking for shuttle buses/taxi cabs, car rentals, hotel bookings amongst many other agro tour services
  • Liaise with clients (potential agro tourists) to identify their needs and to ensure customer satisfaction
  • Conduct market research, gather information and negotiate contracts prior to closing any deals
  • Provide feedback and periodic reports to stakeholders
  • Propose ideas to improve provided services and agro tourism quality
  • Ensure compliance with insurance, legal, health and safety obligations
  • Cooperate with marketing and PR to promote and publicize agro related events
  • Conduct pre- and post – agro events evaluations and report on outcomes
  • Research market, identify agro tour opportunities and generate interest
  • Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
  • Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
  • Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
  • Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
  • Responsible for administering payrolls
  • Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
  • Handles all financial transactions for the company
  • Serves as internal auditor for the company

Cattle Ranch and Animal Manager/Supervisor

  • Responsible for managing boarding services, breeding services, dairy support services, livestock health services, farrier services, and shearing services et al.
  • Work closely with the General Manager to achieve the organizations’ goals and objectives

Sales and Marketing Officer

  • Identify, prioritize, and reach out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
  • Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts
  • Writing winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with company policy
  • Responsible for handling business research, marker surveys and feasibility studies for clients
  • Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
  • Document all customer contact and information
  • Represent the company in strategic meetings
  • Help increase sales and growth for the company especially as it relates to attracting agro tourists from within and outside of the United States of America.

Field Workers

  • Serve as tour guides within the farm settlement
  • Responsible for feeding cattle and other livestock as instructed by the supervisor
  • Responsible for cleaning the cattle ranch
  • Change the water in the water trough / trench as instructed by the supervisor on a regular basis
  • Handles farm implements and machines
  • Carries out task in line with the stated job description
  • Handles any other duties as assigned by the farm manager

Client Service Executive/Front Desk Officer

  • Welcomes visitors (agro tourists) by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
  • Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
  • Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
  • Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the company’s products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients
  • Receives parcels/documents for the company
  • Distribute mails in the organization
  • Handles any other duties as assigned by the manager

6. SWOT Analysis

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring to assist the firm in building a well – structured agro tourism business that can favorably compete in the industry.

Part of what the team of business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a SWOT analysis for Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc.;

The fact that we have a standard commercial farm, with vast land and facilities that will meet the needs of visitors (agro tourists) from within and outside the United States and also good working relation with travel and tour agencies gives us edge over our competitors.

We have a team that can go all the way to give our visitors value for their money; a team that are trained and equipped to pay attention to details when executing their jobs. We are well positioned and we know we will attract loads of visitors (agro tourists) from the first day we open our facility to visitors.

As a new agro tourism business, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from corporate clients who are looking for highly mechanized farms to visit; that is perhaps our major weakness.

  • Opportunities:

This industry relies on the number of domestic day trips and overnight stays. The more consumers travel domestically, the more likely they are to spend on tourism-related activities. Domestic trips by US residents are expected to increase in the coming year, presenting a potential opportunity for the industry.

Outbound US resident travel results in a loss of potential revenue to the local industry due to purchases made overseas. However, some industry segments such as international airlines and travel agents, may still receive income from bookings. International trips by US residents are expected to increase in the coming year, posing a potential threat to the industry.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

  • Market Trends

In recent time, agro tourism has become a necessary means for many small farms’ survival. By diversifying business operations, farm operators are able to ensure a more stable income. This is because agritourism activities can occur during times of the year that crops may not be in season, and they provide a completely separate stream of income.

Some studies have found that agritourism operations often benefit their surrounding communities by drawing tourists to the area. The economic boost by the increase in traffic can be beneficial to rural areas in need of diversified streams of income.

The agro tourism line of business is in a continuous state of evolution and as such, ground breaking strategies and ideas that are once highly successful are no longer as productive as they were in time past.

Close observation of the trend in the industry reveals that the past few years has seen the rise and proliferation of social media and new tech tools. The trend also extends to increased attention paid to engagement and new market segments, adopting eco-friendly measures and sustainability when planning agro tours events.

As a matter of fact, social media has now become one of the most important tools agro tours agencies leverage on to disseminate information about their events, interact with clients, solicit feedback, and create year-round engagement with their target audience. Furthermore, new software apps and emerging technology have made it easier for agro tours agencies to gather all the needed data and information that will help them plan and project for the future.

Lastly, people have become more interested in how their food is produced. They want to meet farmers and processors and talk with them about what goes into food production.

For many people who visit farms, especially children, the visit marks the first time they see the source of their food, be it a dairy cow, an ear of corn growing in a field, or an apple they can pick right off a tree. Farmers and ranchers use this interest to develop traffic at their farm or ranch.  

8. Our Target Market

The market for agro tourism is usually divided into two groups; those who are looking to understudy a farm and the processes that are involved in the farm especially as it relates to farming techniques and of course those who are just looking for a farm settlement to tour and engage in fun-filled activities.

These groups of people cut across different divides in the community. In essence we will ensure we position our business to attract the following visitors (agro tourists);

  • International tourists
  • Family and household
  • Newly wedded couples
  • Research institutions

Our Competitive Advantage

The level of competition in the agro tourism line of business depends largely on the location of the business and of course the capacity of your farm especially as it relates to the activities and facilities you have on ground. If you can successfully create a unique brand identity for your agro tourism business or carve out a unique market, you are likely going to experience less competition.

For instance, if you are one of the few agro tourism farms in your location that owns a farm – themed guest house, you are sure going to be making monopolize the market. Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. might be a new entrant into the industry in the United States of America, but the management staffs and owners of the business are considered gurus.

They are people who are core professionals and licensed and highly qualified agro travels and tours experts in the United States. Our farm, varieties of activities, our facilities are what agro tourists will pay to visit. These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

  • Sources of Income

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the business and we are going to ensure that we do all it takes to attract clients on a regular basis. Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. will generate income by offering the following agro related services;

  • Food and drinking service
  • Travel and tour arrangement services

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be individuals, families and corporate organizations who would travel on a daily basis within the United States and to other parts of the world basically for agro tourism.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in the U.S. and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income/profits from the first six months of operation and grow the business and our clientele base beyond.

We have been able to examine the agro travel and tour market, we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. Below are the sales projection for Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc., it is based on the location of our business and the wide range of agro services that we will be offering;

  • First Fiscal Year (FY1): $350,000
  • Second Fiscal Year (FY2): $550,000
  • Third Fiscal Year (FY3): $750,000

N.B : This projection was done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and natural disasters within the period stated above. There won’t be any major competitor offering same agro tourism activities as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

  • Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiff competitions amongst commercial farms that are also engaged in agro tourism in the United States of America, hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developers to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited base on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization.

We will also ensure that our excellent job deliveries speak for us in the marketplace; we want to build a standard agro tourism business that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied clients. Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

  • Introduce our business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to corporate organizations, schools, travel and tour agencies, households and key stake holders in all around the globe.
  • Advertise our business in relevant agro and travels and tours magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
  • List our business on yellow pages ads (local directories)
  • Attend relevant international and local agro travel and tours expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
  • Create different packages for different category of visitors (tourists) in order to work with their budgets and still deliver quality experience and services to them when they tour our farms
  • Leverage on the internet to promote our business
  • Engage direct marketing approach
  • Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market. We are set to take the industry by storm which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our agro tourism business.

Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc.;

  • Place adverts on both print (international agro and travels – based newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
  • Sponsor relevant community based events/programs
  • Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook, twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our brand
  • Install our Billboards in strategic locations all around Steamboat Springs – Colorado.
  • Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
  • Ensure that all our workers wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our company’s logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. we will keep our fees below the average market rate by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance.  In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to some clients, nonprofits, cooperatives, and small social enterprises seeking to visit our farm settlement.  

  • Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. will make available to her clients;

  • Payment via bank transfer
  • Payment with cash
  • Payment via credit cards
  • Payment via online bank transfer
  • Payment via check
  • Payment via mobile money transfer

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for all our services and accommodation without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

Below are some of the basic areas we will spend our startup capital in setting up our commercial farms and agro tourism business;

  • The total fee for incorporating the business in United States of America – $750.
  • The budget for key insurance policies, permits and business license – $2,500
  • The amount needed to acquire/lease a farm land – $150,000
  • The amount needed for the construction and furnishing of farm settlement lodges / accommodation – $200,000
  • The amount required for preparing the farm land (for construction of cattle ranch and cages / fencing et al et al) – $100,000
  • The cost for acquiring the required working tools and equipment / machines / fencing et al – $50,000
  • The amount required for purchase of the first set of cattle (cows, oxen, bulls, bullocks, steers, heifers and calf et al) – $150,000
  • The cost of launching an official Website – $600
  • The amount required for payment of workers for a period of 3 months – $100,000
  • Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al) – $2,000

Going by the report from detailed research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need an average of $750,000 to start a standard agro tourism business in the United States of America.

Generating Funds/Startup Capital for Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc.

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is a private registered business that is owned and financed by Mr. Frank Tyson and his immediate family members. They do not intend to welcome any external business partner which is why he has decided to restrict the sourcing of the startup capital to 3 major sources.

  • Generate part of the startup capital from personal savings
  • Source for soft loans from family members and friends
  • Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $250,000 (Personal savings $150,000 and soft loan from family members $100,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $500,000 from our bank. All the papers and documents have been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited with the amount.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the number of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of their employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business, then it won’t be too long before the business closes shop.

One of our major goals of starting Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our agro tourism services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Frank Tyson® Commercial Farm Settlement, Inc. will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and retraining of our workforce is at the top burner.

We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List/Milestone

  • Business Name Availability Check:>Completed
  • Business Incorporation: Completed
  • Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
  • Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
  • Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
  • Application for business license and permit: Completed
  • Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
  • Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
  • Generating part of the startup capital from the founder: Completed
  • Applications for Loan from our Bankers : In Progress
  • Writing of Business Plan: Completed
  • Purchasing of farm land and construction of farm settlement accommodation: In Progress
  • Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
  • Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
  • Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
  • Printing of Packaging and Promotional Materials: Completed
  • Recruitment of employees: In Progress
  • Building /construction of cages and fence et al: In Progress
  • Purchase of the needed working tools, machines and equipment: Completed
  • Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
  • Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
  • Farm land Treatment, Health and Safety Arrangement: In Progress
  • Establishing business relationship with travels and tours agencies, institutions, vendors and key players in the industry: In Progress

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How to Find the Best Travel Insurance

Elina Geller

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

Table of Contents

What travel insurance covers

How much does travel insurance cost, types of travel insurance, how to get travel insurance, what to look for in travel insurance, best travel insurance comparison sites, which insurance company is best for travel insurance, when to skip travel insurance, travel insurance, recapped.

Travel insurance can cover medical expenses, emergencies, trip interruptions, baggage, rental cars and more.

Cost is affected by trip length, pre-existing medical conditions, depth of coverage, your age and add-ons.

You can get it through credit cards or third-party companies, & can shop on travel insurance comparison sites.

Before buying, evaluate risks, know existing coverage, obtain quotes online and review policy details warily.

Skip it if you buy flexible airfare and hotels, already have coverage or only book refundable activities.

Booking travel always carries some degree of uncertainty. Travel insurance provides a safety net so you can step out with confidence. You may not need travel insurance for inexpensive trips, but it can provide a sense of security when you prepay for pricey reservations, a big international trip or travel during cold and flu season, which can be unpredictable.

According to insurance comparison site Squaremouth, travelers in 2023 spent an average of $403 for comprehensive coverage, compared to $96 for medical-only policies. Comprehensive plans typically cost between 5% and 10% of the insured trip cost.

Since that price tag is no small amount, it helps to know how to shop smart for travel insurance. Here's how to find the right travel insurance plan for you and your next adventure.

Depending on the type of coverage you’re looking for, the chart below will help you determine what to look for when selecting a policy:

Depending on the policy, travel insurance reimburses you or offers services when something goes awry. There’s even coverage for the worst-case scenario: if you die in an accident while traveling. Accidental death coverage pays your beneficiary a lump sum in that case.

Before you buy, take a little time to get familiar with different types of travel insurance products, how it’s priced, and what it covers and excludes. If you’re traveling during these uncertain times, you’ll want to make sure that the policy you select covers coronavirus-related emergencies. Usually, the more thorough the coverage, the more it will cost.

Travel insurance costs vary depending on:

Length and cost of the trip: The longer and more expensive the trip, the higher the policy cost.

Cost of local health care: High health-care costs in your destination can drive up the price of trip insurance.

Medical conditions you want covered: Conditions you already have will increase the cost of travel insurance coverage.

Amount and breadth of coverage: The more risks a policy covers, the more it will cost.

Your age: Generally the older you are, the higher the price.

Any optional supplement you add to your policy : Cancel For Any Reason , Interrupt For Any Reason and more.

Keep these factors in mind when considering different travel insurance options.

You’ll find a wide selection of travel protection plans when you shop for a policy.

Typically, travel insurance is sold as a package, known as a comprehensive plan, which includes a variety of coverage.

Here are seven of the most common types of travel insurance:

Travel medical insurance

These plans provide health insurance while you’re away from home. Although in some ways these policies work like traditional health plans, generally you cannot use travel health insurance for routine medical events. For example, a routine medical checkup is usually not covered. In addition, these policies often include limitations on coverage and exclusions for pre-existing conditions.

Although most travel insurance plans cover many recreational activities, such as skiing and horseback riding, they often exclude adventure sports, such as skydiving or parasailing, or competition in organized sporting events. You may need to buy a special travel policy designed for adventure or competitive sports.

International travel insurance

Most likely, your U.S.-based medical insurance will not work while you’re traveling internationally, and Medicare does not provide any coverage once you leave the United States outside of a few very specific exemptions. If you plan on traveling abroad, purchasing travel medical insurance could make a lot of sense.

» Learn more: Travel medical insurance: Emergency coverage while you travel internationally

Trip cancellation, interruption and delay

Trip cancellation coverage reimburses you for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if the tour operator goes out of business or you have to cancel the trip for one of the covered reasons outlined in the policy, such as:

Your own illness.

The illness or death of a family member who’s not traveling with you.

Natural disasters.

Trip interruption insurance covers the nonrefundable cost of the unused portion of the trip if it is interrupted due to a reason outlined in the policy.

Trip delay coverage reimburses you for expenses such as lodging and meals if you’re delayed during a trip (e.g., your flight gets canceled due to weather ).

Many package policies cover all three. These policies are different from the cancellation waivers that cruise lines and tour operators offer, the Insurance Information Institute says. Waivers are cheap, ranging from $40 to $60, and often include restrictions. For example, according to the institute, waivers might not refund your money if you cancel immediately before departure. Waivers are technically not insurance policies.

Some companies offer additional layers of coverage at extra cost. “Cancel For Any Reason” coverage will reimburse a large part of the trip cost, no matter why you back out. And some companies let you pay extra to cover pre-existing conditions if you cancel for medical reasons.

Some insurers and comparison sites let you customize a policy by choosing types of coverage a la carte. For example, TravelInsurance.com is a comparison site that provides quotes from different providers.

Baggage and personal belongings

How does lost luggage insurance work? This coverage reimburses you for baggage and personal belongings that are lost, stolen or damaged during the trip. Some plans also reimburse you for extra expenses if you experience a baggage delay for more than a certain period, such as 12 hours.

Your renters or homeowners insurance may cover personal belongings while you are traveling. It’s best to review your homeowners insurance policy to determine the level of coverage it provides so you do not end up paying for a benefit you already have.

» Learn more: Baggage insurance explained

Emergency medical assistance, evacuation and repatriation

This coverage pays medical expenses if you get sick or injured on a trip . Medical evacuation coverage pays for transporting you to the nearest hospital, and medical repatriation pays for flying you to your home country.

» Learn more: Can I get travel insurance for pre-existing medical conditions?

24-hour assistance

This service is included with many package plans. The insurer provides a 24-hour hotline that you can call when you need help, such as booking a flight after a missed connection, finding lost luggage, or locating a doctor or lawyer.

Generally, travel insurance companies do not cover sports or any activity that can be deemed risky. If you’re thinking of incorporating adventurous activities into your vacation, choose a plan that includes adventure sports coverage.

Most travel insurers cover a wide array of services, but the specific options vary. Some plans include concierge services, providing help with restaurant referrals, tee time reservations and more. Many services also offer information before the trip, such as required vaccinations. The only way to know what’s included is to read the policy.

» Learn more: Should you insure your cruise?

Accidental death and dismemberment insurance

This coverage pays a lump sum to your beneficiary, such as a family member, if you die in an accident while on the trip. Accidental death and dismemberment insurance policies also pay a portion of the sum to you if you lose a hand, foot, limb, eyesight, speech or hearing. Some plans apply only to accidental death in a plane.

This coverage may be duplicative if you already have sufficient life insurance, which pays out whether you die in an accident or from an illness. You may also already have accidental death and dismemberment insurance through work, so it's best to check your policies to ensure you’re not overpaying.

» Learn more: NerdWallet's guide to life insurance

Rental car coverage

Rental car insurance pays for repairing your rental car if it’s damaged in a wreck, by vandals or in a natural disaster. The coverage doesn't include liability insurance, which pays for damage to other vehicles or for the medical treatment of others if you cause an accident and are held responsible.

Ask your car insurance company whether your policy will cover you when renting cars on the trip. U.S. car insurance policies generally don’t cover you when driving in other countries, except Canada.

Car insurance requirements are complex because they vary among countries. You can usually purchase liability insurance from the rental car company. Learn about car insurance requirements by searching for auto insurance by country on the U.S. Embassy website .

» Learn more: Best credit cards for rental car coverage

A note about single vs. long-term policies

Single trip insurance plans are a great option for those going on a single trip for a specific length of time (e.g., a two-week vacation) and then returning home. The price of the policy is usually determined by the cost of the trip.

Long-term travel policies cover you for multiple trips, but there are limitations to how long you can be away from home, if you can return home during your travels and how many trips you can take. In addition, trip cancellation and interruption coverage is either not offered or capped at a dollar amount that can be significantly below the total cost of all the trips taken during the covered period.

Long-term travel insurance plans — often called 'multi-trip' or 'annual travel insurance' — are a suitable option for those who travel often and are satisfied with the amount of trip cancellation coverage for all the trips they take over the duration of the policy.

» Learn more: How annual (multi-trip) travel insurance works

Below, we include how to obtain travel insurance, along with the pros and cons of each option.

Some credit cards offer trip cancellation and rental car insurance if you use the card to book the trip or car.

When you book a trip with your credit card, depending on the card you use, you may already receive trip cancellation and interruption coverage.

» Learn more: 10 credit cards that provide travel insurance

Here are a handful of credit cards with travel insurance benefits.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card

on American Express' website

Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 12 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $40,000 per 12-month period.

• Baggage delay: Up to $100 per day for five days.

• Lost luggage: Up to $3,000 per passenger.

• Travel accident: Up to $500,000.

• Rental car insurance: Up to $75,000.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per ticket for delays more than 6 hours.

• Travel accident: Up to $1 million.

• Rental car insurance: Up to the actual cash value of the car.

• Trip delay: Up to $500 per trip for delays more than 6 hours.

• Trip cancellation: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

• Trip interruption: Up to $10,000 per trip. Maximum benefit of $20,000 per 12-month period.

Terms apply.

Pros: Coverage is free.

Cons: You can’t customize the insurance to meet your needs. Most credit cards offer secondary car rental insurance, which pays for the costs not covered by your regular car insurance plan.

Travel agents and travel reservation sites

You can buy travel insurance when you book your flight, hotel and car rental.

Pros: Buying is as quick and easy as clicking “yes” when you book reservations. Coverage is inexpensive.

Cons: You can’t customize the coverage.

» Learn more: Airline travel insurance vs. independent travel insurance

Travel insurance comparison sites

You can compare different policies and review quotes at once based on the trip search criteria you’ve input into the search form. Examples include marketplaces like Squaremouth or TravelInsurance.com.

Pros: You can choose a policy that fits your needs and compare policies and pricing in one place.

Cons: Comparing multiple policies takes time.

Travel insurance companies

You can purchase travel insurance directly from an insurance provider.

Pros: You can choose a policy that fits your needs. Many travel insurer websites also offer information to help you understand the coverage.

Cons: You’ll need to go to multiple websites to compare coverage and pricing.

» Learn more: The best travel insurance companies right now

Keep these tips in mind when you’re considering a trip insurance policy.

Evaluate the financial risks you face when traveling. Can you bear those costs yourself, or do you want insurance?

Examine what coverage you already have: Does your credit card offer travel insurance? Do you have renters or homeowners insurance to cover belongings? What is the deductible? Will your health plan cover you in all the locations where you travel?

Get quotes for trip insurance online. Choose a package of the benefits you need and compare prices for similar coverage among carriers.

Narrow your choices and then read the policy fine print to understand what’s covered, what’s excluded and the limits on coverage. You may find that the lowest-priced policy is too restrictive and that paying a little more gets you the coverage you need. Or you might find that the cheapest, most basic policy fits the bill.

If you don’t know which provider to go with, it makes sense to browse a list of plans on a travel insurance comparison site. These online marketplaces will often include plans from the best travel insurance companies along with customer reviews.

Squaremouth

example of tourism business plan

Compare plans from more than 30 providers.

Over 86,000 customer reviews of insurers.

Under its Zero Complaint Guarantee, Squaremouth (a NerdWallet partner) will remove a provider if any customer complaint isn't resolved to its satisfaction.

Has a filter option to see policies that provide COVID-coverage.

TravelInsurance.com

example of tourism business plan

Compare plans from 13 providers.

See good and poor customer ratings and reviews for each insurer when you receive quotes.

“Learning Center” includes travel insurance articles and travel tips, including important how-to information.

Quotes provided from each provider include a link to COVID-19 FAQs, making it easy for customers to review what’s covered or not.

InsureMyTrip

example of tourism business plan

Compare plans from more than two dozen providers.

More than 70,000 customer reviews.

“Anytime Advocates” help customers navigate the claim process and will work on behalf of the customer to help with appealing a denied claim.

Includes a link to plans that offer COVID coverage.

example of tourism business plan

Compare plans from 11 providers.

Search coverage by sporting activity, including ground, air and water sports.

Many types of plans available for students, visiting family members, new immigrants, those seeking COVID quarantine coverage and more.

example of tourism business plan

Compare different insurance plans from 35 providers.

Over 5,600 customer reviews on Trustpilot, with an average 4.9 stars out of five.

Formerly known as AardvarkCompare, AARDY includes a “Travel Insurance 101” learning center to help customers understand various policies and benefits.

Quote search results page includes COVID-coverage highlighted in a different color to make it easier for customers to review related limits.

Whether you’re looking for an international travel insurance plan, emergency medical care, COVID coverage or a policy that includes extreme sports, these providers have you covered.

Our full analysis and more details about each organization can be found here: The Best Travel Insurance Companies Today .

Allianz Global Assistance .

Travel Guard by AIG .

USI Affinity Travel Insurance Services .

Travel Insured International .

World Nomads .

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection .

Travelex Insurance Services .

Seven Corners .

AXA Assistance USA .

There are a few scenarios when spending extra on travel insurance doesn't really make sense, like:

You booked flexible airline tickets.

Your hotel room has a good cancellation policy.

It's already included in your credit card.

You haven't booked any nonrefundable activities.

» Learn more: When you don't need travel insurance

Yes, especially for nonrefundable trips and travel during the COVID-era. Whether you purchase a comprehensive travel insurance policy or have travel insurance from your credit card, you shouldn't travel without having some sort of travel protection in place to safeguard you and your trip. Travel insurance can protect you in case of an unexpected emergency such as a canceled flight due to weather, a medical event that requires hospitalization, lost luggage and more.

There are many good travel insurance policies out there and a policy that may be great for you may not be good for someone else. Selecting the best plan depends on what coverage you would like and your trip details.

For example, World Nomads offers a comprehensive travel insurance policy that has excellent coverage for adventure sports. Allianz provides coverage for trips of varying lengths of time through its single trip plans and multi-trip plans. Some providers offer add-on options like Cancel For Any Reason travel insurance. If you’re not sure which plan to go with, consider looking at trip insurance comparison sites like Squaremouth or Insuremytrip.

Yes, you can. However, it's better to purchase it sooner rather than later, ideally right after booking your trip because the benefits begin as soon as you purchase a policy.

Let’s say you’re going on a trip in a month and a week before departure, you fall and break your leg. If you’ve purchased a travel insurance policy, you can use your trip cancellation benefits to get your nonrefundable deposit back.

Most comprehensive travel insurance plans offer trip cancellation, trip interruption, emergency medical and dental, medical evacuation, trip delay and lost luggage coverage. Many plans offer COVID coverage, but you’ll always want to check to ensure that the policy you choose provides that benefit if you’re traveling during these times. Some plans may also allow you to add features like Cancel For Any Reason travel insurance.

It depends which credit card you have. Premium travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express offer travel insurance benefits if you book a trip using your card or points.

However, the coverage provided by the credit cards is usually lower than if you purchased a standalone policy. Review the travel insurance benefits on your credit card and check that the limits are adequate before foregoing from purchasing a separate plan.

Let’s say you’re going on a trip in a month and a week before departure, you fall and break your leg. If you’ve purchased a travel insurance policy, you can use your

trip cancellation benefits

to get your nonrefundable deposit back.

It depends which credit card you have. Premium travel cards like the

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

The Platinum Card® from American Express

offer travel insurance benefits if you book a trip using your card or points.

Unpredictability is one of the mind-opening joys of travel, but travel insurance should contain no surprises. The time you spend to understand your options will be well worth the peace of mind as you embark on your next adventure.

Whether you’re seeking a single or a long-term policy, each travel insurance option offers different strengths and weaknesses. Choosing the right policy depends on your trip needs, your budget and how important various benefits are to you.

Keep reading

If you want to dig in deeper to world of travel insurance, these resources will point you in the right direction.

What is travel insurance? How much is travel insurance? Is travel insurance worth it? What does travel insurance cover? Does travel insurance cover COVID?

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-10x Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.

Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards® Plus Credit Card

1x-2x Earn 2X points on Southwest® purchases. Earn 2X points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2X points on internet, cable, and phone services, and select streaming. Earn 1X points on all other purchases.

30,000 Limited-time offer: Earn Companion Pass® good through 2/28/25 plus 30,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. Tour Operator Business Plan [Free Template

    Tour Operator Business Plan Are you thinking of starting a Tour Operator business? We have prepared a solid Tour Operator business plan sample that guides you on every stage of your business plan writing. Download Template Create a Business Plan Are you a travel enthusiast making itineraries for your friends & families?

  2. Travel Agency Business Plan Template (2024)

    Dave Lavinsky Travel Agency Business Plan You've come to the right place to create your Travel Agency business plan. We have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their travel agencies.

  3. How to Set Up a Tour Operator Business Plan

    Resources / Guides Step-by-step guide to creating a tour operator business plan [template included] By Kevin Tjoe — 13 Jan 2022 Business plan Business set-up Updated July 2023 - Ready to take the plunge and launch that tour company or adventure travel business you've been envisioning?

  4. How to create a tour operator business plan in 8 steps

    9 min. Wondering how to turn your tour operator idea into a real business? The first step to launching a startup and getting investors onboard is to develop a formal proposal called a business plan.

  5. How to Write a Tourism Business Plan

    Include sales and revenue projections, a budget, a break-even analysis, and a projection of your cash flow. These figures will be crucial when seeking funding or investment for your tourism business. Your tourism business plan is now ready to guide you towards success.

  6. How to Create a tourism Business Plan?

    Executive summary topics: What is your business and what does it do? Do you host walking tours or provide bicycle rentals? Are you a tour guide or do you run a themed hotel experience? Give the reader a clear understanding of your business concept. What are your business goals and where do you envision your company in the future?

  7. Must Have Tourism Business Plan Templates With Samples and Examples

    Must Have Tourism Business Plan Templates With Samples and Examples Content- Ready Business Decks Researched by Consultants from Top-Tier Management Companies Project Management Business Review Get Started Home Blog Tourism Business Plan Templates To Craft Your Success Trip Story! The SlideTeam Blog All About PowerPoint, Presentations & Life

  8. Travel Agency Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

    For example, give a brief overview of the travel agency industry. Discuss the type of travel agency you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.

  9. Travel Tour Agency Business Plan Example

    Solution Sephats Tours intends to provide individual and group travel to leisure clients. Services and products provided by Sephats will initially include pre-arranged tours, custom packages according to clients specifications, travel consultation, and as time progresses making reservations for lodging amongst other related services.

  10. Travel Agency Business Plan Example

    1.1 Objectives. Adventure Excursions Unlimited's objectives for the first three years of operation include: To create a service-based company whose #1 mission is exceeding customers' expectations. Capturing 25% market share of the high-end hard-adventure travel space. To develop a sustainable, profitable business.

  11. Free Travel Agency Business Plan Template

    It will help you describe your agency—the service you provide (do you have a niche?), the market in which you're operating, the money you need to get started and keep going, and the people you need to help you get there (accountants? Sub agents? Bookkeeper? Web Developer?)

  12. Travel Agency Business Plan Examples

    Travel Tour Agency Business Plan. Sephats Tours intends to provide individual and group travel to leisure clients. Travel and tourism is a fun and rewarding industry. Starting with a good business plan will help you succeed in this exciting field. To get started, check out a sample business plan for an upscale travel agency, international ...

  13. Travel Tour Agency Sample Business Plan

    Here's an example of a dummy company's business plan to get you thinking about how to create yours. Travel Tour Agency Business Plan 1. Executive Summary The tourism industry has undergone rapid growth of unsurpassed nature over the last several decades.

  14. Business Plan (Template)

    A thorough and effective tourism business plan will include an executive summary, a business description, short and long term goals, business structure (legal and internal management structure), product or service description, a sales and marketing plan and financials to date.

  15. Tourism Strategic Plan

    11+ Tourism Strategic Plan Examples - PDF, Word. Tourism is one of the most important elements that can constitute to economic stability for every city. In fact, for many regions all around the world, tourism is one of their main sources of financial security. These foreign and local visitors have a massive economic impact on the places they ...

  16. Tourism Business Plan

    Operations Structure The strategy for the operations structure is designed to outline exactly how your company will generate a profit from the tourism market. This includes the relationships with vendors and/or suppliers, or how laborers will be managed if it is a service being provided. Marketing Plan

  17. 20 Innovative Tourism Business Ideas 2023

    1. Transformational trips 2. Forest bathing and digital detoxing 3. Off-grid and "survival" travel 4. Hush trips, workcations, and micro-cations 5. Traveling for "bleisure" 6. Set-jetting 7. Sustainable tourism and electric travel 8. Indigenous experiences 9. Budget-friendly travel 10. Luxury cruises and upscale all-inclusive 11. Train travel 12.

  18. Sample Travel & Tourism Agency Business Plan

    A business plan is a very important tool that will help a person intending to start a tourism business. A business plan is a document, more like a roadmap on how to start any business. Aspects of the business that will be captured in the business plan include: The company profile. The service/products to be offered.

  19. 20+ SAMPLE Tourism Action Plan in PDF

    How to Create a Tourism Action Plan. To create a tourism action plan, choose from several sample templates above to get started. When you have found a template that suits your needs or preferences, try to keep in mind the following steps listed in the tutorial guide below. Step 1: Set the Right Objectives. The first step is to set realistic ...

  20. Tourism Marketing Plan

    A Tourism Marketing Plan is a report document that people in the tourism industry uses to scale up or improve their marketing efforts. This document provides strategies and tactics to improve the current marketing efforts of the company. In this way, the company can catch up to the competition's standards and take more customers.

  21. How to Write an Agritourism Business Plan + Example Templates

    Elon Glucklich 5 min. read Updated February 7, 2024 Free Download: Sample Agritourism Business Plan Template Agritourism is a rapidly growing industry. From winery tours, to concerts, to letting tourists experience a day working on a farm or ranch, farmers more than tripled their revenue through agritourism uses over the past two decades.

  22. Agro Tourism Business Plan [Sample Template]

    Below is a sample agro tourism business plan template that will help you write yours with little effort. A Sample Agro Tourism Business Plan Template 1. Industry Overview

  23. Tourism Business Plan.pdf

    An opportunity for happy vacations' success exists because the national tourism industry is growing at a rapid pace annually. is poised to take advantage of this growth and moderate competition in the city travel portion of the industry, with a dedicated and experienced staff, excellent networking, and effective management and marketing.

  24. How to Find the Best Travel Insurance

    Travel insurance can cover medical expenses, emergencies, trip interruptions, baggage, rental cars and more. Cost is affected by trip length, pre-existing medical conditions, depth of coverage ...