Ecotourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry.
Ecotourism, also known as sustainable tourism, is a form of travel in which the participants are consciously learning about the environment and taking part in preserving the surrounding culture. Global awareness of deteriorating landscapes and extinct wildlife are common incentives around taking a sustainable vacation. According to allbusiness.com, starting an ecotourism business requires both business knowledge and environmental expertise. Common features of an "ecotour" include staying at indigenous housing instead of hotels, local guides knowledgeable about the region and possibly some volunteer work. You can either base your ecotourism operation out of Florida, or offer tours within Florida with a sustainability emphasis.
Instructions
1. Create a business plan. Write up the general idea of the ecotourism business in Florida. Include the location in Florida, your target market and how you will reach them, financial projections for at least three years, an analysis of the tourism industry in Florida, a description of when your business will begin to make money and how much start up capital you will need. Also include how you plan to fund the business from the start. Will you be seeking a loan from a bank or applying for business grants? Will you be funding the operation yourself? The business plan can help you get your thoughts in order and ensure a successful start to your ecotourism business. You can also use it as a fund-raising tool or a promotional piece to help you secure partnerships.
2. Set up the target locations. If you are operating out of Florida but taking tourists abroad, you need to set up reliable contacts in the destination country and arrange a deal to bring tourists and have guides available. Ideally the locations should be indigenous to the land, not just touristy hotels in the foreign country. Building trust-worthy relationships takes time and may require you to live in the foreign country for at least a few months. Get to know the influential people in the town you plan to visit and arrange a deal to train and maintain a location to bring tourists.
3. Ecotour guides are often natives who are very knowledgeable about the environmental conditions of the location.
Train and hire tour guides. Hire a native speaker who lives in Florida and is able to travel back and forth between Florida and the target country. Place an ad in the local paper or use internet resources such as craigslist.com to find candidates. Start with one or two and hire more as your business grows.
4. Register your business with the state of Florida. You can register a sole proprietorship, a C or S corporation or a limited liability company (LLC) by filling out the forms and sending them to the Florida Secretary of State. The forms are available at their website, sunbiz.org. Liability is high in the ecotourism business, and corporations and LLCs offer greater liability protection than sole proprietorships.
5. Travel magazines are popular for getting the word out about your business.
Market your ecotourism business. Place ads in travel magazines and contact local colleges for student-themed ecotours. Price your travel packages in the same range as your competition unless you are offering a costly additional perk or if you are targeting low-income budget travelers.
Tags: your business, ecotourism business, your ecotourism, arrange deal, bring tourists