OPPORTUNITIES IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: Thread.
Travel and tourism is a whole value chain. It’s not limited to destinations, but a lot of players play collaborative and supportive role to ensure travellers have a great experience. This presents an opportunity to the entrepreneur.
Travel and tourism is a whole value chain. It’s not limited to destinations, but a lot of players play collaborative and supportive role to ensure travellers have a great experience. This presents an opportunity to the entrepreneur.
1. Tour Operator. This is what quickly comes to mind for most, and truly it’s something one can do. Create tour packages, & take travellers on board to various destinations. It’s not as easy as it sounds, it takes time to create a name and reputation, so it’s not for quick buck.
2. Travel Agent. A travel agent can work with your operators. They seek clients, and link them with operators who will be having trips to the client’s preferred destination at a particular time. They can make some commission from this. Again, not a quick win, patience is virtue.
3. Marketing Consultant. So operators, and travel agents want to make their work known, but who helps them do that? It’s a marketing person! You can help players come up with adverts, brand management, etc which makes their brand stand out, for an income!
4. Accomodation service provider. Travelers will want somewhere to stay obviously. (For various accomodation types, follow link below). So you can be the person who provides them a nice place to stay. Take good care of clients and they will refer their colleagues to your place.
5. Curating Souvenirs. When people travel to places they want to carry memories. The people who make these, may not get true value from them because of limited storytelling skills. An art shop where stories of various merchandise are told, is something people would need.
6. Providing activities at resorts. Boat cruises, game drives, sight seeing etc are activities people need to do when they travel. You can invest in any of these at a place which makes business sense to you. An examol is what Far and Wide did with Mtarazi Falls skywalk & Zipline.
7. Supplying tourism operators with essentials. Hotels will need to have farm produce to feed people. Restaurants will need the same. Disinfectants, fuel etc are needed. So you could be a supplier of these. Farmers can look at the tourism value chain and ride on that!
8. Tour guiding. Whenever people travel, it’s best for someone who’s experienced with the place to take them around. Guides can create linkages with operators so that they can get business too. Let’s teach children about our community, they can also be part time tour guides.
9. Cab Services. So let’s say someone has travelled from a resort and returns late, and needs emergency transport to take them home from the drop off point, a cab will serve them. Hence an opportunity for a driver! If one is professional and reliable they will get more business.
10. Creative skills. This is one of the most sought after skills. Graphic designers, content creators, bloggers etc are eessntial to the growth of the tourism industry. These are the people who make destinations, facilities, resorts and packages stand out in the market.
A thriving tourism industry is beneficial to the whole nation, it promotes more contribution towards national development. It creates jobs for people, and when people have incomes they can also travel around the country.
