Do you live in an area that is a thriving tourist hotspot? If so, have you ever thought about taking advantage of your location and the many opportunities that tourism brings? Plenty of business ideas could be lucrative if you play your cards right. In today’s guide, we’re going to go through a few of the best options for you. Let’s take a closer look.
Become a guide
When tourists arrive somewhere new, they want to learn as much as possible about where they are. It means there are plenty of opportunities if you know a lot about your hometown’s history and are great with communicating with people. Set up a website and fill it with high-quality information about your city or town. Get a booking system in place, and draw up an exciting itinerary for your customers. Don’t be afraid to go niche, either – particularly if the tour guide market is a little crowded. You could offer alternative tours of your city, for example, for people that want to steer clear of the typical tourist traps.
Start a food stall
There are two things tourists will always need: somewhere to stay, and somewhere to eat. Of course, buying a hotel or a restaurant is going to be expensive, so why not think about setting up a food stall to operate during peak seasons? As you will cater for tourists, it’s important to serve up some unique food, but also meals that are in keeping with you local traditions.
Get into the souvenir business
Fancy yourself as an artist? Then why not consider making souvenirs for tourists? There are hundreds of things you can think about, from designing postcards to printing t-shirts. The gift shop market is huge, and there are options for all kinds of budgets. But, you have to be wary of your target market. Plastic replica statues, for example, won’t go down well with luxury vacationers. Instead, you might want to think about quality castings in metal and make them look as accurate and valuable as possible.
Photographer
Got an eye for the perfect snap? If so, photography is a great way to make a few bucks from tourists. You can set up a website and display your work, and also create flyers and posters to hire yourself out. Most visitors carry their own cameras these days, of course. But, if you can create pixel-perfect shots of the local scenery, many will happily pay for your professional eye.
Luggage delivery
It doesn’t matter where you are from, everyone’s favorite bugbear is having to wait at an airport for their luggage. So, why not take advantage? You can wait for people’s luggage while they head off to their hotels straight away. Then it’s just a case of you bringing their bags to them, and getting paid for the pleasure.
Do you have any more bright ideas for making money from the tourist trade? If so, we want to hear about them so share your thoughts in the comments section below.
