27 Travel and Tourism Business Ideas - Best Business Ideas in the Travel and Tourism Industry

The travel and tourism industry is a huge market for business opportunities.  And in some countries account for 20% of there gross domestic product.

Tourism is a huge part of India, Asia, Africa and America commerce conveniently providing job and business opportunities for youth’s and young graduates.

The industry directly and indirectly impacts on other sectors bringing in much needed foreign exchange revenue. Business opportunities in the travel and tourist industry cuts across service oriented businesses, product sales, lodging and transportation.

Business travelers, holiday makers, students and technical professionals make up the large percentage of the travel and tourist industry.

Therefore, anyone looking to build a business around this lucrative industry has a wide number of choices. The industry has an expansive network of independent yet interrelated business venture. The venture has may sub-sectors for small, medium or large entrepreneurs.

The financial involvement is dictated by the scope of operation and it transverses between several million dollars to zero capital investment. There are many business opportunities to choose from.

Here are 27 business ideas in the tourism and travel industry. Go through the list and see if you find any that appeals to you.

Start an Airline Business

The obvious place to start if you want to invest in air travel is an airline. A small airline business depends on the countries rules and regulations guiding such commerce.  A small airline might need a minimum of two airplanes in their fleet to get certification.

The size and type of plane, if new or used impacts on the cost of operation. Another criterion is if it’s a propeller plane or jet powered aircraft.

The two major obstacles in starting an airline business are capital and certification. Getting approved in many countries is a herculean task. This is due largely to many bureaucratic obstacles you will encounter.

Finance is another big headache but you can use core investors, venture capitalist, bank loans and share structures to raise funds. It is very pricey owning an airline but not impossible.  
 Bus Shuttle Business

Visitors to your country need some mode of transportation to go from place to place. A bus shuttle business will provide this service.

If you have connections your bus shuttle business is integrated into air and passenger movement.  Bus shuttle is also useful for group tours, and events.

Rental Services

A private taxi pool can offer car rental services to tourists. The visiting tourists need to move around and offering them good service guarantee nice earnings.

Other things that fall under rental services are boat rentals, tricycle rentals, scooter rental and other leisure activities that require renting mobility.

Limousine services fall under transportation for tourists. The limousine service can do airport pickups, club and restaurant drop gigs. Some tourists are used to traveling in style so limousine serves offer them luxury movement. 
 Restaurants

Restaurants that serve local cuisine are great tourist attractions. Tourists love to try new things so they will rather visit an indigenous restaurant than a modern one.

Bars and restaurants are popular destinations for tourist and travelers. The smart business man needs to locate his restaurant or bar near a tourist destination.

Hotel Accommodation

A hotel brings up images of twelve story architectural master pieces with gleaming floors and a uniform staff. But tourists are use to this treatment and some seek a more local experience.

A small hotel built with local materials and many small bungalows with canopy roofs and local aesthetics will appeal to the traveler or tourist.

Apart from providing an ethnic ambiance including local dishes and entertainment it is a good money spinner. Make sure you provide adequate safety and security for your guests.

Souvenir Shop

Running a local souvenir shop in a tourist destination will provide lots of business opportunities. The shop should only sell local arts and craft, fashion accessories and literature.

The first place tourist’s visits are souvenir shops to buy memorabilia of their stay in your country. Some souvenir shop owners are greedy and offer cheap items at exorbitant prices. Differentiate your business by offering reasonable rates which will attract more tourists. 
Be a Tourist Guide

So you don’t have any money to invest but you are interested in cashing in on tourist dollars. Why not start a tourist guide company with friends and family.

Tourist guide business is simple and it requires very small investment. Find interesting locations, places of interest, traditional theaters and souvenir shops for your customers.

Print a brochure of daily or weekly activities and show them to tourists. You can place posters and billboards at tourist destinations or hotels with your phone number to get more customers

 

 Road side Food Vendor

Serve local cuisine close to tourist destinations and watch your business grow. All you need is a food truck or trolley and a lot of charisma.

The food or snack should be properly made and delicious. You will be surprised at the patronage because tourist spread such location with word of mouth. 
 Language Translation Service

Are you multilingual then you should consider language translation business. The major languages are German, French, Chinese, Spanish, English and Portuguese.

If you can manage any three of these languages you are in business. The business is service oriented and does not involve much capital investment.

The major challenge in this business is getting your customer base.  You can get attached to some office or use creative ideas to get customers.

You can build a website in different languages and offer your service to tourists on arrival. Top hotels are a good place to scout for paying clients.

              Build a Travel Blog

A travel blog is an interesting way of getting a slice of travel and tourism. Blogging is tough business because of the millions of blogs and websites online.

To score any success doing this business you need to carve a niche, have useful and valuable content and monetize. You blog can have airline schedules, best discount tickets, locations, local entertainment centers and reviews.

You can include best places to eat and get local entertainment.              
 Self Service Hotels

Self service hotel business is a good money spinner. The concept is easy, functional and caters to a travelers need.

Such hotels are usually a small self contain space complete with seating area, kitchen and bathroom. The traveler takes care of his feeding and is independent of external service.

In such hotels there is no room service but there are other provisions like laundry and shuttle car rental. Travelers find self-service hotels cheaper easier on their finance.

To start a self service hotel you build a series of small bungalows with basic but essential amenities. Find a good location get a permits and certification before starting this business venture.

The business venture is capital intensive but will yield huge profit in the long run.

 Motorcycle Rental Business

Motorcycle rentals only work in quiet scenic areas with low traffic and picturesque beaches. The idea is to give the tourist a first hand view of the city by renting a low engine capacity bike.

The traveler or tourist should have reasonable knowledge of motorcycle riding to avoid undue accidents. On the other hand you can provide a rider to taxi the customer to there various destinations.

The requirement for this business is a small pool of low caliber motorcycles or scooters. They vehicles should be colorful, insured and engraved with the company logo.

To protect you from unnecessary litigation and accident the guest should sign a non liability document. 
Travel Agency Business

Travel agents are supposed to have some physical structures to aid their performance. Different airlines have different requirements before accepting an agency.

Starting a travel agency is challenging because of the bureaucracy and numerous certifications you have to get. Travel agents offer flight schedules, bookings, airport pickup and organized tours

They get a commission from ticket sales and other oversight functions. Travel agencies cover every aspect of travel such as hotel booking, taxi cab service, flight tickets, and in some cases procurement visas for their customers. 
Coffee Cafe

There is virtually no airport around the world that you will not find at least one coffee cafe. Coffee cafes are relaxing spots in and around international airports.

They offer free daily news, various snacks, health drinks and coffee. The atmosphere is usually calm with low sensitive music.

Coffee cafes are moderately profitable but need branding and multiple outlets for bigger gain. Another idea is a mobile coffee cart business around tourist destinations.

The only problem with mobile cart business is some tourists are weary of buying coffee from anyone on the street.

What you need to start your coffee shop business is a good location at the airport or tourist destination. Other setup needs is a beautiful aesthetically please shop and lots of snacks and coffee.

Self Service Laundry

Self service laundry service eliminates the need to cater for tourist laundry. They do it themselves by buying a ticket and using your facilities. Another method is installing coin operated washing machines.

A business man who owns a self service laundry mart is also at liberty to offer full service laundry service. You pickup the guests laundry and return it after they are washed.

Combining the two business models and you will make much more money than focusing on one business structure.

Jet Ski Rentals

Water sport is a major way tourist and travelers relax and have fun. Your Jet Ski business should be located in and around a waterway this guarantees good result.

If you are lucky to have a popular and well patronized holiday resort you will make lots of money. The business is so simple it hurts because all you need is the Jet Ski.

Safety protocol and procedures are important including instructors and lifeguards. You need to provide high quality life jackets and quick access to emergency services.

The major cost of starting a Jet Ski business is the cost of the Jet Ski. After the initial investment the rest is maintenance and promotional material. 
 Start a Local Culture Drama Group

Local drama and entertainment groups provide the fun for tourists. Your group should be versatile in drama, dance and entertainment.

Fashion your drama and dance around ethnic choreography songs and culture. Tourists don’t want to listen to contemporary sounds they can play on their Smartphone’s but actively seek ethic performances.

Local culture and drama groups make lots of money if they are well organized. They only need to get regular gigs in multiple locations like hotels, motels, clubs, and lounges.

You can even create your own in house theater and make huge money. To start this business get creative entertainers and start a group, get lots of costumes, good ethnic musicians and other essential things needed to enhance the fun experience.

Create a brand and use lots of promotional material to get gigs. If you get it right this is one good business venture. 
 Print Publications on Tourism and Travel

Start a small magazine outfit on tourism and travel issues. The magazine should be glossy with rich valuable content for your readers.

The magazine content should have lots of fashion, restaurant, tourist destination and hotel information. The biggest challenge apart from writing, editing, photography and printing is distribution.

 If you publication is not read then you not make any money. Get your publication in international airport book shops, lounges and at hotels. Effective distribution of your publication is the only guarantee for success.

 Private Security Escort Service

Escort services have a bad reputation but private security escort service is most appreciated. A traveler might need additional protection and is willing to pay for the service.

The reasons why a traveler or tourist might need a private security service include large movement of cash and valuables. Others are personal protection in a volatile region and celebrity status.

The private security doubles as a body guard and tour guide. To start this business you need to register a private security outfit. Then hire young able bodied men and get them trained.

The security guard should have an impeccable character and no criminal record or tendencies. 
Open an art Gallery or Museum

The location of your art gallery or museum will make or break this business. A well located museum in a popular tourist destination will attract lots of visitors.

Museums make money in several ways like grants, donations and even corporate participation in your programs. A shrewd art gallery owner could build a side business on the premises selling art work and local artifacts to the visitors. 
Entertainment Carnivals

Entertainment carnivals are great fun and attract lots of money. A themed carnival requires special clothing, masks and decoration that you can sell.

You also get financial support from corporate sponsors and communities. Another way is to localize the carnival to a venue and get petty traders to buy space or a stand.

The petty trading will eagerly pay for the space because they will make money selling snacks, drinks and local cuisine to the tourists and residents. 
Online Hotel Booking Website

An online hotel booking website is profitable if you website has converting traffic. A highly rated website with lots of traffic is the only way a hotel booking website work.

The web master needs to broker deals with various hotels around the world. The deals usually have referral or affiliate structure that guarantees commission on referrals and bookings.

Some hotel booking websites earn thousands of dollars monthly while others struggle to pay hosting fees. To start this business you need to build powerful brand add lovely photographs of hotels and regular updates on prices.

You can add a customer service or any platform to increase the booking average. To make money the more people book hotels and pay through you website the more money you make.

Other money making resources available to the webmaster are placement advertisement and contextual advertisement.

Charter Flight Services

Charter flight services could involve either luxury private jet service or helicopter service. High net worth individuals love to travel in style and need the services of a charter operator.

There are two options if you want to enter this highly lucrative business. The first is heavy investment by buying a private jet or subcontracting the job to an existing charter service.

Either way you need good organizational skills, paying customers and overcoming lots of bottlenecks.

 Boat Cruise Business

Boat cruise businesses are fun easy to do and make lots of money. The major challenges are getting the boat, safety, best locations and attracting customers.

The business is capital intensive because boats are not cheap. The cruise can have in-boat entertainment, delicious meals and tour groups.

The best locations for boat cruises are scenic locations with lots of aquatic life. 
Travel and Tour Expos

Travel and tour expos are a clever way of getting travelers to trade fairs. The company organizes the event, gets the visa for participants and handles travel and hotel arrangements.

For all that effort the travel and tour company makes huge profit.  Travel and tour business expos require lots of organization and planning but the reward is worth the effort.

There are many major players in the industry so you need to carve a niche and have a recognized brand. 
Organize Religious Tours

Religious tours bring in lots of cash for the organizer. This is because you carry out all the arrangement from hotel reservation, transportation, travel and documentation.

Many religions have special provisions for regular visits to historical and religious sites.

Pilgrimage tours are effective money makers because of the large crowd of worshipers. Travel Directories

Why not create a travel directory of all the best hotels and fun spots. The directory makes money from advertisement placement by hotels and restaurants.

You are at liberty to introduce hyper links to your recommendations and earn referral income. Once your directory start receiving a steady stream of visitors you will make a little money.