How to Start Adventure Tourism Business in 10 Steps

Do you want to start an adventure tourism business? If yes, you have landed at the right place.

Adventure tourism generally takes place in strange, exotic locations where thrill-seeking travelers always expect unexpected happenings. There are two ways one can start a business buying a franchise or an established brand or you can start your own. Here we will cover the steps to build your own adventure tourism business from scratch.

The adventure tourism business includes different varieties of events like Rock climbing, Surfing, Wakeboarding, White water rafting, Windsurfing, Mountain cycling, Paragliding, etc. the target audience is normally male and female clients in the age group of 18-40.

Is Adventure Tourism Business Profitable?

As per this report, the global adventure tourism market was valued at USD 316.6 billion in 2022. Industry experts expect the volume to reach USD 1.009 trillion by 2030.

For the last decade, adventure tourism has increased exponentially. More and more people are willing to spend on thrilling experiences and seek adventure during their vacations.

Here are the 10 Steps to Start Adventure Tourism Business

1. Understand the Market

Before starting any business, it is extremely important to understand the trends and demands of the targeted customers. It holds true for adventure tourism ventures too.

Do market research and gather as much as possible. Talk to existing adventure tour companies and customers and locate the gaps. It would be easier than planning your services exploring the gaps and providing the customers exactly what they want.

2. Choose a Specific Niche in Adventure Tourism Industry

Adventure tourism is fast becoming a broad industry sector. As a beginner, it is advised to target a specific category of adventure tour service. The location and tourist destinations generally should be the factors to consider while choosing the niche.

Below we list down some of the popular examples of adventure tourism businesses:

• Adventure club
• A travel Agency focused on varieties of adventure tour activities
• Cruise ship tour planner
• Bed and Breakfast
• Conduct extreme adventure tours
• Rent a Motorcycle for Bikers
• Arrange Kayak Tours

3. Create an Adventure Tourism Business Plan

Before starting an adventure tourism business create a detailed business plan. Determine what types of adventure tourism you will be going to offer. According to that choose locations. As per your geographical location, you will need to choose the adventure tourism category. Calculate your start-up budget with promotional expenses. Below are the must-include chapters of your adventure tourism business plan:

• Startup and recurring costs for your adventure travel company.
• Tour Target Customers.
• Travel Packages and their Prices.
• How and where do you plan to sell your tour packages?

4. Register Your Adventure Travel Business

If you are looking forward to running a hassle-free legally compliant adventure tourism company, registration of the business is a must. Every country and state offers different legal company formation structures. Choose the one that fits you best based on your budget and the scale of the operation.

For example, in the United States, the three most popular business structures for small businesses are sole proprietorship, partnership, and limited liability company(LLC). Most small business owners prefer LLC as it protects the owner’s personal assets if the company is financially sued.

You can form an LLC directly paying required states and other fees or hire a professional LLC formation service provider paying some extra charges.

5. Get Licenses & Permits

You need specific licenses and permits to operate an adventure tour agency business. It is advised to talk to a local attorney or concerned appropriate authority and procure the required licenses.

In an adventure tourism business, you will need to have proper business insurance. For any kind of injury and loss, you can protect your business by having insurance only.

6. Select a Business Name

A proper catchy business name is important to build a brand personality in the trade. It also helps in reaching more customers as they relate to the tourism services you are offering in tune with their needs.

Learn More: How to Name Your Business

7. Build Office Setup

It is expected that a lot of tourists would prefer to meet you in person. So, it is essential to set up your adventure travel agency be it home-based or from a rented office. Design your office space so that customers feel comfortable communicating with you.

It is a good idea to showcase your upcoming adventure tour events on the walls of the office. The interior setup must provide confidence to tourists that they are in the right place.

Other than computers, and phones you must have accounting software and POS software so that customers can pay easily.

Every adventure tourism activity requires a special need for protective clothing and equipment. Based on the tour niche, buy some equipment needed for carrying out the adventure tour.

8. Hire Skilled Manpower & Build Partnerships

To run a successful adventure travel business, you need smart personnel with good appearance and communication skills. As a matter of fact, in a travel agency business, it is your staff who are the brand ambassadors of your company. Have an exhaustive hiring plan and be extremely selective in recruiting staff for your business.

In addition, you will have to develop partnerships with local guides, accommodation providers, transportation services, and other relevant partners.

9. Fix Tour Packages & Pricing

The interests of adventure-loving travelers are wide and varied. You need to create different types of travel packages for fulfilling the needs of different types of tourists. Some popular adventure travel packages provided by reputed travel companies are listed below:

• Adult adventure trips
• Family adventure trips
• Customized adventure tour
• Motorcycle adventure trips
• Solo travel packages
• Women-only Adventure trips
• Small ship cruises

Check out the pricing structures of competitors providing similar services. If you are providing some unique facilities that none are offering, go for value-based pricing. Else, it is better to go for cost-plus pricing if almost similar tour packages are offered.

10. Promote your Adventure Tour Agency Business

Having a clearly articulated marketing plan is essential to run a profitable adventure travel company. Give special attention to making marketing collateral like brochures business cards etc. Start promotion locally and publish some advertisements in travel magazines. Here is a list of promotional ideas to reach your target customers.

• Create a Website/ Blog.
• Be on Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Consider buying travel booking software.
• Create a brand personality in the industry by attending travel fairs and joining local travel clubs and associations.

Words of caution: Adventure tourism is without saying a business with high-profit potential. However, prepare for the worst-case scenario too. There are several factors both micro and macro that influence the travel business in general. It can be endemic or pandemic, forest fire, weather conditions, government policies, and many more. Always try to have a back plan to run a sustainable adventure tourism business.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I start an adventure tourism business from home?

No. it is almost impossible to run an adventure tourism business from home. This is because this type of business revolves around providing outdoor activities and experiences like trekking, mountaineering, and water sports to customers. It cannot be conducted from a home-based setting.

However, you can carry out official activities like administrative tasks, marketing and promotion, customer inquiries and bookings, financial management, etc from your home office.

What are the essential safety measures for adventure tourism activities?

It is without saying, safety is the most important factor to consider in adventure tourism. You must ensure proper equipment, provide qualified guides, establish emergency protocols, and adhere to local regulations. Furthermore, regular equipment maintenance, and conducting extensive staff training are mandatory.