Tour operator Business Plan

Tour operator Articles

The tour operators’ industry has experienced rapid growth over the last years. Taking advantage of this opportunity has led a few people to start a tour operator business because they realized that they love educating others and providing them with meaningful cultural experiences. Others started the company simply because they love traveling and wanted to introduce others to get the most out of it. Whatever your reason to start the business is, you'll need this business plan to make sure your venture is both financially and conceptually viable.

tour operator business plan

Business Model

A tour operator business is mainly a sightseeing company. It should be organized to take advantage of the gap in the local sightseeing tour market. This part of the business plan provides specific information about the company characteristics and the way it should work, along with where it gets its revenues from.

Business Summary

market positioning

Market Positioning

In this section of the tour operator business plan market research reports will be presented to confirm the mission of the company in order to position it properly within the industry. This usually involves providing safe, reliable and fun sightseeing tours and charter services for visitors. It also presents the development of a message that touring with us is fun comparing with the competitors’ weaknesses.


team management

Operations Plan

The operations plan of a tour operator business in outlined carefully in this section. It will describe how to deliver high quality, comfortable, informative services that are tailored to the clients’ needs. This part of the business plan offers a complete description of the regular operations of a tour operator business including ticket selling, schedule setting and personnel training.


Marketing Plan

The marketing plan section of the business will be based mainly on ensuring customers know about the company’s existence and the services it provides. Hence the intention is to make the right information available to the right target customers. This section presents a market penetration strategy that will ensure the business is well known and respected in the tourism industry.


trade shows

Market Segmentation

The business plan focuses on foreign tourists seeking fun travel experiences and excursions, with the intention of letting them see and appreciate the numerous attractions and cultural sites of the area. This section provides information on how to target those clients who want to see as many places as possible in a short period of time. These people often do not want to lease vehicles to move around by themselves, but instead want to be escorted around places of interest by a reliable source that can provide them useful and interesting information about the places.


business development

Promotional Strategies

This part of the business plan ensures that people appreciate the services of the tour operators company, know that it exists, and how they can contact you to buy tickets. The marketing will convey the sense of quality in every picture, every promotion, and every publication. The promotional strategy of the business integrates advertising in social media, public relations and events, developing relationships with key travel agencies, hotels and wholesale tour operators within the area that can drive fresh revenues for the business.


Financial Projections

The financial portion of this business plan is essential if you want to meet the business objectives. Its intention is to outline the main revenue sources, expenses and capital requirements to start and expand the business.


revenue projections

Revenue Assumptions

The tour operator main source of revenues comes from selling tickets/seats on its full service tour and sightseeing vehicles but along with charter services for special occasions and corporate clients. In this section of the plan there is a description of the sources of income and the important assumptions of the financial plan that will help arrive to reliable revenue estimations.


budget forecasts

Projecting Expenses

This section of the tour operators’ business plan presents the major regular expenses as the costs of keeping the business running profitably. The list of operating expenses includes and explanation in detail of the direct and indirect costs and how to keep them in balance in order to maintain a sustainable business. These include leasing vehicles, hiring chauffeurs and training entertainers, among others.


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