How to Write a Tourism Business Plan

Having a business plan can help you achieve many things. For starters, you won't be able to obtain any type of credit or funding unless you have a business plan to present to the bank or financial institution. If you want to attract investors or partners, a business plan can help you establish how serious you are about the project and let them know what they can expect to gain if they join you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Decide what type of business plan you want to write for your tourism business. If you are writing a business plan to help you get organized and understand the step-by-step process of setting up a business, you can skip certain details and avoid formal language. If you are writing a business plan in hopes of obtaining financial help or sponsorship, you will need a more thorough description of your plans.
2. Include all the basic financial details needed to convince a bank or lending institution that you know what you are doing. This includes a detailed description of your services, your marketing strategy, your projected income for the first year and your expenses for setting up the business, including permits.
3. Keep the business plan simple and understandable, but don't make it too short. Banks expect to see at least 20 pages of detailed information, including graphs and charts, but you can go on for as many as 40 pages if the information you have is important.
4. Consult with an expert to help you write your business plan. Unless you have the knowledge and ability to write well and convincingly, you may be better off paying a professional writer to work out a tourism business plan that is both comprehensive and interesting.
5. Visit BPlans.com to learn more about creating your own tourism business plan and to see dozens of samples of successful business plans (see Resources below). The website also offers video and audio tutorials to help you decide what type of business plan is better for your particular situation.

Tips & Warnings

• Business plans that are too vague or have no focus may actually give a bad impression about your capacity to take the business forward. Make sure your objectives are clearly established in the plan.