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Delivering Tourism Experiences

Business Development Tools

A tourism business is often a 24 hour-per-day, seven days-per-week commitment. In many regions income flow can be affected by seasonality. This needs to be a major consideration in business planning to ensure survival, particularly in regard to staffing levels.

Tourism is a people business and working with customers is an essential component. All staff, especially front-linestaff, must have excellent communication skills, a strong service attitude, an aptitude for working with people and an ability to work under pressure. Cultural awareness is also important as visitors to Australia come from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Key ingredients for success include:

  • good business management skills
  • strong customer focus
  • effective skills development, staff training and management
  • adequate marketing skills
  • sufficient capital
  • an understanding of the tourism industry
  • technological skills and ability to cope with changes in technology
  • realistic expectations
  • sensitivity to pricing
  • succession planning.

Business licences and regulations

There are many regulatory requirements affecting tourism. These range from local government regulations through to general safety issues such as fire and rescue.
Licenses and regulations exist to protect the tourism business as much as the community. They enforce safe and responsible practices and ensure compliance with insurance, tax and other obligations.

The Queensland State Development Smart State Licence website:sd.qld.gov.au provides information about State, local and Commonwealth Government requirements.

Risk management

A risk is the chance of something adverse happening. Risk arises out of uncertainty. It is measured in terms of the likelihood of it happening and the consequences if it does happen.

Ignoring the risks that apply to business activities or planned events could affect:

  • the health and safety of employees, customers, volunteers and participants
  • reputation, credibility and status
  • public and customer confidence in an organisation
  • financial position
  • plant, equipment and the environment.

Risk management is a series of well-defined steps leading to a greater insight into the risks faced by a business. It involves weighing up the return expected from taking a risk and the cost of preventing the adverse consequences of taking the risk. Adopting effective risk management techniques may improve safety, quality and business performance. A systematic approach to managing risk is regarded as good management practice.

It is as much about identifying opportunities as it is about avoiding losses.
Cost increases and decreased availability of public liability insurance have made risk management imperative. Across the tourism industry, there is a multitude of opportunities for ‘risks’ to turn into ‘disaster or an upheaval event’. A diverse range of businesses – from accommodation establishments to bungy jumping operators – benefit from implementing good risk management practices.

Risk management is particularly important in nature-based and adventure tourism operations, and requires careful consideration in how it is planned for and dealt with. The concept of ‘duty of care’ presupposes businesses exercise due diligence in carrying out hazard assessment, risk management planning and emergency response.

Further information on risk management and resources to assist include:

  • Standards Australia Risk Management Portal provides information on Risk Management Products and Guides
  • Tourism Risk Management: An Authoriative Guide to Managing Crises in Tourism (APEC Publication)
  • The Queensland Government Community Door, interactive tools and case studies to address risk management
  • Healthy Islands Resorts, a website for tourist facilities to effectively manage public health risks, and personal
  • health and wellbeing considerations whilst living and/or working at a tourist resort or facility
  • Risk management for small businesses training modules provides practical knowledge, understanding and
  • skills for small businesses to implement effective risk and crisis management.

Accreditation

Tourism accreditation is a voluntary process designed to establish and continually improve industry standards for conducting tourism businesses. Accreditation helps all tourism businesses improve the way they operate.

An accredited tourism operator is committed to quality business practices and professionalism in all aspects of the enterprise. Accreditation is ongoing, with an emphasis on business planning, operating systems and performance measurement. Accreditation is voluntary because the demands of a constantly changing marketplace can best be met through agreed industry standards rather than government imposed regulations.

Accreditation programs are usually managed by industry associations. Operators must achieve the standards outlined in their relevant program to become accredited and show that their business practices ensure their services and products are of a consistent quality and meet or exceed the expectations of their customers.

The Queensland Government, through Tourism Queensland, supports, encourages and acknowledges industry-led tourism accreditation.

Benefits of accreditation for tourism businesses include:

  • customer assurance of continued quality – improved customer relationships
  • business improvement – quality management involves documentation of operational and management procedures, improved business knowledge, competence, sustainability, management and predictability
  • competitive advantage – increased market share, profitability
  • official promotion on site, in publicity materials, in government sponsored programs and tourism publications
  • improved staff relationships, training and communications.

The whole tourism industry benefits from accreditation because it provides travel retailers and wholesalers with an assurance of professional service. This commitment to quality means a quality experience for the visitor and subsequent repeat visitation.

More information on accreditation programs can be found at:

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