Tour Guide

3 Tour Guide Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 9th, 2024

Unlock the potential of your local community by becoming a tour guide. As a tour guide, your primary role will be to introduce visitors to the hidden gems and well-known landmarks of your area, providing them with a rich, cultural experience.

You'll lead groups on walking tours, providing historical context, interesting anecdotes, and insider tips that aren't found in guidebooks. This isn't just about knowing your town; it's about sharing your passion and knowledge in a way that engages and captivates tourists.

Running a tour guide business requires more than just affability and knowledge. You'll need to research heavily, plan meticulously, and work on marketing to attract clients. Leveraging platforms like TripAdvisor or Airbnb Experiences can help you gain visibility and credibility.

For those who love storytelling and meeting new people, becoming a tour guide offers a rewarding opportunity to turn local expertise into a thriving business.

In this list, you'll find real-world tour guide success stories and very profitable examples of starting a tour guide that makes money.

1. TourScanner ($720K/year)

Simone Semprini, CEO and Co-Founder of TourScanner, came up with the idea for the business while traveling in Brazil and struggling to find activities and tours online. Seeing the opportunity in the growing market for online tours and activities, he developed the concept, connected with co-founders Guillaume Picard and Joseph Dimucci, and launched TourScanner as the first meta-search engine for tours and activities. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, TourScanner has recovered and is now performing better than ever, with a monthly net revenue of $60k and plans to reach $1M ARR in 2022.

How much money it makes: $720K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 5

We Built A $720K/Year Travel Activities And Tours Search Engine

TourScanner, a meta-search engine for tours and activities, achieved monthly net revenue of $60k and plans to reach $1M ARR in 2022, utilizing a lightweight business model based on affiliate programs that earned a commission from referrals sent to major travel companies like Viator, GetYourGuide, Musement, and Groupon.

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2. Arara Tour ($132K/year)

Nune Tatunts, the founder of Arara Tour, started her travel company in Armenia in 2014. Through hard work and dedication, Arara Tour has become one of the leading tour operators in Armenia, with branch offices in Georgia and Uzbekistan. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 in 2020, the company was on track to double its revenue from the previous year, showcasing their success in the tourism industry.

How much money it makes: $132K/year
How much did it cost to start: $7K
How many people on the team: 8

How We Started A $22K/Month Travel Company Selling Tours Around Armenia, Caucasus And Central Asia

Araratour, led by Nune Tatunts, experienced impressive revenue growth, doubling its 2018 revenue to bring in $13,000 a month in 2019, offering combined tours around the Caucasus and Central Asia, and now has an office in three countries.

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3. Secret Food Tours ($120K/year)

Nico Jacquart and Oliver Levene, founders of Secret Food Tours, came up with the idea when they realized that many of their friends traveling to Paris or London would ask them for recommendations on where to eat. After testing the market with a quickly created website and selling their first ticket within hours, they knew they had a winning concept. Now, Secret Food Tours has launched over 80 tours in more than 50 cities worldwide and continues to experience 100% year-on-year growth.

How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3K
How many people on the team: 4

How We Started A $10K/Month Food Tour Business

Serial entrepreneur Nico Jacquart shares how he and his partner validated and grew a global food tour company with tours in more than 50 cities worldwide, experiencing year on year growth of 100%.

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