5 Tourist Guide Business Success Stories [2024]
There's no denying the profitability of a tourism business. If you know the state and cities well, starting a tour guide business can be a very lucrative idea. All you need is a license, and you can soon start working as a tour guide.
Listed are the steps on how to start a tour guide business.
- Register your tour guide name business
- Obtain necessary licenses
- Open a bank account for business transactions
- Organize your business operations
- Start to promote and get clients
In this list, you'll find real-world tourist guide business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a tourist guide business that makes money.
1. Augustine Tours ($648K/year)
Augustin Ndikuriyo, the founder of Augustine Tours, came up with the idea for his business when a client at the hotel where he worked asked for recommendations on travel companies in Burundi. Unable to find any options, Augustin saw the opportunity to fill the gap in the market and launched Augustine Tours in 2010. Since then, the company has grown to generate an impressive monthly average of €50K, offering unique safari experiences in East Africa that go beyond traditional tourism.
How much money it makes: $648K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 3
Augustin Ndikuriyo founded Augustine Tours, a travel company that offers wildlife safari and cultural tour experiences around East Africa, which makes a monthly average of €50K/Month and focuses on transformative tourism that benefits visitors and the local communities.
2. SmartGuide ($360K/year)
Jan Doležal, founder of SmartGuide, came up with the idea for his business while traveling with his family. Frustrated by the lack of quality digital guides available, he saw an opportunity to create an app that would provide travelers with personalized tour guides. Since its founding, SmartGuide has exceeded 500 destinations and is approaching half a million users, with top travel brands including the city of Prague and UNESCO sites utilizing the app as their official guide.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $600K
How many people on the team: 15
SmartGuide, a digital tour guide platform that turns every phone into a personal tour guide using audio, geolocation, and Augmented Reality, has exceeded 500 destinations and is approaching half a million users in just three years since founding.
3. 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
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.
4. 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
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%.
5. No Code Map App ($2.4K/year)
Nan, the founder of No Code Map App, came up with the idea while working on Pebblar, a collaborative trip planner. Recognizing the importance of visualization, they received inquiries from businesses wanting to utilize their map interface. This led to the creation of No Code Map App, a no-code platform for building custom interactive maps.
How much money it makes: $2.4K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
How many people on the team: 0
No Code Map App is a no code builder that allows businesses to create custom interactive maps with dynamic filters automatically based on their dataset, generating >$400 in the first full month of monetization.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
