- Introduction
- Opportunities and Success Stories
- What is a Nature Tourist?
- Guidance for Natural and Community Resource Managers and Community Leaders
- Guidance for a Quality Nature Tourism Industry
- Guidance for Tour Guides and Nature Travelers
- Planning and Developing a Nature Tourism Enterprise
- Marketing
- Operations
- Just Basic Management
- Conclusions and Challenges
- References
- Contributors
(PDF 1.2 MB)
Operations
An important facet of the operations procedure is the development of safety procedures, rules and regulations for your customers. Sufficient resources and time should be allocated to ensure their safety.
DEVELOP AN OPERATIONS PLAN
A nature tourism operator should begin by visualizing and making basic "nuts and bolts" decisions:
- What are the objectives for the major nature activities, and a plan of action for achieving them?
- What detailed activities must be carried out in the operation of the business (make a detailed operations manual)?
- Who will carry out these activities (personnel)?
- How will necessary tasks be defined (job descriptions) and who will provide for employee training?
- What talents are necessary to make your plan operate smoothly to please the customer?
- How will identified weaknesses or constraints be overcome?
DEVELOP AN INTERPRETIVE PLAN
- Learn all you can about your resources.
- Provide good interpreters for your resources. Remember that people like the "personal touch" of family members who can tell the "real" story of the ranch and its resources.
- Tell the story with words, sounds, sights, touch, etc.
- Get your clients involved in the experience. Make it fun and memorable.
A well organized excursion into nature begins with an educational session covering safety requirements. Customers should also be made aware of the need for conservation and management.
Gather together a group of your friends and role play an enterprise activity to see if your plan works... strive to do it for real so that you can evaluate and find your flaws. Be sure after the start up of your enterprise that you consistently review your enterprise to determine your strengths and weaknesses, and then do what you can to build on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses.