ecotourism as a business

Eco Tourism as a Eco Tourism as a BusinessBusinessJacqui DoyleJacqui Doyle

Outdoor Tourism TrainingOutdoor Tourism Training

ECOTOURISMECOTOURISM

Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. This means that those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following ecotourism principles:

– minimise impact– build environmental and cultural awareness and respect– provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts– provide direct financial benefits for conservation– provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people – raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and– social climate

ECOTOURISMECOTOURISM

• ‘Rapidly growing movement towards creating a greener and more ethical form of tourism’

• ‘Ecotourism is about maximising the positive impacts of tourism for everyone and everything’

ECOTOURISMECOTOURISM

• ‘if everyone working in tourism worked to the same eco principles, there would be a nationwide change in attitude towards keeping Ireland GREEN

• ‘Ecotourism has been growing since the 1990’s at a rate of 20-34% per year’

EcotouristEcotourist

• ‘typical eco-tourist’ has more of everything ‘more education, more money and more years on them than most other tourists’

• Beyond sustainable development

‘ Tourism’s contribution to mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies’

EcotouristEcotourist

• Failte Ireland Research

‘the majority of visitors to Ireland in 2020 will be over 55 years old’

‘Tomorrow’s customer will be better educated, more individualistic and more discriminating than their predecessors’

EcotouristEcotourist

• Consumers are developing an increasing ‘desire to reconnect with traditional values, things like simpler ways of living, slower pace of life and family centred lifestyles’

• Ecotourism products suit all of these needs and interests

What motivates the EcotouristWhat motivates the Ecotourist

• Meeting local people• Experiencing local culture• Learning something new• Small locally run accommodation• Good available information• Good local guides• Good local food• Being in untouched wildlife areas

How to become a successful How to become a successful ecotourism businessecotourism business

• What is the environmental impact of your business?

• How much do you, and could you, feed into the local

economy?

• Should you have an ecotourism policy in place for your

business?

• How can you develop a business plan to specifically suit your

ecotourism product?

• What is eco-labelling and how can you get it?

• What funding and training is available in ecotourism?

• How do you market or sell an ecotourism business?

Improving your environmental Improving your environmental impactimpact

• Change the lightbulbs• Bring sunlight into darkness – sunpipes• Install a carbon counter• Use more energy efficient appliances• Reduce heating costs – insulation• Reduce temperatures• Use sustainable building techniques and

technologies

Improving your environmental Improving your environmental impactimpact

• Convert to carbon free forms of energy

• Use biodegradable cleaning products

• Save water

• Reduce waste and recycle

• Use local, seasonal produce

• Optimise use of technology

• Carbon footprint - transport

Improving your environmental Improving your environmental impactimpact

• Improve your eco creditials

• Improve your knowledge of conservation

• Plant Trees

• Offset your carbon emissions

Improving your economic ImpactImproving your economic Impact

• Get involved with your local community

• Get involved with local tourism businesses

• Feature local artists

• Buy food locally

• Share your activities with guests

• Use local guides

• Support local charities

BusinessBusiness

Entrepreneurs and Enterprise

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and Enterprise

• An entrepreneur is a person who provides the initiative and takes the risk in establishing a business. An entrepreneur is innovative and uses society’s needs to create business opportunities and takes the initiative in setting up a business to avail of the opportunity and make a profit

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and Enterprise

• Some famous entrepreneurs– Richard Branson (Virgin Group)– Michael O’Leary (Ryanair Airlines)– Feargal Quinn (Superquinn)

o Local Entrepreneurs??oConstructionoShop ownersoHotel owners

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and EnterpriseSkills and Characteristics• A characteristic is a special attribute or trait

that distinguishes one person from another, stubbornness, impatience, tidiness are all characteristics

• A skill, is an ability people have gained through practice and knowledge. Some people might be skilled at football, others painting. Some skills are born of natural talent, others are developed through training, education and practice.

• It can be hard to distinguish between skills and characteristics

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and Enterprise

• Characteristics of enterprising people1.

2

3.

4.

5.

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and Enterprise

• Skills of Enterprising people1.

2

3.

4.

5.

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and EnterpriseCharacteristics Independent – enterprising people like to do

things their own way & do not like to feel controlled by others

Analytical – they have the capacity to analyse situations & data, and make quick decisions

Motivated – they are self-motivated & will work long hours to achieve their objectives

Ambitious – they have in built ambition & always want to achieve something new

Confident –they have the self-belief & confidence to begin and, more importantly, complete, projects

Ruthless – more concerned with achieving their goals than with other peoples feelings

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and EnterpriseSkills of enterprising peopleo Inner control – to have a strong belief in our

own ability to control our actions and decisiono Planning & Setting goals – one must practice

planning both for the future and in their daily lives by setting goals and targets to be achieved

o Reality Perception – this means and ability to see objects, people and situations as they are rather than as we would like them to be.

o Risks and risk-taking – the financial risk of losing money, and the personal risk of failure.

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and Enterprise• Business risk can be controlled though a

careful analysis of the facts, i.e. by using market research.

In general there are three types of risk-takers1. Risk avoiders2. Risk neutral3. Risk acceptors

Which category do you fall under?Innovation - means applying ideas, borrowed

or original, to new situations.

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and Enterprise• Methods of Innovating1.2.3.Decision Making – there are different types of

decision makerso The dependent person lets others make

decisions and then joins in with themo The delaying person holds off making

decisions until all possible facts are knowno Impulsive people make quick decisions based

on speedy analysis and facts

Entrepreneurs and EnterpriseEntrepreneurs and Enterprise

o Intuitive people making decisions based on instinctive analysis (or feeling) of situations

o Paralytic people make decisions but then do nothing about them

Feedback – always important to use information gained from data and research to find out if a project is succeeding.

The Changing Role of an The Changing Role of an EntrepreneurEntrepreneur• New Business – at this stage the entrepreneur

combines all the resources together to produce a good or service. He/she must spot a gap in the market, undertake the research, obtain the necessary finance and produce a business plan to impress investors

• Medium-sized Business – now the entrepreneur must expand the firm’s range of new products, develop new uses for existing products and discover new ways of serving the market

• Large Business – the entrepreneur will be concerned mainly with the expansion of the business into new markets.

Importance of EnterpriseImportance of Enterprise

Advantages??• Enterprise is important in business as it is

the driving force which conceives and develops new products and businesses.

• Entrepreneurial activity results in increased employment, greater opportunities for service provider, and a greater flow of tax revenue to the exchequer

• Increased wealth from business is spent in local shops, restaurants and bars.

• Benefits of opening an Amusement Park in Donegal…………..

Business PlanningBusiness Planning

Business Plan - Handbook

Business DescriptionBusiness Description

• Business Objectives• What business are you in• To whom will you market your products• Describe the tourism and ecotourism industry• Describe the core competencies and strengths• Describe your ecotourism product or service

Management & OrganisationManagement & Organisation

• Owners and Managers

• Job descriptions

• Professional and advisory Support

Market Analysis & Marketing PlanMarket Analysis & Marketing Plan

• Define your market

• Project your market share

• Analyse your competition

• Marketing Sales & Strategy

• Operational Plan

• Financial Plan