Start Here

Every successful tourism business starts with an idea.

Whether you’re dreaming of opening a farm gate, creating a guided experience, welcoming guests to your property or turning a passion into a tourism business, every journey starts somewhere.

Many successful tourism businesses begin small. Some start as weekend experiences, side businesses or seasonal ventures before gradually growing over time. Others evolve from an existing business looking to diversify, attract new visitors or create additional income streams.

There is no single path into tourism, but there are common questions every business should consider before taking the next step.

The Start Here Development Pathway is designed to help you explore those questions, understand what’s involved in creating and growing a tourism business, and identify the knowledge, resources and support available along the way.

Whether you’re just beginning to explore an idea or preparing to launch a new experience, this pathway provides a practical starting point.

Why this pathway matters

Starting a tourism business is exciting, but successful businesses are built on more than passion alone.

Understanding your motivations, knowing your customers, testing your ideas and planning for sustainable growth can help reduce risk and build confidence before making significant investments.

This pathway encourages you to think strategically about your business from the beginning, helping you identify opportunities, recognise potential challenges and build a business that reflects your goals, lifestyle and available resources. It also helps you identify where to focus your time and which Development Pathways will be most valuable as your business grows.

Every tourism journey is different

Some tourism businesses begin with significant investment. Others start with little more than a great idea, local knowledge and a willingness to test the market.

Many successful operators begin part-time, refining their experience, building confidence and learning from customers before expanding their business. Starting small can provide valuable insights, reduce financial risk and help ensure your product is meeting visitor needs before committing to larger investments.

Whatever your starting point, thoughtful planning and a willingness to learn are often the foundations of long-term success.

Region X Kayak Experience, Batemans Bay | Credit: Destination NSW

How this pathway is structured

The Start Here Development Pathways is structured around the three stages of the Destination NSW NSW First program. Whether you’re starting a new tourism business or growing an existing one, these stages provide a practical roadmap to help you build capability over time.

Develop

Turn your idea into a viable tourism business by exploring your motivations, testing your concept, building business capability and understanding the practical requirements of operating successfully.

Promote

Learn how to position your business, connect with the right visitors, and promote your products through the right marketing channels.

Sell

Explore distribution channels, online bookings and sales opportunities that help visitors discover and purchase your experiences more easily.

Start with reflection

Starting a tourism business is an exciting step, but it’s also a significant commitment. Tourism operators often invest not only their time and money, but also their passion, creativity and lifestyle into building their business. Before you take the leap, spend some time reflecting on what you hope to achieve and whether the business you’re planning aligns with your personal goals, circumstances and long-term aspirations.

What motivates you?

People enter tourism for many different reasons. You may want to share a place you love, create memorable visitor experiences, build a lifestyle business, diversify an existing enterprise or simply become your own boss. Tourism is ultimately a people-focused industry and helping visitors connect with your region can be incredibly rewarding. Like any business, however, it also brings challenges and demands. Being clear about your motivations will help you make decisions that are right for you and your business.

What does success look like?

Success means different things to different people. For some, it may be financial independence or business growth. For others, it may be the flexibility to work for themselves, the satisfaction of building something meaningful or the opportunity to share a passion with others. Defining your own measure of success will help you choose a business model that supports your goals and sets realistic expectations from the outset.

What are you prepared to invest?

Every business involves some level of risk. Before getting started, think about how much time, money and energy you are willing and able to invest, and what other commitments or opportunities you may need to balance along the way. Establishing realistic boundaries early can help you make informed decisions and reduce the likelihood of overcommitting before your business is ready.

Could you start small?

Many successful tourism businesses begin as part-time ventures or small pilot experiences before growing into full-time operations. Testing your idea on a smaller scale allows you to gauge visitor interest, refine your product, identify gaps in your planning and build confidence before making larger financial or operational commitments. Starting small can be a practical way to learn, adapt and grow sustainably.

Have you thought about the long term?

It may seem early to think about leaving a business before it has even begun, but considering your long-term plans can help shape better decisions from the start. Whether you hope to build a business to sell, pass on to family, or simply enjoy for a period of your life, having an exit strategy in mind can influence everything from business structure to investment decisions and future growth.

You’re not doing this alone

Destination Southern’s Development Pathways bring together practical guidance, industry resources and regional knowledge to support tourism businesses at every stage of development.

Alongside the Development Pathways, you’ll also find valuable support through Destination NSW’s NSW First Program, local councils, industry organisations and Destination Southern’s Industry Development Managers.

Our role is to help you build capability, connect with opportunities and create visitor experiences that contribute to a thriving visitor economy across Southern NSW.

Your next step

If you’re just beginning your tourism journey, the Develop phase is the ideal place to start. It will help you refine your idea, build strong business foundations and understand the practical considerations involved in creating a successful tourism business.

If you’re already operating a tourism business, you may prefer to explore the phase or Development Pathway that best matches your current goals. Whether you’re strengthening your marketing, expanding your distribution channels, improving accessibility, embracing sustainability or developing a new visitor experience, the Development Pathways are designed to support businesses at every stage of their journey.

There is no single path to success. Some businesses start small and grow over time, while others build on existing operations or diversify into tourism.

Wherever you are on your tourism journey, choose the Development Pathway that best reflects your current priorities and start exploring. You can return to the pathways at any time as your business grows, changes and discovers new opportunities.

Dive Eden, Twofold Bay, Eden | Credit: Destination NSW

Destination NSW – NSW First Program

The Destination Southern NSW Development Pathways draw on content from Destination NSW’s NSW First Program, which provides a suite of resources to help tourism businesses develop, promote, and sell their products.

We acknowledge and credit Destination NSW for the relevant NSW First content that underpins the Development Pathways.

For more information and to access the full NSW First resources, please visit the Destination NSW website.

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