Starting Out in Tourism

What is Tourism?

Why Tourism?

Is the Tourism Industry for you?

Who’s Who?

Where to from here?

What is Tourism?

Tourism is a service-based industry comprising a number of tangible and intangible components. The tangible elements include transport, foods and beverages, tours, souvenirs and accommodation, while the intangible elements involve adventure, ecotourism, education, culture, or simply escape and relaxation.

Source: Tourism Facts and Figures, October 2008.

Tourism provides many benefits and helps to generate community support and involvement. It is a many layered, complex and diverse service industry made up of a wide variety of stakeholders who must work together to service the needs of visitors.

Why Tourism?

• Queensland tourism is an expanding industry providing excellent business opportunities.
• Tourism creates many job opportunities, particularly for young people (enabling them to stay in their local community) and for mature workers returning to the workforce.

Is the Tourism Industry for you?

Specific skills and abilities are needed to run a successful tourism business. These include:

• Ability to work with people even under stress
• Capacity to work long and unusual hours
• Industry experience required and/or the willingness to undertake training
• Ability to relate to people from different social and cultural backgrounds
• Willingness to accept people with different values and beliefs to yourself
• Sensitivity to meet and understand the needs of groups and individuals
• Ability to solve problems quickly
• Ability to keep cool under pressure
• Total support of your spouse, family and others involved in or affected by the business
• Fitness and stamina to keep your business running
• Public relations and sales skills to promote your business.

Running a business requires many different skills including managerial, financial and marketing skills, as well as the technical. Your knowledge of these skills can affect the viability and success of the business. It is important to analyse your skills and abilities before starting a business. This will ensure you possess both the capabilities and knowledge required in operating and growing your own business.

Who's Who

The tourism business system is built around a core base of industry operators:

State Level: Tourism Queensland is the government agency responsible for guiding tourism development and marketing.

Regional Level: 14 Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) play a key role in coordinating the efforts of industry, local government and the community.

Local Level: Local Tourism Organisations (LTOs) and local governments are responsible for promoting their local area and driving or participating in local tourism development initiatives.

Visitors and residents, whose support is essential for the tourism industry to function, underpin the whole system.

There are a number of organisations involved in the planning, development and coordination of tourism in Queensland, each with complementary roles and responsibilities.

Tourism works for Queensland generally outlines the structure and function of the key coordinating agencies and the levels described above.

For contact details on a range of organisations within these different levels - refer to the Queensland Tourism the Industry Directory.

Where to from here?

Now you are starting to gain a better understanding of the tourism industry and its major stakeholders you can continue on learning how to Build Business Success or better utilise the information available on the destinations in Queensland in our Destination and Special Interest section.