John Veverka & Associates

Planning and developing a new commercial tour guiding business.

This course is designed to help folks who want to start an
interpretive tour guiding business get a focused and good business planning start.

17 Units, 3 CEU Credits
Course Tuition - $500.00

Over the past few years there has been a huge increase in the number of people who have an interest in starting their own interpretive tour guiding business.  Many of those are folks involved in heritage interpretation in some way who have or are going to retire from their current position, and feel that being a professional tourist guide would be something they would both enjoy and find a great deal of personal satisfaction in sharing their love of history or nature with visitors.  Others are folks whose positions in museums, parks or heritage sites have been eliminated and see the tourist sector as a good career move and one that will provide them with personal satisfaction as well as a paycheck.

Having been there - 40 years ago - I can tell you that it looks easy to do - but it's not.  So don't give up your day job just yet - if you have one.  You have some work to do first, and this course will help you plan and develop a great tour guiding business with a reality check in tow.

As a e-LIVE course, you'll be able to talk with the course instructor as needed to be your coach throughout the course and provide you with support as you get your business growing.
You can start the course any time and complete the course at your own pace.

About the Instructor: Prof. John Veverka



- B.S and M.S in Heritage Interpretation - The Ohio State University (Taught a course on
Interpretive Master Planning - wrote the first Interpretive Planning Text book).
- Ph.D. program in Interpretation at Michigan State University. (Taught introduction and
advanced interpretive courses including interpretive planning units.)
- Adjunct Professor Heritage Interpretation (summer heritage tourism institutes) North
Carolina State University, New York State University.
- NAI Certified Interpretive Planner and Trainer
- NAI Fellow
- Certified Professional Heritage Interpreter (Canada).
- Author of several interpretive planning/training college text books.
- Publisher of InterpNEWS - the International Heritage Interpretation e-Magazine.
- 40 years of interpretive planning, training and writing experience.
- Senior Instructor, Kansas State University - Global Campus (Interpretive Planning).


Course Units:

Unit One - Why? What are your reasons, motivations and goals for starting a new tour guiding
                   business?

Unit Two - Make a list and check it twice.  Meaning - let's make a check list of everything you are going to need to do to go from - this is what I want - to having  your business developed and operational.

Unit Three  - The legal stuff - assumed name certificate, tax ID number, banking account, payment options, licenses if any, insurance for any liability issues, etc.

Unit Four - Tour business operational time frames.  Are you full time, year round, just summer, or by appointment?

Unit Five - Financial analysis - how much will your start-up cost, what will each tour event cost, how much profit do you need to make per tour and over time. Overhead vs. tour fee.

Unit Six - Geography and scope - Where do you plan to operate - do your tours - local, regional, or beyond.

Unit Seven - the tour delivery options - walking tours, van tours, bicycle tours, boat tours?  

Unit Eight - Tour durations and logistics.  Tour group meeting point or pick-ups, meals or snacks, bathroom stops, first aide, tour lengths, starting and ending times.

Unit Nine - Tour stop partners? Will you have an arrangement with other attractions for reduced admission, or at a coffee shop or gift store stop on the tour for reduced costs?  What's the plan for partnerships?

Unit Ten - Developing your tour story, interpretive theme and tour stop (i.e. your tour interpretive plan).  Audience profiles, knowledge levels, tour expectations.  Tour experience
development and inventory.

Unit Eleven - The importance of souvenirs and photo opportunities - plan for both.

Unit Twelve - Your tour supplies.  What do you need to take with you on your tour - teaching aides, historic photos, video, music, binoculars, etc.

Unit Thirteen - Tour dry runs for timing, logistics, tour group placement (where they will stand) during tour stops, etc.   A one or two hour tour (as advertised) should actually take the time advertised.

Unit Fourteen - Developing your tour business web site and marketing plan.  Can they sign up and pay at your web site (via pay pal, etc.)  Does your web site have video from past tours or testimonials from past tour participants?

Unit Fifteen - Your marketing and advertising plan basics.

Unit Sixteen - Developing your tour introductions and conclusions.  Post tour marketing and handouts.

Unit Seventeen -  Keeping your records (contact lists, supply and related receipts, e-mail lists and related records).  And now you're ready to go.  Good luck and stay in touch.


If you would like more details on this course please feel free to contact me. If you would like to enroll in this course, first contact me for a Registration Form. Then you can return to this page, click on the Pay Now button below, and off we go to get you started. Course tuition is: $500.00 USD. This course provides a lot of one-on-one coaching and advice.

Cheers,
Prof. John Veverka
jvainterp@aol.com
SKYPE: jvaintep