Since this is the Business forum, why don’t you share with us exactly the type of business you envision? Buying or leasing land? Adding: Trailers? Tents? Pods? Meals? Security? Bathing facilities? Side trips/tours? Weekend getaway or longer stays? Copying something already available here in eco tourism, or do you envision something different?
Absolutely... I have long been a bottom-up marketing exponent... Al Reis and Jack Trout wrote a book on it that I read and received some light from. This is why I enjoy and pursue researching markets at the consumer level, finding out what's in their minds. And a great asset to this research is the online forum, in all its wonderful, and often not so wonderful, forms.
Based on what I've gleaned here on this thread, and from other info sources, I'd say that like most other business opportunities, it's not an exact science...
Buying or leasing land... Depends on your vision/goal and available financial resources. Both can work... But location and what the land offers will be crucially important to success potential.
Adding trailers, tents, pods, meals, security, bathing facilities... As we've seen in some of the comments, many people might find venturing too far from the norms of everyday life to be a bridge too far... Especially the older consumer market. When I was a teen through my late twenties I would have no problem sleeping on a beach when pursuing waves to surf. But my wife wasn't so disposed. I guess what I'm getting at is that your target market would need to be identified, and, along with vision/goal/financial resources, a related plan created and properly executed.
Side trips/tours, getaways, longer stays... See above.
Copying something already available... My father always thought that the wheel didn't need to be reinvented, just learn from what has been done and maybe put a new spin on it. I recently read an article on a married couple with kids who just switched career gears, bought a campground and couldn't be happier. The key to this is that the husband, who was the main earner, had always loved camping as a kid, and when he considered what he really wanted to do at this stage of his life, he realized that doing something with camping is what would make him happy. He spoke to his wife about it, she was one with him, and they made the change. Find what makes you happy to work on... Then look at what others who are doing the same thing are doing and learn from them.
For me... My interest is in agritourism, as it will take me into an outdoor environment and farming, and it will give me the opportunity to help others discover/recover the joys available through participation in both... I get to help myself and people, which is what I want to do... And money... I've always believed that hard work pays off... But thankfully my wife and I have decreased our lifestyle and really don't require much... Which is wonderfully freeing.
I've spent the past seven months conducting research for the project my wife and I would like to develop in the DR, and a lot of what I've spoken about here came up in my research... Even something like shinrin yoku (Japanese), which I know is relatable to a lot of DR's natural environment.
So... There's the what do you like to do... What are your available resources... What is the targeted consumer market... What are their thoughts regarding what you like to do and the resources you have available way.
Or... You can just copy and paste, throw a lot of money at it, and hope it works out. It's been successfully done. But I personally like the adventure of building something from the ground up that has my person built into it. It all depends on your purpose for doing it.
But again... For me... I see long-term value in agritourism... Which is why I was impressed with what the folks at Taino Farm are doing.
I will add this though... The possibility of having multiple campground locations throughout the DR that could be toured (you'd be transported from one location to the next) is something I'd consider. You'd develop the basic infrastructure and then locate the same in the various locations... Kind of like a franchised product... But each location would need to have its own uniqueness... The same infrastructure, but a unique outward presentation... This could then be all branded under one brand that could be developed in a way that represents all that campers desire from their camping experience... Multiple locations that give multiple different outward experiences, while at the same time taking care of the camper's inward fundamental concerns (security, amenities, etc.)... And this could be done in a co-op type of way... By partnering with existing assets/properties.
Always though... Not trying to force something on the environment... But working from the bottom up with the environment... Which is actually what "...eco..." is all about.
Hope the above helps.
Thanks for the comment/question... And if more is needed, I can point you in the direction of other resources.
www.instagram.com
