It is given that I don't really have holidays at the moment and that I would just be working in front of my computer all day, sob. Entrepreneurship is a sad, isolated world. Thanks to my Steemit friends for keeping me company, you are now free to post your holiday pics in the comments. I will probably just buy Casillero del Diablo to drown my sorrow, ha! Aside from the fact that I don't really earn a stable income, it also means that I have to work all the time. All the sacrifices - missing holidays, vegetarian lifestyle, financial diet, lack of social life, and zero love life, oh for what it's worth. Naaaa, I don't need your sympathy. All is well in paradise.

Today, I would be sharing what it takes to design an island tour package. For those who are planning to do this in their own country or for those who are interested in working in the tourism industry. I don't know about you but I have at least more freedom to do this type of thing here. My work and volunteer experiences in the Galapagos islands and in the Inca Trail travels taught me how to work on the complicated and detailed parts of a tour. If you do this right the first time, it is actually very rewarding. I almost stayed in Cusco to partner with a colleague because she thinks that my communication, design, marketing, and some technical skills would be of great help to her business. But I realized, wait, I can do this on my own. And where else? Home is where the treasure is.

Overview

It is very important to know what you are offering, it means that you should know the place by heart. This is a brief description of what the travelers would discover in a specific area. In my case, I write a detailed description of the islands, would they enter through a small hole to a magical lagoon? Would they swim in tranquil, emerald waters? What about the rich marine life that they would see while they are snorkeling or diving?

Itinerary

This is the breakdown of activities or a planned route or journey. I divided the main itinerary into several day trip itineraries. The day trip should include all the details that the travelers should know - including the pickup and drop off time. The detailed description of places they would be visiting, where is the first stop? The snorkeling area, the trekking part, the relaxing on the beach part. You should know the things that you should include otherwise the traveler would point out anything missing and blame you for including or not including the activity on the website. I had been there and I had been resolving those issues in the past, I got the T-shirt to prove.

Inclusions

This is so important, if you set the price then you should back it with what are included and not included. I have mentally prepared myself for the most demanding clients on the planet since they would be paying a lot for me to do the hard work. I need to include here - a licensed guide for the day, transportation (land and boat transfers), meals, government permits, entrance fees, etc. If they found out that they need to pay for something again on the site and you included it in the package, then be prepared to refund and own up to your mistake. Though this business can be fun for me, it is also very detailed that it would take patience and my whole time at the beginning. It also requires serious networking with the local agencies. Some charm might be required too.

Booking Conditions and Cancellation Policy

I believe I had already written this in the past and separated it as another link to a page. But I might write here the most important things like when the sea condition or the weather is bad, and boat trips are not allowed by the coast guard. It would also mean the day trip would be canceled for their safety. I am thinking of offering an alternative tour or just refund this part. And of course, the weather conditions and the best time to travel should have already been made clear on the F.A.Q. part of the website or when answering enquiries. It is very important to be transparent with everything.

Since this is just a part of the whole itinerary, the payment options and booking conditions should have already been made clear at the time of booking confirmation (Accepting Bitcoin and Steem Dollars).

Reminders / Guidelines

I included here what they need to bring for this particular day trip. Should they bring their own snorkeling gear, their own towels, and swimwear? Should they bring some bug spray and sunscreen?

It is also important to remind some travelers about environmental awareness and preservation of these natural wonders for the future generation. I have written here a friendly reminder for travelers to set a good example by using reusable containers and segregating their waste (biodegradable and nonbiodegradable). Honestly, the influx of tourism has a huge impact on nature these days so it is important for me to create some side projects in the future to protect the marine life. This would be a big plus and it makes a small local company ethical and environmentally responsible.

Anyone who has experience in the tourism industry or who has some great advice would be highly appreciated (Hint: Soliciting advice).