Urban Adventures has launched a world-wide search to find local partners in more than 70 cities around the world – and the day tour operator is removing all costs to entry to encourage any wannabe tourism entrepreneurs to take up the challenge in 2015.
Montreal, Las Vegas and Chicago are among nine cities targeted in North America. Urban Adventures is looking for passionate locals in almost every continent to join the network and continue the company’s rapid growth.
Launched five years ago, the award-winning global tour company already offers 368 locally sourced and led city tours in 103 destinations around the world - and now for the first time, the company is taking away the upfront payment wall, making it possible for anyone with passion for their city to become a new franchise partner.
"A background in tour guiding is not an essential requirement to become an Urban Adventures Partner" says Tony Carne, General Manager of Urban Adventure. "But you must have the passion and drive to build a profitable business”
Urban Adventures, an Intrepid Travel brand, has always focused on unique, unexpected, and sometimes even unusual tours – including a range of ‘Home Cooked’ experiences that enable travelers to be welcomed into the home of local families to share a meal.
“You might be an artist, musician, actor, blogger, retail worker, foodie, bartender, server, customer service rep, concierge or something else entirely, but if you've got the know-how about your city, and you’re prepared to work hard, we'll offer you the sales, marketing and distribution support of a global brand, and the chance to become part of a network of like-minded tour professionals that operates right across the world"
To become an Urban Adventures Partner, applicants must have the inside scoop on their city's hidden gems, be passionate about showing travelers the very best their city has to offer, committed to the principles of responsible travel, and have the entrepreneurial spirit required to operate a tour business. In some cities, the applicant will also need a license to guide tourists.
“We believe there is a place between the peer-to-peer marketplace where amateurs indulge a part time fantasy of being a tour guide with product built around their passions, and the traditional day tour – full of facts quickly forgotten and hop-on/hop-off buses” says Carne “We have a scalable system to fill that place, offering a local experience, with the reassurance of traveling with a global travel company”
“We can give a ‘committed amateur’ the structure and systems to become a professional guide by simply following their passion. It’s a system with distribution that we hope to see benefit indigenous and community groups”.