There are many skills are needed to start, grow and market a successful tourism business. Many people will not have all of the skills they need before starting a new business, and will need to seek out training opportunities and workshops to learn the necessary skills.

In addition to those skills associated with running your tourism activity (eg being a guide or knowledge of bush tucker), a wide range of business-related skills are also required. These skills include marketing, taking bookings, financial management, people management, and planning. You must have these skills, or be able to access them through training, recruitment or outsourcing.

Business.gov.au provides links to a number of checklists, check out their link to an informative guide called Are you ready for the challenges of business? which has a helpful section on assessing your business skills.

If you are unable to afford to hire staff or contract out specialised tasks such as book keeping or marketing, you may wish to learn how to do these things yourself.

A wide range of easily accessible courses are available right across Australia through universities, technical institutions, business advisory services and employment networks. If you live in a remote area, some courses can be done over the internet, by post or by travelling lecturers who will visit communities on request. Many courses are free of charge or may be subsidised.

To find training courses or workshops in your state or territory, search in our training programs database.

To find out about training subsidies or funding to pay for training, see funding options.