Melanesia is located to the north of Australia and is one of the most multicultural regions in the world. It is a global biodiversity hotspot, with unique species only existing on the world’s largest and highest tropical island. The island has one of the largest remaining rainforest areas in the world in Papua New Guinea. Situated in the South Pacific Ocean, the island consists of 2,000 islands starting from the Arafura Sea in Indonesia to the east of the western Pacific Ocean, and from the island of New Guinea to New Caledonia. It is home to over 12 million people. The region has six independent countries and one colonial dependency namely: Fiji, New Caledonia (French Dependency), Papua New Guinea, West Papua, and Makulu Islands (Part of Indonesia), Solomon Islands, Torres Strait Islands (Part of Australia), and Vanuatu. The island is strongly cared for by the natives who believe that the growth of culture relies on healthy resources built on rich biodiversity. The island is one of the best places to start a tourism business given its natural environment and accommodating people.
The economy of the Country
The economics of the island which includes all countries under it have greatly developed thanks to Western influence. Several multinational corporations and vast factories have been set up in the region. The two prominent industries within this territory are logging and mining. Formerly, the inhabitants of the island were into the trading of shell ornaments and obsidian being seafarers, but currently, they are into fishing and a bit of farming. Fishing is a major source of economy in the region.
Tourism on the Island
Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange in the region. This is all thanks to its geographical land mass of over 300, 000 square miles covered by vegetation such as forests and jungles. Also, the humid, and tropical climate all year draws tourists from all over the world to the island. As the entire region is accessible by modern transportation networks, tourists can easily travel from one country to the other while visiting the region. Urbanization in the region abounds, and as tourists flock to the major cities, there is an increase in employment for the residents.
Starting a tourism business
The region offers its residents quite several business opportunities, most of which are in the tourism industry. Every country under the Melanesian region attracts thousands of foreigners on an annual basis thanks to their natural scenery, culture, and pristine environment. All of which are necessary ingredients to grow a tourism business. If you are looking to start a tourism business here, you should follow the listed steps before starting:
Make a market research
Learning about the business and the current market trend is very essential. Not only does it describe how the market is but it informs one of the right measures to take as regards setting up their own business. With research, a business owner learns more about the market type, the competition they have to face, current pricing for the service, potential marketing strategies, etc. It will also give one a guide on knowing which of the tourism activity they can provide services for and the kinds of tourists they will serve.
Prepare a business plan
One cannot start a business without a plan. In this light, you have to make a plan for how you want the business to go. This plan will act as a framework for the venture and contain key details such as who the target market is, how the business environment is, the marketing strategy to outsmart the existing competition, the cost of providing service, etc. If you require a loan, you may use this business plan.
Register the business
Simply register the company to make it legal and also enter the business name in the commercial register to denote its active status. In countries that require a permit and license before starting a business in the region, apply for one before operating.
Hire skilled workers
Hiring workers is important if you are not running a one-man business. When employing workers, look for those with knowledge about the region and tourism, good interpersonal relationship skills, experience in hospitality, etc.
Promote the business
Advertising the business help to promote it beyond the region. One can advertise online via social media or a website or offline through prints and local papers. This is an important step to gaining publicity for the business.
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