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How Ian turned his passion for Philadelphia and running into a full-time running tours business

On this episode of Tourpreneur a podcast for tour operators and tour professionals, Ian Thomas of See Philly Run shares his journey of what made him start a running tours business and the lessons he has learned so far.

On Episode 16 of Tourpreneur, host Shane Whaley digs deep into the story of Ian Thomas and why he set up a running tour in Philadephia. Lace-up your running shoes, strap on your iPod as Ian reveals more about:

  • Why Ian left the world of International Transport Logistics to set up his own running tours of Philadelphia.
  • What he learned at Business School that he is applying to his business.
  • Why he decided to go full time after one year of being a tour operator.
  • Why Google Adwords doesn’t make sense for his running tour business but SEO does.
  • His SEO tips for tour operators, including what SEO tools he uses.
  • Why Philadephia is an ideal city for a running tour.
  • How his running tour resonates with locals as well as visitors and how he is trying to capture more of that market share.
  • His blog strategy.
  • Why he decided to build his own website, See Philly Run with Squarespace.
  • Why he feels See Philly Runs operates the best running tours in Philadelphia.
  • What challenges and obstacles he faced when he became a tour operator.
  • How he discovered what licensing, permits and insurance he needed to operate a running tour business.
  • What it was like leading a running tour with his first paying customers.
  • Which distribution channel gave him his first customer.
  • How he got knocked back twice by Airbnb Experiences and was accepted on his third attempt.
  • Tips on being accepted to the Airbnb Experiences program.
  • Why he offers five different running tours and which running tour is his most popular?
  • Why he decided to work with FareHarbor.
  • What his only hangup using Fareharbor is and what he wishes they would improve.
  • What tools/apps he used to run his tour business.
  • And Much More!

Resources and websites mentioned on Episode 16 of the Tourpreneur Podcast with See Philly Run.

The Tourpreneur Daily Brief – never miss out on the tours, activities and experience companies who are making the news. Daily free email from the host of the Tourpreneur Podcast Shane Whaley.