Welcome to the all new Tour Operator Start-Up with Nikki Padilla Rivera
Are you starting a tour business or looking to help those who are? Then the Tour Operator Start Up Series is for you.
Each month you can join your host, tourism expert Nikki Padilla Rivera as we explore how Sita and Ripley went from the world of academia to building their own tourism company in Canberra, Australia.
They share why they chose to focus on female stories and the importance of exploring the diverse histories that are often not taught in school.
They discuss their partnership, the benefits of working as a team and the tools they are using to build their company. They also outline their steps for marketing and fine-tuning their tours as they approach their launch date.
“This is one simple thing we can do to be part of this national conversation.“
Ripley Stevens
This week on Tourpreneur, the Tour Operator Podcast:
- Why Ripley and Sita were inspired to start a female-driven tour company
- How they strive to move beyond the history taught in schools to include Australia’s diverse histories
- The advantages of working in a partnership
- How Ripley and Sita are marketing their tours and which platforms they’re using
- The biggest challenges Ripley and Sita have faced while starting a tour business and the tools that help them stay organized
- Why Ripley and Sita chose to cater their tour business to locals
- How they went from academia to tours and the steps they are taking to build their tour business
- The advantages of having partnerships with cultural institutions and other tourism businesses
- Why they plan to use test tours to fine-tune the experience and improve customer service
- And Much More!
More about today’s guests…
She Shapes History’s Sita Sargeant and Ripley Stevens
Sita Sargeant and Ripley Stevens both began their careers in higher education, working as research assistants.
Last year they reconnected and discovered that they were unhappy and unfulfilled in their work in academia.
Sita and Ripley connected over their shared love of women’s history and passion for their home of Canberra.
They decided to start a woman-centric tour business that would explore the diverse histories of their city.
She Shapes History will offer walking tours of Canberra that explore women’s stories and achievements and visit iconic cultural institutions.