Running a holiday resort: Is every day a vacation?
With the Australian tourism industry booming, thanks to both local travellers and overseas visitors, now is the ideal time to invest in a hotel, motel or holiday resort.
When you purchase a successful hospitality business, in particular a holiday resort, the ultimate bonus is you get to live in a location that most people only get to enjoy at select times a year.
Having owned my own hospitality venue and brokered the sale of many tourism businesses, let me lift the lid on what life has in store as a holiday resort owner.
Yes, you get to live in paradise
Strolls along the beach, the delights of a tropical climate, and ample space and locations to explore are just some of the perks you’ll enjoy as the owner of a holiday resort in one of Australia’s many tourist locations.
As owner or manager of a resort you’ll also have your own residence located on site. Whether that’s a house or apartment, you’re free of the daily commute! Giving you more spare time to enjoy hobbies such as fishing, playing golf, sailing or simply catching up with friends.
Living in a tourist destination has many other advantages, for example you too can enjoy the many different holiday attractions on offer. Tour companies and adventure experiences abound you’ll have a multitude of ways to discover the region — plus you can include your adventures as business costs. It’s important to have detailed local knowledge, after all!
So often, my clients tell me that they ended up living in an area after visiting it whilst on holidays themselves. For some reason, the location has spoken to them, inspired them, and resulted in the sea-change or tree-change that they enjoy today.
Local community, global friends
Some holiday resorts such as caravan or tourist parks allow permanent residents too. Often retirees, these locals enjoy a strong sense of community which is both supportive and caring.
As the owner of a local tourist resort, you get the best of both worlds by being part of the local community whilst meeting people from many countries and walks of life. It’s always exciting to flip through your visitor’s book and see where people have come from, and to hear the different experiences and travel tips from your guests.
Although there is always the exception, in general, your guests are relaxed and in a carefree holiday mode. This creates a friendly vibe around your venue and makes your workday a pleasurable one.
All play and no work?
If there is a downside to living in a holiday venue, it’s that you still have to work through your list of daily duties. Running a tourism business is a big responsibility and it can take some time to adjust to the day-to-day requirements.
As well as running the facility, to ensure success you must hire the right types of employees, keeping the premises up-to-date and in working order. Then there is insurance to take care of and the running costs. Plus you’ll need to have to be good at putting aside funds to tide you over during the quieter off-peak season.
While it can be a challenge to find good help (staff often move on after a short time), if you put the right training and systems in place you will be able to minimise the overall management of running a holiday resort. This will help you to maximise your time and truly enjoy the lifestyle you have signed up for.
Many resort owners are surprised to find that they still need a holiday! As the owner of a hospitality business, you still need to take regular breaks. Fortunately, managers can be sourced who specialise in covering for holiday business owners, which will allow you to do some travelling of your own.
