Horse tourism is a growing activity all around the world. How do you set up a horse business? What are the success criteria? What are the pitfalls?
These questions are answered in a new report published by HLB. The report is based on two research projects on horse tourism in the North Atlantic Region. The report can be downloaded free of charge from HLB’s website.
“A Good Practice Guide to Equine Tourism,” is authored by Dr Rhys Evans of HLB, with Ingibjorg Sigurdardottir and Gudrun Helgadottir of Holar University College in Iceland. The report is based on two related research projects. One focused on the business of using native breed horses for equine tourism in Western Norway, Iceland and the Faroes. This work has been funded by NORA (www.nora.fo). A second project focused on the use of Nordland/Lyngshest in Northern Norway for the same purposes. This work was funded by the County Governors of Nordland and Troms.
The Guide focuses on the horse tourism industry, identifying new innovations in equine tourism services, offering existing or potential operators a chance to think about creating their own new innovative services. It provides a new comprehensive definition of Equine Tourism, bringing many horse-based activities previously unconsidered within the remit of the field. It discusses the use of native breed horses in the cultural landscapes where they were originally bred.
In addition, it contains a substantial discussion of good business practice in equine tourism to help operators think about how to run their own businesses in ways which maximize customer and employee satisfaction and which can help grow their businesses. Sections include Winter Horse Tourism, Endangered Breed Tourism, Domestic verses International markets, managing staff, communicating with customers, and many more.
The Guide is an essential resource for both those who wish to start an equine tourism enterprise and for those already in the sector who wish to rethink or expand their business.
