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July 21, 2003Real South ToursI’ve been thinking about this business model since January know. I want my gentle readers’ input. So, yes, this will be a shameless call for comments. The idea first struck me when I traveled to Atlanta by car in January. I stopped in Greenville, MS, at the visitors’ center for a break. Greenville is on the east side of the Mississippi River from Arkansas. There was a delightful couple from Colorado talking to the attendant. Ever Wandering over to the counter next to the couple to get a map, I learned of their modus operandi—they were down from Colorado and were en route to Orange Beach, Alabama. They planned on being in the South through the winter. They had taken a beach house at Orange Beach to base themselves for the next several months. Orange Beach is fairly centrally located to most attractions throughout the Deep South. I couldn’t help myself. I joined the conversation and began listing various places to see in the region. From Florida to New Orleans, up and down the Gulf Coast, north to Tennessee, I regaled them with a litany of places to see, things to do, and can’t miss experiences. I probably delayed my trip by an hour visiting with the nice Colorado couple and the tourist center host. After speaking with them for sometime and realizing I needed to get back on the road, I welcomed the Coloradans to the South again and bid all three good day.
The more I thought about it, the more I knew there had to be a business model that could be applied to the idea. This is what I came up with— Keep on reading to learn about the new niche business model A native Southerner with a great deal of knowledge of the South, equips himself with a laptop, some sort of internet access (satellite perhaps?), a digital camera/camcorder, and a Suburban or other roomy and comfortable vehicle. The person then offers up on E-Bay, personally guided tours of the Real South with a Real Southerner. The Real Southerner meets the traveler(s) at the airport, loads them up and heads out to see the Real South. Prior to the trip, the traveler(s) have indicated places of interest they want to see like Graceland, the Gulf Coast, the small town where their grandparents grew up, etc. The Real Southerner has already prepared as structured or as flexible an itinerary as the traveler(s) desire. Some folks might want to veer off course for a couple of hours and drive the Natchez Trace, others may want to pack as many of the known sightseeing locations into a day as possible. It is at the whim of the customer where they go and how they get there. The Real Southerner offers commentary ranging from the humble beginnings of Elvis Presley in Tupelo, MS, to the world’s largest cotton gin in Manila, Arkansas, to genetically modified rice and corn that is being planted in the Delta areas to the amazing story of the Tuskegee Institute to the …okay, you get the idea. During the day, the Real Southerner will use the digital cam to take pictures from the trip and using those and notes from the traveler(s), that evening he or she will update the day’s journey’s on a blog-like website, so the traveler(s) friends and family can see how good a time they’re having. At the end of the trip, whether it be a long weekend or an extended vacation, the traveler(s) are returned to the airport with a CD containing all the pictures from their trip and a truer and deeper understanding of the South. When they get home, they can reminisce about the trip by visiting the website and browsing through each day’s report. I haven’t gone so far as to plug numbers into a pro forma, but I have done some napkin budgets, and the generalized numbers look pretty good. With well-heeled baby boomers retiring, they will soon be following the already well-established trend of Northern retirees migrating South for their golden years. Thus, providing a target demographic with the disposable income to spend a few thousand on a personal guided tour of an area of their choice. Another growth area for this business model would be boomers wanting to see a range of areas in the South before determining in which area to retire. And, my whole job would be to vacation year round--what a concept! There you have it gentle readers. Now please let me know what you think. Comments
need an assistant? oh, i forgot, Texas doesn't count for much when you are talking about the South.... but I could show people around Texas like no one else could..... Posted by: h at July 22, 2003 08:10 AMBrilliant idea! I'd pay money for it if you could find kosher food. Posted by: Kin at July 22, 2003 08:11 AMIn addition to all of your great ideas listed above, another popular option would be to create specialized theme tours. Most of the baby boomers want to learn something in addition to taking snapshots in front of buildings/historical sites. For example - the 'taste of the south' with each location boasting *something* particular only to that region (this past weekend I watched two women argue over which state makes the best grits - Louisiana or North Carolina... they were tourists in Monterey, CA). And throw in the sweet tea, since good tea is obviously something to boast about. You could work with establishments (restaurants, service providers, resorts, spas, national parks, etc) to sponsor parts of your business. Boomers appear to love food tastings/wine samplings, learning about different foods. Also more and more people are showing interest in Just some more random ideas to throw your way. :) Mala Posted by: MALA at July 22, 2003 08:51 AMTexas not the real South, come on! I have been born and raised in Texas and the state is as Southern as they come. Don't act like Texas is not the real South, look in your history books and visit sometime. Posted by: Matt Heermans at September 9, 2003 01:59 AMTexas not the real South, come on! I have been born and raised in Texas and the state is as Southern as they come. Don't act like Texas is not the real South, look in your history books and visit sometime. Posted by: Matt Heermans at September 9, 2003 01:59 AMPost a comment
 
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