Services for Tourism Operators
Ways to work with me depend on where your business is at, whether you are just starting out, growing, or already established.
I work with Australian tourism operators in a few ways.
The starting point for both is the same , the Tourism Business Health Check, then a Profitability Clarity Call with me.
After the call we agree which path is the right fit.
Below is what each one is, who it is for, and what it includes.
TOURISM PROFIT PROGRAM
For tourism operators turning over up to $1M
What it is. Twelve weeks of 1:1 coaching with me. One hour a week on Zoom. Built around your Tourism Business Health Check results and the three goals we agree in week one.
Who it is for. Tourism operators turning over between $250,000 and $1M. People running tours, experiences, accommodation, or hospitality businesses where the owner is still in the day-to-day and wants the business to be more profitable, more direct, and less reliant on whichever OTA is taking the biggest cut this year.
How it works. Twelve weekly sessions covering your real numbers, your product-level profitability, your channel mix, your pricing, your direct booking strategy, your cash position, your workload, your differentiation, your marketing, and the systems your team runs on. You finish week 12 with your own 12-month profit plan — built with my input, owned and understood by you.
Outcome driven. Get results immediately.
$349 per session. Twelve sessions. Paid weekly.
I take a small number of 1:1 program
clients at any one time.
TOURISM PROFIT PROGRAM - LEADERS
For the people running your tours or attraction, not owning it
What it is. Twelve weeks of coaching with me, one hour a week on Zoom, built for the manager or developing leader who runs the operation day to day. Same twelve-week spine as the Tourism Profit Program. The lens is different, because a manager reads the numbers and protects the margin, but rarely sets the price.
Who it is for. Operations managers, duty managers, guest experience leads, reservations and admissions supervisors, and the up-and-comers you are grooming to carry more. Built for tours and attractions specifically, where capacity is fixed, the seat is worth nothing the moment it departs, the weather writes off a day you cannot get back, and half your bookings arrive through a channel that takes a cut.
How it works. Twelve weekly sessions covering the numbers your leader is handed, capacity and yield, load factor, the true cost of each booking channel, the discounting habit, leading a shift, the hard conversations they have been avoiding, the quiet season and the weather day, and the systems that hold the operation together when nobody is watching. It starts with a short scoping call so you and your leader agree what they can decide, what they recommend, and what stays with you. They finish week 12 with a 90-day leadership and performance plan they built themselves.
Build the leader, not just the roster. From $349 per session. One leader or a group of up to four from the same business. Paid weekly.
I take a small number of program clients at any one time.
BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM
For tourism operators turning over $1M and above
What it is. The longer, deeper engagement I do with established tourism operators. Built on the Business Analysis methodology I have refined over 20 years and applied to more than 400 businesses across tourism and beyond.
Who it is for. Tourism operators turning over $1M and above. Operators with bigger teams, more moving parts, and decisions in front of them that are too consequential to make alone — pricing structures, channel decisions, hiring, expansion, succession, exit planning.
How it works. The pathway has four steps.
Four-step pathway:
Step 1 — Tourism Business Health Check. Free. Ten minutes online. Your starting point and my qualification tool.
Step 2 — Profitability Clarity Call. Free. 30 minutes with me. No pitch, no report. We work out whether what I do is the right thing for your business — or whether something else is.
Step 3 — Tourism Profit Review. The Business Analysis methodology applied to your business. A business questionnaire. 12 market research interviews I conduct personally with your customers and suppliers. A Business Analysis Report identifying your profit leaks across 12 profit levers with a roadmap on how to fix them. A 90-minute interpretation session.
Step 4 — Coaching. Monthly working sessions across 12 months, sometimes longer. Part strategic, part accountability. The work that moves the business.
Coaching is only discussed individually after the Tourism Profit Review.
The Tourism Profit Review carries a 10-to-1 guarantee for operators above $1M.
The Review will identify at least $60,000 in profit currently leaking out of your business, based solely on your own numbers. If it does not, the Review is free.
TOURISM OPERATOR START-UP PROGRAM
For new tourism operators in their first year, or about to open
What it is. A 14-week program that sets a new tourism business up to be profitable from the start, before the wrong habits take hold. One focus area per week. Each week includes a working session, a practical task you complete in your own business, and a simple tool, template or checklist to keep.
Who it is for. New tourism operators in their first year, or about to open. Owner-operators who are good at delivering the experience but new to running the business side, and who want to set the business up properly rather than learn the hard way. It is also built for destinations, RTOs, councils and DMOs to offer to the new operators in their region.
How it works. Fourteen weeks, one focus area per week: foundations and the operator mindset, experience delivery, pricing for profit, knowing your numbers, cash flow, operational management, marketing that books direct, distribution and agents, seasonality, industry bodies and accreditation, converting enquiries, and a 12-month operating plan. You finish with a profitable pricing model, a marketing approach that brings direct bookings, a handle on cash flow and seasonality, and a 12-month operating plan you can actually use.
$349 per week. Fourteen weeks. Paid weekly.
Built by an operator, not a consultant.
“Sarah from Exceptional Experiences was absolutely incredible. Her clear, insightful, and no-nonsense approach to tourism marketing gave us the answers we had been searching for. Sarah helped us untangle challenges that had been holding us back, allowing us to move forward with confidence. Thanks to her expertise, we now have stronger strategies in place and a renewed focus on business development and marketing. We highly recommend Exceptional Experiences to anyone looking for expert guidance”
Michelle Reid
Executive Lead - Corporate
Jellurgal Aboriginal Cultural Centre
The Tourism Profit Program | 1:1 Coaching for Tourism Operators Under $1M
Business Improvement Coaching | For Tourism Operators $1M+ | Sarah Colgate
The Tourism Profit Program — Leaders | Coaching for Tours & Attractions Managers
Tourism Operator Start-Up Program | 14-Week Course for New Operators | Sarah Colgate
Not sure which one is right?
Start with the Tourism Business Health Check. Ten minutes, free. After you complete it we book a Profitability Clarity Call to work out the right next step together.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sarah Colgate offers three programs through Exceptional Experiences: the Tourism Operator Start-Up Program for new operators in their first year, the Tourism Profit Program for operators turning over up to $1M, and Business Improvement Coaching for operators turning over $1M and above. All three start with the free Tourism Business Health Check.
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It depends on where your business is at. New or about to open, the Tourism Operator Start-Up Program. Turning over up to $1M and wanting to be more profitable, the Tourism Profit Program. Turning over $1M or more, Business Improvement Coaching. The Tourism Business Health Check and a Profitability Clarity Call confirm the right fit.
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Start with the free Tourism Business Health Check. It takes about ten minutes. After that you book a Profitability Clarity Call to work out the right program together.