1. Tours of Toronto and (Greater Toronto Area)
I will be promoting and selling guided tours of Toronto and the surrounding areas.
The services that will be provided include:
- Guided tours with focus on traditional foods and ethnic areas such as little India on
Gerrard Street.
- Vists to local Indian specialty stores in the GTA
- Specialize in the use of my native languages of: Hindi, Punjabi, and Gujrati.
- The tours will be customized to the target market’s budget and preferences (ie.
Walking tour using TTC, driving tour with a mini van, luxury tour with a coach bus).
The customer group that will be targeted include: people travelling from India and visiting
Toronto, new immigrants that want to become familiar with the GTA in their own
language. There will be several types of tours developed for specific groups: Immigrant
Tours and Vacationing Tours will be promoted within the various Indian communities
such as Little India.
This business plan operates on the assumption that it can be operated from home. Tours
that have been booked will have a public meeting place such as a local mall parking lot or
coffee shop. Tour bookings will have convenient sign-up and information locations that
are close to Indian Community centres and temples.
As a recent international student; I can understand and appreciate how difficult it can be
to adjust to a new lifestyle in Canada. By providing this type of tour service in my own
native languages; it can provide a level of comfort that may not be offered by other tours.
It is an ideal time to start this business as warmer weather brings in the potential for
more customers in the form of travellers and students that may have more available time
to enjoy.
This business will be operated and registered as a corporation. Operating as a tour guide
business has liabilities that include the potential for physical accidents such as
tripping/falling on a tour. Being incorporated limits these liabilities. Even though the
business is incorporated; I will be the sole operator running the business.

2. Toronto has also been a major tourism destination with visitors coming from India as well.
The potential to tap into even a small percentage of these clients will make this Micro-
Business a success.
According to Toronto Tourism; “India is one of the Top 5 International Market for overnight
visitors to Toronto”. In 2009, 50,000 vistors came from India, in 2010 that number grew to
65,000. Please refer to weblink for additional information:
http://www.yongestreetmedia.ca/inthenews/tourisimto-inmarketmedia0216.aspx
The target group market includes new immigrants; visitors on a budget; and people that do
not want a conventional tour. All tours will be conducted in their native language and have a
local appeal. Funding, grants, and informational assistance is available from Tourism Toronto
and Tourism Ontario. According to a 2009 Tourism Toronto Market Analysis published in
2010: http://www.seetorontonow.com/Web.CMS/pdf/TourismInToronto_2009.pdf ,
visitors from India accounted for 4% of all overseas visitors to Toronto; of which Visiting
Friends or Relatives (VFR) is the main purpose of their trip. The average stay of these trips is 3
weeks. A 2001 Statistics Canada Study indicated that people of South Asian origin make up
11% of Toronto’s population (please see attached excerpt from Stats Can report).
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-621-x/89-621-x2007006-eng.pdf
Even if I can attract a small percentage of this group; this venture will be a success.
Promotion of this business will begin in the form of simple flyers that will describe the
services being offered and have a web address where people can obtain more information
such as pricing, booking dates, and contact information. Flyers allow the business to target a
specific geographical area (such as little India), community centres and places of gathering
such as Temples (with permission). Having a web address/link allows for potential customers
to gather more information and to easily pass on information via e-mail to relatives and
friends locally and abroad. Hopefully; when tours are successful; interest will be generated
from satisfied customers. Customer input will also make future tours more successful and
customized. Local Tourism offices (Toronto, Niagara) and Tourism Ontario can help in
promoted services as well.