I would like to ask all of you as to your opinions on a business venture that a friend and I are thinking about.
This is really a basic opinion poll just to see what interest there is out there in the community.
Basically, my friend has a big interest in ancient and not so ancient history here in our local area of Rimini and Pesaro, Italy. She has retired but, not willing to curl up and die, she would like to do some kind of tourist guide gig, since she knows all the museums, galleries etc etc.

What she required was a mother tongue, English speaker i.e. me.

I then proposed that this could then be expanded upon to recent Italian history and my own personal interest/expertise and all that goes with that i.e. battlefield tours, cemeteries, military museums etc.

So, my question is, would tailor made tours of the Emilia Romagna and Marche region, taking into account (apologies I’m generalising) male and female interests be of interest? By this, I mean, we could design tours to take account of personal interests whether they be, for example, a husband’s interest in battlefield tours and a wife’s interest in ancient history museums.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks,
Tom.

Hi Thomas,

Here's my two cents worth of random thoughts...

It sounds like a travel idea more suitable for people with a thick wallet or for groups, since making it financially worth while you would have to charge quite a bit for (e.g.) a two week trip.

It's hard to say whether there would be interest since I at least and presumably many other users do not know of the possibilities of Emilia Romagna. What sites are there to see?

At least my wife's "female interests" do not cover ancient history or any history at all... You would need some shopping, especially for decoration, gardening, etc.

So, in my opinion, right now the idea is catering to groups of couples or well off individual couples with a very particular set of interests and knowledge of what there is to see in the region... However, I see a possibility for short one or two day tours for people passing through the region?

Cheers!
Stefan

Thomas;
I think it is a really good idea, but and this is the big but, if you could incorporate day time cooking classes for say, the ladies, then the men (and I am not trying to be sexist here) could go on day excursions to said battlefields and I would think since you have a captive audience it ,ought help sweeten the deal to deliver them to a few hobby shops towards then endow the day. This will help your local economies and the hobby in general. If lunch and snacks could be provided during the tour from your ladies cooking school sommuchnthe better. I am a chef and a model builder so I would want to do it all, but I know that there is no way in hell my wife would want totravelmto Italy and see old battlefields and or hobbyshops. Museums she can tolerate but tempt her with some salumi and she's a happy happy girl. Ciao.

It will be difficult, as you have no marketing base. On top of that, you would be catering to a very select crowd. Unless you have a local, main attraction, you won't see much business. Don't get me wrong. I like the idea. However, with the global economy being in its current state, tourism is down. People just don't have financial ability to travel. Perhaps, if you pander to the market of a larger attraction you can lure some people into this as simply a stop on the tour. Be confident and give it your all. It doesn't sound as though you would be out much money for trying.

Thanks for the input fellas.
Especially during the summer period (May to September) there is a massive tourist influx with there being hotel upon hotel stretching all the way down the coast.
Concerning attractions here are just a few; castles/historic sites, theme parks, San Marino, Moto GP circuit (Misano Adriatico), museums of all types, vineyards, agriturismo (working farms, produce makers etc catering to visitors), golf courses, countryside, mountain biking, close by mountains, coastline and nightlife, not to mention our own expertise and interests.
There is a lot to attract people.

Obviously I am coming from it from my own point of view and interests but, of course, the idea would be to encompass as many different facets as possible i.e. the above to expand revenue sources.

Making contact with hotels, B&B's and other institutions (tourist board etc)to create awareness of our existance would also be another means of our promotion.

Tom.