11 tourism business ideas to start in Spain

Many foreigners choose to start businesses in Spain, not necessarily because it’s easier, but because they may not need to be fluent in Spanish straight away, they don’t have to compete with locals for jobs and they can target other foreigners like themselves.

It may be an clear choice for many, but for others the difficult part is deciding what type of tourism business you want to set up.

There are so many options, all of which you need slightly different skillsets for. Of course, in this day in age, you also need to consider the state of the tourism industry in Spain and what's going to work or what's only going to add to the issue of overtourism.

So without further ado, here are some great ideas to inspire you to get you started.

Tour companies

This is probably an obvious one and of course there are already loads of successful companies out there, but the key to making a great one is to focus and become known for your expertise or particular niche. This could be history tours, food tours, art tours, whatever it is that you know about best. One good example of a specialised tour company that started in Spain is Devour Tours, which focus on food tours and now operate in many cities in Europe. Another much smaller company is Artspace Tours in Barcelona, focusing on yes – art. There are also unique options like Hidden City Tours, which employ unhoused people to give tours in Barcelona, creating an income for them.

Tour guides

While there’s room for tour companies, there’s also a market for individual tour guides, offering made-to-measure private tours that can be flexible, as well as tailored to each client. This way you won’t have to set up a whole company but can become self-employed instead. Be aware, you may need a tour guide licence or qualification, depending on the area you live and what your tours entail. A good example of this is Felicity Hughes from The Making of Madrid who is also a Lonely Planet author and runs private walking tours around the capital.

READ ALSO: How to become a tour guide in Spain

Specialised travel agencies

A travel agency is an obvious tourism business idea, but these days many people simply book trips online instead and don’t go to an actual agent. This is true of people travelling from Europe on short haul trips, but there is still a market for specialised travel agents creating bespoke long-haul trips, particularly in the luxury tourism sector. Many wealthy travellers who are perhaps coming to spend a couple of months travelling through Europe want their Spain itineraries to be organised by an expert.

Accommodation rental companies

Setting up a tourist accommodation rental company like an Airbnb may seem like a quick and easy way to start a tourism business – and a lucrative one too, but there has been a lot of backlash against this type of accommodation in Spain in recent years, and city councils are making it increasingly difficult to get a licence to operate one. There could, however, still be a market for tourist accommodation in rural areas, helping to revive villages and towns in so-called ‘Empty Spain’, or save properties that would otherwise remain abandoned.

READ ALSO: 20 business ideas that can work in rural Spain

Hotels or B&Bs

Another tourist accommodation option, which has less controversy around it is to open a hotel or a bed and breakfast. This way you’re not taking properties away from the residents and using it for tourism instead. Be aware though, many popular cities in Spain are fighting against overtourism so there may be strict rules about where you can open these types of businesses. Again, they could be options to open in rural Spain, where they could help bring tourism to communities at risk of disappearing.

READ MORE: Why Spain's rural holiday lets are unlikely to be targeted by crackdown on Airbnb

Activity companies

If you have an active hobby which you’re particularly good at, you could start an activity tourism company sharing your skill with others. This could be anything from kayaking, and mountain biking to horse riding or rock climbing. Of course you’ll have to make sure you have the correct licences to operate and most importantly get insurance so that your clients are covered in any unforeseen events.

Transportation hire enterprises

While car rentals are managed by the big guys, which may be hard to compete with, there are also smaller or niche transportation options to rent out. Think boats, kayaks, bicycles, tuk tuks etc. They could be unique and innovative ways to get around cities or explore a particular beauty spot. There are already several successful companies all over the country doing exactly this, but there is always room for more – and the more unique the better. Eco Tuk Tuks for example now have operations in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and Málaga, while Bikemotions hire electric bikes to explore the Penedès wine region in Catalonia.

Ecotourism initiatives

Ecotourism businesses are very on brand right now given the state of tourism in Spain, as well as the impact of climate change. These promote travel experiences and activities in local communities, focusing on sustainable practices and conservation. They take tourists to biosphere reserves, national parks and natural parks and teach them about the areas, whilst leaving as little impact on them as possible. A good example of this is Catalonia’s Fem Parc Project.

Event management

People may want to come to Spain to celebrate a special event like a big birthday, anniversary or wedding party, or perhaps companies want to come here for teambuilding trips, conferences or special anniversary events. That’s where you and your business would come in. You would help these people or companies organise their events, booking accommodation, caterers, transportation, activities etc. You’ll need a lot of good organisational and people skills for this and lots of contacts within the industry too.

READ ALSO: The ultimate guide to Spanish wedding etiquette

Glamping or campsites

The final idea for an accommodation company you could create would be something unique like a campsite or better yet – a glampsite with unique tents such as yurts, bell tents or even treehouses. These will typically be located within rural areas, so you won’t be adding to overtourism problems, and you’ll be brining tourists to lesser-visited areas too.The more unique your accommodation the more you’ll be able to market it and hopefully the more popular it will become.

Travel apps

There are many different travel apps out there already, but if you do them well, there’s a market for more with innovative concepts behind them or even ones focused on particular cities or regions. Voice guides, restaurant recommendations, kid friendly places are just some of the ideas that have proven to be successful in the past and could do well if you focus them such as vegetarian or vegan food app for certain areas. Menú del día was created by an Ibiza-based start-up which connects its users with local restaurants offering promotions and is updated daily.