What We Do

Tourism Development

Global tourism is now generally recognized as one of the largest industries in the world and one of the most significant sources of employment and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Tourism particularly benefits the economies of developing countries, where most of the sector’s tourism jobs and businesses are being created.

Monarch is committed to tourism development that creates a positive experience for local people, local businesses, and tourists themselves.

We implement comprehensive programs focused on improving the quality of life for local residents without compromising the future well being of the people or the planet.

Monarch has gained a strong reputation internationally as a leader in the field of sustainable tourism development. Since 2006, Monarch has initiated or completed 80 projects in more than 40 countries around the world.

Monarch’s development team is known industry-wide for helping to create tourism enterprises and destinations that are financially and socially sustainable, and good for the planet.

Our clients range from small, rural villages and community-based tourism enterprises, to national hotel chains and international tourism organizations.

We invite you to explore the following tourism development consulting services, where you can begin to find tools, read case studies and learn more about the cutting edge work that Monarch is doing to support global development through sustainable tourism.

Investment Promotion

The travel and tourism industry is critical to the global economy. This resilient industry is a leading generator of jobs and tends to outpace the growth of other major industries including manufacturing, financial services and retail.

In 2012, tourism contributed to 9% of global GDP ($6.6 trillion) and generated over 260 million jobs—1 out of 11 of jobs worldwide.

In the longer-term, Monarch believes that demand from and within emerging markets will continue to rise in significance. We assist these destinations with attracting investments in infrastructure to meet demand and achieve the clear growth potential that exists.

Monarch provides end-to-end investment promotion solutions, including prospectus development and production, investor recruiting, and sourcing debt and equity financing for a wide range of project types in the U.S., Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Monarch is also well versed in the trends shaping tourism-related investments. One of the most important trends—particularly in developing countries—is investment using a Triple Bottom Line approach, which seeks returns on investment that are financial, social, and environmental.

A related trend shaping the market is social investing (or socially responsible investing), where the primary focus is on using investments to affect social change.

In the past three years Monarch has successfully secured more than $8 million in debt and equity commitments for ecolodges within or on the borders of national parks, and Monarch principals have combined successfully promoted tourism-related investment totaling more than $350 million.

What to Expect

Monarch and its industry partners have developed an end-to-end solution for development of small-scale lodging facilities that will be economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable and highly marketable. The core components include:

• Market-driven Project and Site Selection – We will only pursue projects we believe have significant market potential. Assessments are based on extensive market research.
• Tourism Branding and Tourism Marketing – graphic design services, social media, tour operator and press familiarization (FAM) trips
• Conceptualization Support – From initial market research through financial feasibility analysis, Monarch will assist with the development of reformulated and enhanced business plans and prospectus documents to make investing opportunities as competitive as possible
• High levels of Local Ownership – So that communities will have a significant stake in the outcome. We will seek to provide local communities and/or individuals with 20-30 percent of total project equity, based upon the value of the land provided (regardless of the source, i.e., could be provided through a government concession in a protected area), and sweat equity contributions.
• Social Investments – Clear articulation of the triple bottom line to attract social impact investors.
• Recruitment of Financing – Targeting investment promotion activities to create awareness and generate leads. Solimar will also plan and organize a familiarization tour for prospective investors to secure their commitment.

Business & Product Development

Tourism is a complex service-driven global industry that is constantly evolving, and the skills and knowledge required to operate a tourism business are pertinent to its success.

Monarch International has literally written the book on creating sustainable tourism enterprises and experiences through our proven methodology developed over our past 10 years of enterprise development experience.

Our process brings businesses from concept to profitable enterprises that contribute to both conservation and communities.

These tools have been primarily developed to target entrepreneurs with limited formal education and have been primarily used with poor communities in developing countries.

Tourism enterprises can have an incredible impact on their destination by creating jobs, contributing to GDP, bringing in new markets for goods and services, increasing an area’s visibility, all while protecting the local environment and preserving cultural heritage.

Though, all of these benefits do not occur automatically, but must be properly integrated into the sustainable functioning of tourism enterprises.

Monarch’s enterprise development approach has been used to develop and support more than 20 sustainable tourism enterprises—from Africa to Latin America—to maximize their triple bottom line of Profits-People-Planet.

What to Expect

• Tourism Assessment Concept Development: Developing sustainable tourism enterprises begins with an assessment that analyzes both supply and demand for tourism products and services that lead to well thought out and researched concepts that include a foundation of product ideas, market understanding and local feasibility. Starting from the concept stage, Monarch helps businesses evaluate their possible contributions to local communities and the surrounding environment.
• Business Planning: Monarch then turns the tourism assessment information and tourism product “concepts” into full-fledged business plans and tour packages. The business plans serve as a “road map” for moving forward with product development and take into account the conservation and development objectives and clearly articulates the resources needed to realize those goals. Monarch has assisted with or led the authoring of over 30 tourism business plans and has expertise in market analysis, competition analysis, strategic positioning and financial modeling for tourism SMEs.
• Operations Planning: While having a business plan is important, having a clear operations plan and trained operations manager will greatly increase the potential for business success. Monarch has extensive experience running operations training programs that take managers through all of the facets of running a tourism business including staffing, logistics, inventory, cash handling, financial reporting, customer service, leadership and more.
• Tour Planning and Guide Training: Local guides act as the “ambassadors” for their communities and destinations, and guided tours are a vital product that a tourism enterprise offers to enrich the visitor experience.
• Though it sounds simple, creating an engaging and well-delivered guided tour takes tedious planning and practice, practice, practice! Monarch helps develop interpretive tours and trains interpretive guides that focus on communicating central messages which help tourists learn, feel motivated and empowered to contribute to a more sustainable world.
• Sales and Marketing: Lack of an effective sales and marketing strategy will often lead an otherwise well planned and run business to failure. Many small tourism businesses lack the technological or financial capabilities to effectively market themselves to their target markets. Monarch helps equip small businesses with content, collaborative strategies and partnerships to increase their marketing reach and sales leads.

Circuit & Route Development

The flow of people in and around a destination presents an important opportunity to enhance tourism’s ability to generate significant economic impact, especially in rural and remote destinations.

Monarch develops tour itineraries, circuits, and routes as a means to help visitors understand, approach and appreciate a destination.

As active marketing tools, circuits and routes can be developed around a particular theme to attract visitors and increase their length of stay.

The strategic development of circuits and routes can also diversify the tourism products and experiences in a country.

This diversification of tourism assets can spread benefits to small businesses and rural communities while reducing pressure on the most frequently visited areas—such as those designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Monarch focuses the development of circuits and routes by bringing together a network of stakeholders—including the government, associations, local communities and the private sectors—to work together and cooperate effectively in order to market and conserve the destination.

Monarch has developed a number of tourism routes and circuits in countries around the world—including 11 artisan-themed tourism circuits throughout the maze-like streets of the Medinas in Fez and Marrakech, Morocco.

Monarch also facilitated the creation of “La Ruta Amistad”, a cultural route linking Costa Rica and Panama, and designed marketing materials to help visitors travel more sustainably.

What to Expect

• Identification – Monarch will conduct a thorough assessment, evaluation and prioritization of the routes and circuits to be developed.
• Local Engagement – We work with with key stakeholders through a participatory process to develop a shared vision and strategic guidelines for the development and marketing of the route.
• Evaluation – We assess all of the opportunities and gaps pertaining to the route—including attractions, tourism infrastructure, services, environmental issues, and community engagement.
• Development – Monarch will help develop through route through formally engaging all route participants and enabling organizations.
• Marketing and Promotion – Developing and implementing a marketing strategy for the route that addresses the target markets, branding, competitive positioning and communications strategy.