How to Make Money with Industrial Tourism

If in the past tourists were only interested in resorts with comfortable accommodations and beautiful landscapes, today more and more people are becoming enthusiasts of urban exploration. Therefore, not long ago, in the 1980s, industrial tourism emerged as a breath of fresh air in the tourism industry. However, there was little information about it at that time, and consequently, few followers. But today, with the youth showing interest in everything new and unconventional, and thanks to unrestricted access to information, this type of leisure activity has gained popularity.

The internet also plays a significant role in the development of industrial tourism today. Through the web, people of all ages and social statuses can form interest groups. Here, they share information about new urban sites and find travel companions. Typically, enthusiasts of this kind of tourism do not widely publicize such locations to prevent overcrowding by tourists and to avoid local authorities capitalizing on people's interest by charging for visits.

Today, there are several types of industrial tourism, including urban exploration, rooftopping, urban spelunking, post-pilgrimage tours, and passive industrial tourism.

Urban exploration involves leisurely walks through city streets merely to appreciate the local landscapes. The city itself could be technologically advanced, rundown, or in decay. However, the most dangerous form of industrial tourism known today is rooftopping, which entails visiting the roofs of high-rise buildings to admire the breathtaking views from a bird's-eye perspective.

As for urban spelunking, special equipment and good physical fitness are necessary. It involves exploring forgotten man-made underground structures, such as abandoned metro stations known as "ghosts" among locals, as well as regular sewage paths and tunnels. However, it is important to note that mining areas and quarries are not related to urban spelunking.

In addition to the aforementioned types of tourism, there is post-pilgrimage tourism, which entails guided tours to religious buildings and temples long forgotten by humanity. Post-pilgrimage tours appeal primarily to people interested in the history of a specific religion in general and a particular church in particular.

For those who are risk-averse, they may consider the least hazardous category of industrial leisure, known as passive tourism. This category encompasses a wide range of abandoned human-made structures, such as former residential homes with unique histories, or military bases and production facilities that have been disused for a long time.

However, to bring this business idea to life and achieve a good income, unconventional thinking and maximum creativity are essential. Initially, you will need to determine your tourism focus and then develop the most interesting and unconventional itineraries. With few competitors in this niche, tackling such a task should be manageable. Furthermore, you can expand your business in the future by exploring other facets of industrial tourism.