Suzanne Burns’ journey to self-employment and entrepreneurship is an interesting one. From New Zealand to Canada to the Wild Atlantic Way, her adventure is only starting.
When did you start your business, what was your first tour?
I started my coastal guiding business MOPTOG (My Own Private Tour Guide) in April 2016. My first official tour was to Sheep’s Head with a group of seven, hiking around the peninsula on a gorgeous sunny day. We even saw two lizards.
What were the first few tours like, how did you get traction?
The first tours were walking tours around the West Cork region. I used Meetup, Facebook and my network to attract people. I also ran free tours for a few months to generate interest in what I was doing and become a ‘known entity’.
These are real ‘tours of nature’. What can your guests expect?
I started my career as a zoologist and progressed to wildlife guiding over my ten-year stint living in New Zealand. This knowledge has carried through here. I showcase local flora and fauna, archaeology, history and myths and legends. Alongside the walking tours, I link in with whale watching and night kayaking operators.
You say the food tours have taken off. What can guests expect on these?
The Kinsale Food Tours run like a walking meal. We go to four venues for food. The first two stops incorporate lighter fare, followed by a main and sweet stop to round off the tour. As we go from place to place, the group learns about the food culture and fascinating stories and the people in Kinsale. I also do slighter longer tours which involve going to the coast foraging for wild shellfish, seaweed and plants. We go to the coast half way through the tour and have a picnic after foraging if weather permits. We then
