Buying a charter or tour company in Orlando and Central Florida

Orlando and Central Florida has 36 established charter and tour companies by our count: companies in business at least 15 years that still file with the state every year and aren't part of a larger group. Of those, 72% have been in business 20 years or more. Most will never be listed for sale, and many of their owners have never been asked.

established companies

72%

built over 20+ years

$609k+

a year, earned by the top quarter

31%

built over 30+ years

What it takes to own one

Charter and tour companies in Orlando and Central Florida come in every size. Here's what owning one could look like at three levels, from a solid company to one of the leaders, with a small business loan covering most of the price.

A solid company

Earns about: $150,000 a year
Price about: $459,000
Your cash: $64,000
Could pay you: up to $68,000 a year

A strong company

Top quarter in Orlando and Central Florida

Earns about: $609,000 a year
Price about: $1.9 million
Your cash: $260,000
Could pay you: up to $274,000 a year

One of the leaders

Top tenth in Orlando and Central Florida

Earns about: $1.8 million a year
Price about: $5.5 million
Your cash: $765,000
Could pay you: up to $806,000 a year

Earnings are owner earnings: profit plus what the owner pays themselves, before loan payments and taxes. They and the prices are our estimates from public records, not the owners' figures, and we value companies like these at about 3.0 times a year's owner earnings. Your cash covers the down payment and closing costs, and what the business could pay you is what's left after the loan payments and the cushion lenders require. The more cash you bring, the further up you can go.

Age, size and location

Revenue is our estimate from public records, grouped into wide ranges.

In business	Companies
Under 20 years	10
20 to 29 years	15
30 to 39 years	9
40 years or more	2

Estimated yearly revenue	Companies
Under $1M	8
$1M to $2M	3
$2M to $4M	3
Over $8M	5

County	Companies
Orange	19
Lake	6
Other counties	11

Town	Companies
Orlando	16

What the best charter and tour companies have in common

Strong reviews and listings that bring direct bookings without heavy commissions.
A dock or base with a long lease in a busy visitor area, since good slips and dock space are hard to find.
Boats or vehicles in good condition, with maintenance logs and inspection records.
Licensed captains or drivers besides the owner, who come back season after season.
Repeat business from companies, hotels or cruise passengers that fills slow periods.
A clean safety record and insurance at a reasonable cost.
Revenue spread across the year, or costs that shrink in the slow season.
A booking system that takes deposits and handles weather cancellations clearly, so refunds don't become disputes.

What to check before you buy

For each boat or vehicle: its age, marine survey or inspection, maintenance logs and what's still owed on it.
The dock or base lease: term, renewal, and any rules from the marina, city or park.
Bookings by month for several years, and by source (direct, booking sites, hotels), with the commissions paid.
Insurance cost and claims, including passenger injuries, and a quote for you as the new owner.
Captain and driver credentials, drug testing records, and who will stay after the sale.
Hurricane plans: where the boats or vehicles go, and how many days are lost to weather each year.
For contract routes, the term, who can cancel, and whether the contract can be assigned to you.
Permits or agreements to operate in parks, preserves or city waterfronts, and whether they transfer.

Questions to ask the owner

Who captains or drives each trip, and will they stay?
How do customers find you, and what do the booking sites charge?
What were your best and worst months last year?
How old are the boats or vehicles, and what major repairs are coming up?
Has anyone been hurt on a trip, and how did you handle it?
How long is the dock or yard lease, and can it be transferred to me?
How does hurricane season affect the business?

To learn what these companies do, which licenses they need and how ownership works, read our full guide to buying a charter or tour company in Florida.

Owning a company in Orlando and Central Florida

The local economy

This region covers Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake, Sumter and Marion counties: Orlando, Winter Park, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Sanford, Clermont, Leesburg, Ocala and the large retirement communities of Sumter and Lake counties. Tourism is what the area is best known for, built on the theme parks, the hotels, the vacation rental homes around Kissimmee and the Orange County Convention Center. It's far from the only business. The University of Central Florida and the military simulation and training offices near it support a technology base, and health care is a major employer.

Marion County is horse country, with thoroughbred farms around Ocala, and it has added warehouses and distribution centers along Interstate 75. Retirees in Sumter and Lake create steady demand for medical practices, home care, home maintenance and auto services. The building trades, restaurants, and companies that serve hotels and rental homes do well across the region.

What's different about owning a company here

Central Florida is inland, so storm surge isn't the worry it is on the coasts. Hurricanes still bring wind damage and flooding, though: Hurricane Ian flooded neighborhoods in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties in 2022. Ask whether the business or its customers were affected.

Tourism keeps demand steadier through the year than in markets that depend on winter residents, with busy stretches around school holidays. Hotels, parks and restaurants compete hard for workers, which pushes up wages for any company that hires hourly staff. New homes have spread fast in Osceola, south Lake and southeast Orange counties and around Ocala, so check whether a company's customers are in growing areas or older ones. Traffic on Interstate 4 limits how much ground a service company can cover in a day.