The Appeal of Intimacy: B &B's Make a Come Back
Not so long ago we reported on the study that most travelers avoided Bed and Breakfasts as a destination or place to stay.
The reasons primarily had to do with lack of familiarity with the B &B culture, and the apparent preference of younger travelers for the anonymity of a hotel as opposed to the intimacy of Bed and Breakfasts.
One very savvy inn owner explained that younger people really don’t want to eat breakfasts with strangers, and are uncomfortable with the friendliness innkeepers bring to their jobs.
Now comes a report in Travel Daily News suggesting that the B & B experience is appealing to a growing number of travelers.
It seems that one out of every eight travelers , or 13% of American leisure travelers, stayed at a B & B at least once during the previous year.
The figure jumps to 17% among travelers with annual household incomes of $125,000 a year.
But in what must be an answer to every B&B market’s dream, a huge eight out of ten or 79% expressed a strong interest in staying at a B&B in the coming year.
Whether they will or not, is up to the marketers. It’s their travel cohort to lose.
What’s the lure?
According to the YPartnership/Harrison Group's 2011 Portrait of the American Traveler, it’s simple. The B & B experience appeals because “of the distinctive ambiance and the unique, authentic experience (travelers) enjoy during their stay.”
Industry leader and B & B marketer, Marti Mayne of a Better Way To Stay says that the Y-Partnership study is in keeping with the ongoing research conducted by the Professional Association of Innkeepers International and BedandBreakfast.com. “This study,” Mayne says, “and many others confirm that inn-goers seek the added value offered at inns and B&Bs.”
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