< < < < < < < < < < < < BEDPOSTS HOT TOPICS / MONTHLY COLUMN
been “runners” who knocked at the door and then scarpered after a night. Also, “cowboy” B&Bs where local council regulation was ineffective. When I turn to the archived material on the BedPosts forum, this can only go back nine years but it is none-the less illuminating. Membership of VisitBritain or
whatever incarnation people used to belong to has been a major issue - do we stay, do we go? Along with question marks over membership of local or regional tourist organisations and perhaps the AA as well. At one time, some might well have subscribed to possibly three of those organisations at significant cost.
Back in 2008 some forum comments were...
“While we are not happy at paying
the Visit Britain (VB) subscription, it is a requirement of the local TIC that all B&Bs listed by them are accredited.
As approx 25% of visits to our website are from the TIC site and 10-15% of our guests find us from the local Where to Stay booklet issued by the TIC I suppose it is good value for the money!” “I’m constantly reviewing my membership of VB, as are many members, but know that, if I do, I wouldn’t be recommended by the local TIC, nor would I be able to advertise in the 2 local Guides.” “The only reason we stay with the
Quality system is so we can advertise in the Local Tourist Guide (printed version - the web version does very little for us). Once the printed version stops (which I assume it will in the next few years - due to cost) we will drop out of the Quality system.” How times change along with
our guest expectations, our concerns and choices; nowadays, we have OTAs and channel management to deal with.
Perhaps the old days were simpler in some ways, but not entirely. I will return to the archives again, and next month also look at what issues forum members think will matter in the year ahead. In the meantime, we at BedPosts are planning for, and looking forward, to our 5th annual Breakaway, this time in Harrogate, from 25th to 27th January. It’s a great social occasion, a chance for many to put faces to names only seen online before, have some valuable conference time, and often a reason to visit somewhere that one has never been before and might have never visited otherwise. Perhaps we’ll meet on
www.bedposts.org.uk if we don’t meet there.
Roy McGregor - on behalf of BedPosts Business Club and Forum
As always, you can join the forum conversation at
www.bedposts.org.uk - you don’t have to be on your own.
13
Let’s make 2016 the year we all become greener and make every day an ‘Environment Day’.
aslotel.co.uk T: 01372 362533
Est. 1978
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