Читать книгу Start & Run a Bed & Breakfast - Richard Taylor - Страница 12

No matter how many tourists your area attracts, not all of them will be potential customers for your B&B. You need to separate potential customers from unlikely customers by researching how people visit your area. For example, if you live in a popular tourist area with annual summer festivals, arts celebrations, etc., the potential for customers throughout the high tourist season is greater. If, however, you live off the beaten track, your customers may be more likely to be weekend getaway seekers.

Review the following list of unlikely customers and remove them from your plan for your potential market. Then review the list of potential customers and keep the variety in mind when you are thinking about attracting clientele to your B&B.

Unlikely customers:

• Organized tours with preplanned itineraries and standard hotel arrangements

• Sightseers who spend a few hours only in each location and then move on

• Day-trippers who spend the day in your area but do not require overnight accommodation

• Campers who bring their own sleeping quarters so they don’t need your accommodation

• High rollers who are looking for action and are attracted to luxury hotels with fitness clubs, tennis courts, and other amenities

Potential customers:

• Families who are looking for a home environment that can provide safe and friendly accommodation for their children

• Single parents who are looking for a similar home environment and who welcome the extra support that a friendly host family can provide

• Business travelers who are looking for a comfortable rest and a good home-cooked meal — usually in a downtown location

• Women travelers who are looking for safety and security and who appreciate the added protection of a family setting

• People traveling alone who enjoy the companionship of a B&B

• Retired people who have plenty of time to travel and to pursue their interests and who often seek the less-hurried atmosphere of a B&B

• People pursuing a particular sport or hobby who are looking for facilities that can cater to their particular needs

• People attending cultural attractions who enjoy the study of history, science, or the arts, and who are seeking the company of hosts who appreciate those values

• Professional people who are looking for clean and comfortable surroundings, friendly hosts, and interesting conversation

• People visiting local friends or family who need nearby accommodations

• Personal friends and “friends of friends” who want to visit you

• People who have heard about your B&B either through word-of-mouth or written advertising

As well as all those listed above, you should include any other local visitors you think would be potential customers. Each local area has a different mix of visitors and accommodations. Your B&B may attract other types of customers not mentioned here.