Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33425108
06/06/02
New York's 1993 Bed And Breakfast And Inn Industry
List of files and visuals associated with this text.
Source: New York Sea Grant
Author: Kuehn, Diane
Year: 1995
List of Tables and Figures
Table 1. Price ranges of B&Bs and inns (double occupancy).
Table 2. (Vis. T2) Regional estimates for total number of
guest rooms in region, daily guest capacity, number of
guests served, number of room-nights, and visitor lodging
expenditures.
Table 3. (Vis. T3) Average number of guest rooms, guests
served, and room-nights, and daily guest capacity by
lodging category and for New York state as a whole in
1993.
Table 4. Amenities and recreational opportunities offered
on the property of B&Bs and inns.
Table 5.(Vis. T5) Percent B&Bs and inns that employ staff
outside of their household, and the average number of
employees that work for these businesses.
Table 6. (Vis. T6) Forms of promotion, their effectiveness
rating on a scale of 1 to 3 (1=not effective, 2=fairly
effective, and 3=highly effective), and the percent
bookings received by B&B and inn owners from each. These
are ranked according to their effectiveness rating.
Figure 1. (Vis. 1)Number of existing B&Bs and inns, and
(in parentheses) number of survey respondents by New York
State Department Economic Development region.
Table 7.(Vis. T7) Percentages of customers that stay in
B&Bs and inns by region in New York State.
Table 8.(Vis. T8) Percentages of B&B and inn customers
according to their area of residence.
Table 9. (Vis. T9) The percentage of guests according to
their state of residence for those coming from states
other than New York, see Other states, Table 8(Vis. T8).
Table 10. Percentage of B&Bs and inns that receive guests
from foreign countries.
Table 11. (Vis. T11)Percentages of B&B and inn customers
according to their lengths of stay.
Table 12. Top 10 reasons why customers say they stay at
B&Bs and inns.
INTRODUCTION
Most bed and breakfasts and inns in New York state
typically fit into three basic categories: private home
B&Bs, B&B inns, and country inns. Private home B&Bs
typically operate in a private residence, have one to four
guest rooms that may accept up to nine guests, and serve
breakfast to guests only. B&B inns operate either in a
private residence or lodging facility, have 5 to 24 guest
rooms, and serve breakfast to guests only. Country inns
typically operate in a lodging facility with 5 to 24 rooms
and have full-service dining for both guests and the
public. B&Bs and inns that do not fit into one of these
three categories (e.g., a B&B with four rooms and dining
facilities for both guests and the public) are categorized
as "other B&Bs and Inns" in this report.
The purpose of this study is to identify the present
status of New York state's bed and breakfast and inn
industry and to provide B&B and inn owners with up-to-date
marketing, promotion, and business management information.
This is an update to the New York state bed and breakfast
survey of 1987 and its 1989 update (Dawson and Brown 1987;
Dawson 1989).
METHODS
During the winter of 1993-1994, a mailing list of B&Bs and
inns across New York state was compiled using information
from tourism promotion agencies, chambers of commerce, B&B
and lodging associations, B&B and inn reservation
services, and other published listings (Seligman 1993). A
survey tool was developed based on NY Sea Grant's B&B
questionnaire of 1987 (Dawson and Brown 1987). Unlike the
survey of 1987, surveys were not given to reservation
services to distribute to their B&B and inn customers in
the 1994 survey since this was found to be ineffective in
1987. B&Bs and inns that are promoted through reservation
services alone were thus not included in this survey. Many
of these B&Bs and inns are found in the New York City
metropolitan area and on Long Island.
Between April and June 1994, 1,171 surveys were
distributed to lodging businesses across the state. Of
these, 1,069 (91%) were operating B&Bs and inns, 22 (2%)
had gone out of business, 29 (3%) did not categorize
themselves as B&Bs or inns, and 51 (4%) had moved or
changed addresses. Of the 1069 that were identified as
operating B&Bs and inns, 419 returned completed
questionnaires (a return rate of 39%).
B&B and inn owners and managers were asked to respond to
the survey for the 1993 calendar year. The data collected
from the questionnaires were analyzed for the state as a
whole, according to B&B category (private home B&B, B&B
inn, country inn, and other B&B and inn lodging), and by
New York State Department of Economic Development (NYSDED)
region. The number of B&Bs and inns existing in each
region was derived from the mailing list and used to
calculate the estimated number of guest rooms, daily
capacity, number of guests served, number of room-nights,
and guest lodging expenditures for each region in 1993.
STATEWIDE RESULTS
General business information
Of the 419 owners that returned questionnaires, 273 (65%)
were categorized as private home B&Bs, 76 (18%) as B&B
inns, 49 (12%) as country inns, and 21 (5%) as other B&Bs
and inns that did not fit these three categories. The
total number of private home B&Bs in New York state is
estimated to be 697, while B&B inns are estimated at 194,
country inns at 125, and other B&Bs and inns, 53. While
most B&B and inn businesses are open full time during the
year, 15% are open part-time (i.e., on weekends only) at
least one season every year. The average price for a
double occupancy room was $67, with 76% of B&Bs and inns
priced between $40 and $79, Table 1). The total guest
expenditures for B&B and inn room charges in New York was
estimated at $28,511,680 in 1993, Table 2
(Vis. T2).
Most B&Bs and inns opened around 1980, and have been owned
by the current owner an average of 6.6 years. B&B and inn
owners and managers said that they decided to
_________________________________________________
Table 1. Price ranges of B&Bs and inns (double occupancy).
Price range Percent B&Bs and
Inns in price range
__________________________________________________
<$40 4%
$40-49 12%
$50-59 24%
$60-69 25%
$70-79 15%
$80-89 7%
$90-99 4%
$100-149 7%
$150+ 2%
___________________________________________________
operate a lodging business for the following reasons: to
provide a supplemental income (64%), to meet people (50%),
to restore an old or historic building (32%), to help
finance their home (25%), for the tax advantage (21%), and
for other reasons such as keeping busy after retirement
and running their own business (28%). Most B&Bs and inns
are sole proprietorships (70%), while 15% are corporations
and 15% are partnerships. Seven percent of the B&Bs and
inns are listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, and 3% are currently applying for this status.
B&Bs and inns are primarily located on lands zoned for
residential (50%), agricultural (14%), and commercial (9%)
purposes or other zoned areas (e.g., industrial,
commercial-residential; 12%); 15% are located in areas
without zoning. Many of the respondents (29%) stated that
they either had to have their zoning changed (i.e.,
re-zoned, variance, or special permit) or are currently
undergoing this change in order to operate their B&B or
inn. When asked if their property has been recently
reassessed for tax purposes as "commercial," 15% stated
that it has been. Of these owners, 57% indicated that
their utility company started charging commercial rates
because of this.
B&Bs and inns across the state served an average of 624.0
guests each in 1993, and had their rooms occupied an
average of 397.2 room-nights (i.e., the number of nights
each room in a B&B or inn is occupied totaled together;
Table 3(Vis. T3). Half of the owners (50%) stated that the
number of room-nights for their B&B or inn increased
between 1992 and 1993; 18% said they decreased, 18%
remained at the same level, 4% did not know, and 10% were
not open in 1992. Average occupancy on weekends was 66% in
the summer, 56% in the fall, 33% in the winter, and 32% in
the spring.
Most B&B and inn owners (81%) have domestic kitchens in
their homes, while 15% have commercial kitchens and 4%
have some other type. While most private home B&Bs and B&B
inns have domestic kitchens (98% and 80%, respectively),
the majority of country inns (86%) have commercial
kitchens. Of the owners surveyed, 11% said that they were
required to remodel their kitchen in order to meet health
or food-service regulations. Almost all B&Bs and inns
serve breakfast (80% serve full breakfast and 31% serve
continental); 23% serve an afternoon tea, 9% lunch, and
19% dinner. While most of those who serve a full breakfast
include it in the room charge (95%), only 13% and 20%
include lunch and dinner, respectively.
B&B and inn owners indicated that diverse amenities and
recreational facilities are located on their properties
for their guests to use. Porches or patios and sitting
rooms exist in 90% and 87%, respectively, of the B&Bs and
inns. Other common amenities include fireplaces (found in
57% of B&Bs and inns), outdoor cooking facilities (36%),
hiking and/or cross-country skiing trails (31%), and
fishing access (25%; Table 4). An average of 4.2 private
bathrooms were found in 69% of the B&Bs and inns surveyed;
63% had an average of 1.9 bathrooms shared by guests, and
14% had an average of 1.2 bathrooms shared by both guests
and members of the host family.
Table 2.(Vis. T2) Regional estimates for total number of
guest rooms in region, daily guest capacity, number of
guests served, number of room-nights, and visitor lodging
expenditures.
Table 3. (Vis. T3) Average number of guest rooms, guests
served, and room-nights, and daily guest capacity by
lodging category and for New York state as a whole in
1993.
Guests are able to pay with credit cards in 51% of the
B&Bs and inns. When asked if children under the age of 12
are allowed to stay at their B&Bs and inns, 79% said yes.
Most owners (80%) said that they do not permit pets.
Reservations are required by 48% of B&B and inn owners.
With regard to the employment of persons from outside B&B
and inn owners' households, 31% of the respondents stated
that they do hire additional help. Those that do hire
additional help employ an average of 2.5 full-time and 4.7
part-time persons per year. Country inns and B&B inns
hire the majority of these workers, Table 5(Vis. T5). The
estimated full-time and part-time employment by B&Bs and
inns in New York State in 1993 was 827 and 1,529
employees, respectively, totaling an estimated 2,356
persons.
The types of insurance carried by owners varies between
businesses. Many B&Bs and inns carry only one type of
insurance such as general homeowner's insurance (25%
carried this form), B&B insurance (24%), general business
comprehensive insurance (18%), or liability insurance
(5%); others (11%) carry a combination of two or more of
these. Many owners (17%) carry homeowner's insurance with
a B&B rider. The majority of country inns carry general
business comprehensive insurance, while most private home
B&Bs carry homeowner's insurance either by itself or with
a B&B rider; B&B inns carry a combination of homeowner's
insurance, B&B insurance, and/or general business
comprehensive insurance.
The majority of B&B and inn owners (57%) belong to some
type of lodging association; 20% of these are members of
national B&B or inn associations, 31% belong to New York
state associations, and 44% are members of regional or
county associations. Most owners (74%) are members of
their local chamber of commerce. The 30% of owners
belonging to reservation services have done so for an
average of 3.5 years.
____________________
Table 4. Amenities and recreational opportunities offered
on the property of B&Bs and inns.
________________________________________________
Percent B&Bs and
Amenity Inns offering amenity
________________________________________________
Porch and/or patio 90%
Sitting room and/or parlor 87%
Fireplace 57%
Outdoor cooking facilities 36%
Hiking and/or cross-country
Skiing trails 31%
Fishing 25%
Bicycle loans and/or rentals 19%
Laundry facilities 17%
Gift shop 17%
Hot tub, sauna, and/or whirlpool 13%
Boating 12%
Beach 10%
Swimming pool 9%
Tennis courts 5%
Horseback riding stables 2%
_______________________________________
Table 5. (Vis. T5) Percent B&Bs and inns that employ staff
outside of their household, and the average number of
employees that work for these businesses.
The top five concerns of B&B and inn owners are:
government regulations, especially those concerning health
and fire code permits and inspections; increasing or
maintaining high occupancy rates; high income and business
taxes; advertising and the costs of it; and liability.
Government regulations, and health and fire code permits
and inspections are by far the most pressing concerns of
B&B and inn owners, with 12% of the 49 respondents that
answered this question listing them. Other concerns
included maintaining a cash flow, obtaining adequate
insurance, and IRS audits.
Promotion
B&B and inn owners across the state spent an average of
$2,297 on promotion in 1993. Private home B&Bs spent
considerably less than the average ($736), while B&B inn
and country inn operators spent more ($2,394 and $10,324,
respectively). The average return rate for B&B and inn
guests in New York state was 39% in 1993. Private home B&B
operators had a lower-than-average return rate (34%),
while B&B inn and country inns had higher rates (43% and
54%, respectively).
Most B&B and inn owners use several different forms of
promotion to attract customers to their businesses. These
forms of promotion are ranked by their effectiveness
rating, a scale of 1 to 3 is used where 1 is not effective
and 3 is highly effective, in Table 6(Vis. T6). Those most
highly ranked are referrals or word of mouth advertising,
brochures of the B&B or inn business, listing the business
with chambers of commerce, advertising in B&B and inn
guidebooks, and advertising or being included in tourism
promotion agency guidebooks. While the effectiveness
rating of reservation services was moderate (1.91), the
percentage of bookings received through reservation
services by B&B and inn operators who use them was high
(12%).
The use of promotional techniques differs according to
lodging category (i.e., country inn, B&B inn, or private
home B&B) in several instances. Reservation services were
rated as very effective for private home B&Bs (2.10
effectiveness rating) and accounted for an average 16% of
private home B&B bookings. However, the effectiveness of
reservation services was rated lower than average for
country inns and B&B inns. The effectiveness rating for
country inns advertising in newspapers and magazines was
higher than average (2.15, and 2.17, respectively). While
only 10% of country inn operators claimed to advertise on
TV, the effectiveness of this form of promotion was rated
high by them (2.50). Country inns also gave the use of
direct mail a higher-than-average effectiveness rating
(2.32), while promotion through chambers of commerce was
given a lower-than-average rating (1.81).
Offering package deals was ranked sixth in effectiveness,
even though only 26% of B&B and inn owners offer packages
to their customers. Most package deals are done in
conjunction with restaurants (43%), downhill skiing areas
(30%), golf courses (23%), cross-country skiing areas
(22%), and/or charter boat or guide services (15%).
Offering package deals was especially effective for
country inns (2.48 effectiveness rating), which had 8% of
their bookings from package deals. Owners that do not
offer packages said that they did not because their
business does well without them, they do not know how to
arrange them, or it is too time consuming to organize
them.
Table 6. (Vis. T6)Forms of promotion, their effectiveness
ratings on a scale of 1 to 3 (1=not effective, 2=fairly
effective, and 3=highly effective), and the percent
bookings received by B&B and inn owners from each. These
are ranked according to their effectiveness rating.
______________________________________________
Marketing
Identifying the types of customers that come to B&Bs and
inns and where they come from is important to consider
when planning a marketing strategy. Most guests that stay
at B&Bs and inns in New York are couples (64%) or families
(19%); business travelers and tour groups make up smaller
percentages, 9% and 1%, respectively; Table 7(Vis. T7).
Country inns tend to receive slightly more families and
business travelers than average (22% and 11%,
respectively). B&Bs and inns located in cities having more
than 10,000 people in population tend to receive the
highest percentage of business travelers (19%) and lower
percentages of couples and families (61% and 14%,
respectively). Country inns receive a much higher
percentage of tour groups than average (5%), probably
because their large size enables them to accommodate
larger groups.
While half of the guests staying at B&Bs and inns are from
within New York state (50%), other states and Canada also
contribute large percentages (35% and 11%, respectively;
Table 8(Vis. T8). Country inns and B&B inns receive a
slightly higher percentage of visitors from within New
York (56% and 53%, respectively), while private home B&B
operators receive a higher percentage of customers from
other states (37%).
Most of the guests from states other than New York come
from those that are nearby (i.e., Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Ohio;
Table 9(Vis. T9). Of this 35%, 20% come from Pennsylvania
and 26% from New Jersey; 19% come from other states not
listed in Table 9(Vis. T9). Of the owners who receive
visitors from states not listed, 70% said they receive
guests from California, 55% from Florida, 33% from Texas,
31% from Virginia, and 27% from Michigan; 27% of these
owners received guests from other states in the Northeast
(i.e., Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island).
Visitors from foreign countries comprise an average 4% of
guests statewide, Table 8(Vis. T8). Of the B&B and inn
owners who said they receive guests from other countries,
86% said they receive guests from Canada, 57% from Great
Britain, 47% from Germany, and 33% from France (Table 10).
A high percentage of B&Bs and inns also receive guests
from Australia, the Netherlands, Japan, and Ireland.
Most guests stay either one or two nights (44% and 42%,
respectively; Table 11(Vis. T11). This indicates that many
guests travel to B&Bs and inns for weekend getaways.
Occupancy data reveal much higher occupancy rates on
weekends than weekdays (e.g., weekend occupancy in the
summer was 66% while weekday occupancy was 40%).
When asked why they think visitors stay at their B&B or
inn, 46% of the owners stated that location was the
primary reason. Hospitality and food were also mentioned
by 39% and 32% of the owners, respectively.
Table 12 lists the top 10 reasons why guests stay at B&Bs
and inns.
REGIONAL RESULTS
B&B and inn owners from 10 of the 11 regions in New York
state recognized by the NY SIDED returned questionnaires,
the New York City area being the exception (while two B&Bs
or inns exist in New York City, neither participated in
the survey; Figure 1(Vis. 1). The following marketing
results are given by region. Additional information on
lodging businesses in the Adirondack North Country region
(which includes the Adirondack and Thousand Islands
regions discussed below) can be found in the bicycle
master plan for the Adirondack North Country region of New
York state (Holmes et al. 1994).
Long Island
The Long Island region is comprised of Nassau and Suffolk
counties, Figure 1(Vis. 1). Only eight B&Bs and inns
returned questionnaires, 50% of which were private home
B&Bs and the other 50% B&B inns. The average room charge
in this region was the highest in the state ($92 per
double-occupancy room). Estimates of number of guests
served, number of room-nights, and visitor lodging
expenditures are moderate to low in comparison to other
regions in New York state, Table 2(Vis. T2).
B&Bs and inns on Long Island receive the second highest
percentage of couples in New York (72%) and a high
percentage of business travelers, 11%; Table 7(Vis. T7).
However, the percentage of tour groups received by the
owners answering the questionnaire was 0%. Most of the
guests to this region are from within New York state
(66%), and few guests come from Canada, 2%; Table 8
(Vis. T8). Of the 28% of guests that come from other
states, many come from New Jersey (30%) and Connecticut,
30%; Table 9(Vis. T9). Guest tend to stay longer than
average in this region, with 52% staying two nights and 9%
staying three. The percentages of guests staying four to
seven and eight to fourteen nights are the highest in the
state, 9% and 2%, respectively; Table 11(Vis. T11). The
return rate of guests to this region is lower than average
at 38%.
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley region is comprised of Westchester,
Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, and Orange counties,
Figure 1(Vis. 1). Thirty-one B&Bs and inns returned
questionnaires for this region, 64% of which were private
home B&Bs, 13% B&B inns, 13% country inns, and 10% other
B&Bs or inns. This region had the second highest average
room charge in the state ($84 per double occupancy room).
Estimates of number of guests served, number of
room-nights, and visitor lodging expenditures are moderate
to low. Table 2(Vis. T2).
Like the Long Island region, the Hudson Valley region has
a high percentage of couples and business travelers
staying at its B&Bs and inns (68% and 14%, respectively;
Table 7(Vis. T7). It has a higher-than-average percentage
of guests coming from New York state (54%) and other
states (36%). Although a low percentage of guests are
from Canada (2%), it has the second highest percentage of
guests from foreign countries other than Canada (8%; Table
8(Vis. T8). Of the 36% of guests from states other than
New York, most come from New Jersey (31%) and
Massachusetts, 18%; Table 9(Vis. T9). Most visitors stay
at B&Bs and inns in this region for one to two nights,
Table 11(Vis. T11), and the return rate of guests to this
region is slightly below average at 38%.
FIGURE 1.(Vis. 1)
TABLE 7.(Vis. T7)
TABLE 8.(Vis. T8)
TABLE 9.(Vis. T9)
Catskills
The counties of Ulster, Greene, Sullivan, and Delaware
make up the Catskill region, Figure 1(Vis. 1). Forty-six
B&B and inn owners returned questionnaires from this
region, 59% of which were private home B&Bs, 11% B&B inns,
26% country inns, and 4% other B&Bs and inns. The
double-occupancy room charge for this region, $75, is
higher than the state average. This region has a very high
estimated daily guest capacity and served a high estimated
number of guests in 1993, Table 2(Vis. T2).
B&Bs and inns in the Catskill region accommodate the third
highest percentage (23%) of family groups of all regions
in New York and one of the highest percentages of tour
groups (3%). However, they also receive the lowest
percentage of business travelers, 3%; Table 7(Vis. T7).
The majority of guests are from within New York (67%),
while few guests are from Canada, 2%; Table 8(Vis. T8). Of
the 27% of guests that travel from other states, most,
55%, are from New Jersey, Table 9(Vis. T9). Guests tend to
stay mainly for one or two nights, Table 11(Vis. T11), and
the return rate to this region is higher than average at
41%.
Capital Region
The Capital region is comprised of the counties of Albany,
Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Fulton, and Washington,
Figure 1(Vis. 1). Twenty-three B&Bs and inns returned
questionnaires, 56% of which were private home B&Bs, 22%
B&B inns, and 22% country inns. This region has the third
highest double-occupancy room charge in the state ($81).
Estimates of number of guests served, number of
room-nights, and visitor lodging expenditures are moderate
to low, Table 2(Vis. T2).
This region has the lowest percentage of families staying
at its B&Bs and inns (9%), but the highest percentage of
couples, 79%; Table 7(Vis. T7). The majority of guests
come from within New York state, 56%; Table 8(Vis. T8). Of
the 34% of guests that come from other states, most are
from New Jersey (39%), Connecticut (18%), and
Massachusetts, 18%; Table 9(Vis. T9). While most guests
stay for either one or two nights, a large percentage of
guests, 10%, stay for three nights, Table 11(Vis. T11).
The return rate of guests to this region, 35%, is below
the state average.
Table 10. Percentage of B&Bs and inns that receive guests
from foreign countries.
___________________________________________________
Percentage of
Country B&Bs and Inns
__________________________________________________
Canada 86%
Great Britain 57%
Germany 47%
France 33%
Australia 22%
Netherlands 21%
Japan 21%
Ireland 10%
Switzerland 9%
Italy 9%
Asia 8%
South Africa 8%
Spain 7%
Israel 5%
Austria 4%
Mexico 4%
Brazil 4%
________________________________
TABLE 11. (Vis. T11)
Adirondacks
The Adirondack region is comprised of Warren, Hamilton,
Essex, Clinton, Franklin, Lewis, and northern Herkimer
counties, Figure 1(Vis. 1)). Sixty-nine B&Bs and inns
returned questionnaires from this region, 53% of which
were private home B&Bs, 20% B&B inns, 20% country inns,
and 7% other B&Bs and inns. The average doubleoccupancy
rate in this region is slightly below average at $64. This
region has the highest estimated number of guest rooms in
the state (1,120.0), as well as the highest estimated
number of guests served, number of room nights, and
visitor lodging expenditures, Table 2(Vis. T2).
Adirondack B&Bs and inns receive very high percentages of
couples and families (68% and 23%, respectively; Table
7(Vis. T7). While most visitors come from either New York
state or other states, a very high percentage come from
Canada, 17%; Table 8(Vis. T8). Of the 30% of guests that
come from states other than New York, most come from New
Jersey, 35%, and Pennsylvania, 15%; Table 9(Vis. T9).
Guests tend to stay one to three nights, Table 11
(Vis. T11). The return rate for guests to this region,
51%, is the highest in the state.
Thousand Islands
The Thousand Islands region is made up of St. Lawrence,
Jefferson, and Oswego Counties, Figure 1(Vis. 1). Twenty-
seven B&Bs and inns returned questionnaires from this
region, 81% of which were private home B&Bs, 15% B&B inns,
and 4% other B&Bs and inns. This region has the lowest
average double-occupancy room charge ($50) in the state.
Although the estimated daily guest capacity of this region
is moderately high (634.8), the estimated number of
guests, number of room-nights, and visitor lodging
expenditures are the lowest of all New York state regions,
Table 2(Vis. T2). This may be due to the fact that many
B&Bs and inns in this region have opened to accommodate
anglers during the fall fishing season and have low
occupancy rates during the remaining seasons
of the year.
Table 12. Top 10 reasons why customers say they stay at
B&Bs and inns
_______________________________________________
Percent owners
Rank Reason Giving response
_______________________________________________
1 Location 46
2 Hospitality 39
3 Food 32
4 Atmosphere of B&B or inn 17
5 Peacefulness of surroundings 17
6 Nearby recreational opportunities 17
7 Price 14
8 To visit nearby family and friends 12
9 Convenience 11
10 Comfort provided by B&B or inn 10
_________________________________________
While this region receives lower-than-average percentages
of couples and families, it receives the largest
percentage of other groups, 26%; Table 7(Vis. T7).
According to statements written in on questionnaires,
other groups includes mainly anglers and single travelers.
While most visitors come from within New York state or
other states, a moderately high percentage come from
Canada (7%). A very low percentage, however, come from
other foreign countries, 2%; Table 8(Vis. T8). Of the 34%
of guests that come from other states, most are from
Pennsylvania,42% and New Jersey ,17%; Table 9(Vis. T9).
Guests tend to stay for one or two nights, Table 11
(Vis. T11), and the return rate of guests to this region
is high at 49%.
Central Leatherstocking
The Central Leatherstocking region consists of Oneida,
Montgomery, Schoharie, Otsego, Broome, Chenango, Madison,
and southern Herkimer counties, Figure 1(Vis. 1).
Sixty-six B&Bs and inns from this region returned
questionnaires, 74% of which are private home B&Bs, 14%
B&B inns, 8% country inns, and 4% other B&Bs and inns. The
average double-occupancy room rate for this region is
slightly below average at $63. Although the estimated
daily guest capacity of this region is high (1,337.7), the
estimated number of guests served, number of room-nights,
and visitor lodging expenditures are moderate, Table 2
(Vis. T2).
While most guests staying at B&Bs and inns in this region
are either couples or families, every high percentage of
guests are business travelers, 12%; Table 7(Vis. T7). A
high percentage of travelers come from states other than
New York, 43%, and Canada, 9%; Table 8(Vis. T8). Of those
guests that do come from other states, most come from New
Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut Table
9(Vis. T9). A very high percentage of guests (53%) stay at
B&Bs and inns in this region for one night (35% stay for
two nights; Table 11(Vis. T11). The return rate of guests
to this region is below the state average at 33%.
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes region consists of the following
counties: Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca,
Ontario, Livingston, Yates, Steuben, Schuyler, Tompkins,
Cortland, Chemung, and Tioga, Figure 1(Vis. 1).
One-hundred-and-eleven B&Bs and inns returned
questionnaires from this region, 73% of which were private
home B&Bs, 21% B&B inns, 5% country inns, and 1% other
B&Bs and inns. This region had an average double-occupancy
room charge of $65. The estimated number of guest rooms,
guests served, and room-nights, as well as visitor lodging
expenditures are high, Table 2(Vis. T2).
While the majority of this region's guests are families or
couples, a high percentage (11%) are business travelers,
Table 7(Vis. T7). Most guests are from either within New
York state or other states. Of the 36% of guests from
other states besides New York, most are from Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, and Ohio, Table 9(Vis. T9). A high percentage
of guests, 13%, are from Canada, Table 8(Vis. T8). Guests
tend to stay for one or two nights, Table 11(Vis. T11),
and the return rate of guests to B&Bs and inns in this
region is below average at 35%.
Niagara Frontier
The Niagara Frontier consists of Orleans, Genesee,
Wyoming, Erie, and Niagara counties, Figure 1(Vis. 1).
Twenty one B&Bs and inns returned questionnaires from this
region, 76% of which were private home B&Bs, 14% B&B inns,
and 10% country inns. The average double occupancy room
charge for this region is the second lowest in the state
at $59. The estimated number of guest rooms, number of
guests served, number of room nights, and visitor lodging
expenditures are moderate to low for this region, Table
2(Vis. T2). Although this region contains one of the most
popular tourist attractions in New York (Niagara Falls),
many visitors to this area may be staying in motels and
hotels instead of B&Bs and inns.
Guests to this area are mainly couples (64%) and "other
groups" including anglers and single travelers (18%; Table
7(Vis. T7). While Niagara Frontier B&Bs and inns receive a
very high percentage of Canadians (18%) and guests from
other foreign countries (9%), they also receive the lowest
percentage of in-state guests of all the regions (28%;
Table 8(Vis. T8). Of the 45% of guests that come from
states other than New York, most are from Pennsylvania and
Ohio, 30% and 29%, respectively; Table 9(Vis. T9). Most
guests stay at B&Bs and inns for one or two nights (Table
11(Vis. T11). The return rate of guests to this region is
below average at 36%.
Chautauqua-Allegheny
The Chautauqua-Allegheny region consists of Chautauqua,
Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties, Figure 1(Vis. 1).
Seventeen B&Bs and inns returned questionnaires from this
region, 29% of which were private home B&Bs, 29% B&B inns,
6% country inns, and 36% other B&Bs and inns. The average
double-occupancy room charge for this region is $67. The
estimated daily guest capacity, number of guests served,
number of room nights, and visitor lodging expenditures
for this region are moderate to high, Table 2(Vis. T2).
While most guests staying at B&Bs and inns in this region
are couples (65%), a large percentage of guests are either
business travelers (15%) or families, 14%; Table 7
(Vis. T7). While this region attracts the largest
percentage of Canadian guests of all regions (22%), most
guests come from within New York or other states (Table
8(Vis. T8). This region attracts the lowest percentage of
guests from foreign countries other than Canada (1%). Of
the 31% of guests from states other than New York, most
come from either Ohio (46%) or Pennsylvania (28%; Table
9(Vis. T9). Most guests stay either one or two nights,
Table 11(Vis. T11), and the return rate of guests to B&Bs
and inns in this region is slightly higher than average at
40%.
CONCLUSION
The B&B and inn industry in New York has increased 5.6%
since 1987 when 1,012 B&Bs and inns were identified in New
York (Dawson and Brown 1987). The estimated number of
room-nights has increased 125.9%, from 188,000 in 1987 to
424,660 in 1993. (NOTE: these 1993 estimates are most
likely conservative since B&Bs and inns listed only with
reservation services have not been included.) Over the
next several years, the number of room-nights in New York
will most likely continue to increase, as word-of-mouth
about the B&B and inn industry continues to spread.
Increased promotion of the industry to untapped domestic
and foreign markets will be especially helpful (foreign
guests currently comprise only 4% of guests). Marketing to
these groups should be done in conjunction with regional
and state tourism promotion agencies and chambers of
commerce, especially for smaller businesses.
While the data presented in this report provide detailed
marketing and promotion information, B&B and inn owners
should continually evaluate the effectiveness of their
promotional techniques and identify where their guests
come from before implementing any promotional strategy.
Only by doing an in-house evaluation will owners get
information specific to their business. Creating a simple
form for visitors to fill out asking for their area of
residence and how they found out about a business will
save unnecessary promotional costs in the future.
LITERATURE CITED
Dawson, C., and T. Brown. 1987. A summary of the 1987
bed & breakfast lodging industry in New York State. New
York Sea Grant: Oswego, NY. 4 pp.
Dawson, C. 1989. A bed and breakfast lodging industry
update for 1989. NY Sea Grant: Oswego, NY. 2 pp.
Holmes, T. P., D. Healy, M. Schuett, N. Korths, and K.
Boettger. 1994. Bicycle master plan for the Adirondack
North Country region of New York state. Adirondack
North Country Association: Saranac Lake, NY. 164 pp.
Seligman, C., ed. 1993. Fodor's bed & breakfasts and
country inns: Mid-Atlantic Region. Random House, Inc.:
New
York, NY. 300 pp.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to thank the following individuals for their review
comments and/or assistance: Chad Dawson, SUNY College of
Environmental Science and Forestry; Douglas Ververs,
Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Oswego County; Timothy Holmes,
Holmes and Associates; Nadia Korths, Adirondack B&B
Reservation Service; Patricia MacNeill, NY Sea Grant; and
Marilyn Leiker. I am also extremely grateful to the many
B&B
and inn owners across the state who took the time to
complete
and return the survey, as well as the many tourism
promotion
agencies, chambers of commerce, and B&B associations who
assisted me in compiling the statewide mailing list.
Copies of this publication are available from:
New York Sea Grant
Swetman Hall
SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY 13126
(315) 341-3042
This information is for educational purposes only. References
to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not
mentioned. This information becomes public property upon
publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU
Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise
a commercial product or company.
This file was generated from data base TD on 09/30/03.
Data base TD was last revised on 06/06/02.
For more information about this data base or its contents please contact
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