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The Association has almost four hundred members in an industry in which some two thousand Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay properties are said to exist within the state.
The Association's aim is to represent the very best quality Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay operators; "best" by virtue of the high quality presentation of their property; their superb customer service, and their highly professional business practices that support their role within the accommodation industry - and the Association.
Some background
In the broader tourism industry, by far the most used accommodation type within the state is that of "staying with friends and relatives" followed by caravan parks and camping areas. Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay accommodation accounts for just on 1% of bed nights used by travellers within the State.
The most obvious "competitor" for the Association in the accommodation industry is the Hotel and Motel Accommodation Australia although their primary role for their members is "industrial" and more generally business practice improvement.
Our rules
The Association's rules provide the framework for activity of the Association; they clearly prescribe what the Association is meant to focus its activities on:
- To develop, promote and advance specialty Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay accommodation for travellers in New South Wales.
- To ensure excellence in Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay accommodation in New South Wales through the promotion of standards of accommodation and a code of practice for members.
- To co-operate with, and encourage the involvement of, local and state government authorities in the promotion and development of Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay accommodation in New South Wales.
- To support members in establishing and operating local or regional groups of the Association.
Some history
Over the years the prime focus of the Association, in pursuing its "statutory" objectives, has shifted somewhat according to the specific demands the board of management have faced together with the particular "take" they have formed on those demands. The current board see the aims (set out above) very clearly.
The Association is now focussed more on objects (c) - acting as a true industry association in lifting the quality of our representation at all levels of government (b) - doing what we can to increase the quality of offering and improve the underlying business practices of member operators, and (d) - building firm links with local and regional groups of operators as one obvious way to attract and retain members. This leaves object (a) - industry promotion - as a task we undertake for the industry as a whole with any direct benefits in enquiries and bookings that result from the directories as a useful though collateral advantage for members.
Principal Objectives
The policies and procedures developed by the board of the Association are directed therefore toward these objectives:
- Providing the means by which members may improve their own business practices
- liaising with all relevant local state and national agencies in areas that affect the regulation as well as quality and performance in our industry
- improving the quality and public perception of the Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay product
- developing stronger and broader links with suppliers so that more and more direct exclusive cash benefits flow to members, and
- promoting the Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay experience in the Tourism Industry, and
- raising travellers' awareness of the Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay product as a viable accommodation option
Products and Services
This broad approach is translated into the following specific actions by the Board:
Business Skills
- ensuring through publications and training programs that our members' business skills are continuously updated and improved by working with such industry partners as the Tourism Industry Council and the National Accreditation program
- regular communication to members on information and opportunities relevant to our industry
Quality of Product
- ensuring we recruit new top quality properties to membership and encouraging existing members to continually improve the quality of their property and the service they provide to the travelling public
- ensuring that mechanisms are in place to monitor our Code of Practice and its associated Quality Checklist by working with industry partners such as AAATourism.
Government Liaison
- working to simplify the compliance mechanisms that apply to the industry and to minimize the cost to individual member operators
- working closely with Tourism New South Wales and other agencies of local, state and national government that affect our industry to ensure optimal impact on members
Supplier Discounts
- making available to our members a comprehensive range of products and services at a [substantial] discount such that the direct cost savings of the products and services provided exclusively to members far outweighs the cost of membership
Local and regional links
- working closely with regional and local Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay groups to assist them in increasing the professional approach to guests and suppliers that is necessary to long term commitment in the hospitality industry
Raising travellers' awareness of Bed & Breakfast and Farmstay in NSW and the ACT as a viable accommodation alternative
- The continuous enhancement of the Association's Accommodation Directory website which lists all full members, those who have demonstrated their commitment to the Code of Practice and its associated Quality Checklist.
- The regular publication of a [hard copy] Accommodation Guide that lists all full members; and
- A program of appropriate public relations and media releases.
Current Member Benefits Achieved on Your Behalf
A detailed statement of member benefits that derive from the Association's work in each of these areas together with details how you, as a member, might avail yourself of each of the many benefits is set out here on this website.
A statement of the relationshop and responsibilities in the Tourism Industry in Australia is set out here on this website.
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