Tourism board guide for bed and breakfast owners

What is a tourism board?

A tourism board is an organisation that is tasked with attracting visitors and stimulating tourism within a country or region. It can either be run by governments (local or national) or travel industry interests. 

This type of organisation can also be called a tourist board, visitor board or travel board. It should be noted that this term is distinct from a ‘tourist information board’ – a sign or display that provides tourists with details about local attractions and travel services.

What is the meaning of a tourism board in travel?

The purpose of travel and tourism boards are to act as trusted local guides for visitors and travel service providers alike.

Their roles include raising awareness of a region and stoking travel demand to it, then directing tourists to specific hotels, B&Bs and experiences that will ensure they have a great time.

This last point is critical for small, independent accommodation providers. By partnering with tourism boards, you can leverage the influence of the organisation to drive more bookings to your hotel or bed and breakfast.

What does a tourism board do?

The key, day-to-day functions and responsibilities of a tourism board includes:

• Marketing a country or region as a travel destination
• Promoting specific attractions and events within that country or region
• Offering assistance to any visitors looking for local advice
• Directing tourists to service providers, such as hotels, tour companies and other travel businesses.

In this blog we’ll explore why tourism boards matter for small accommodation businesses and how you can use them to your advantage.

Why tourism boards matter for small bed & breakfast owners

Tourism boards can have a huge impact on how visible your accommodation is to tourists.

By getting friendly with your local tourism board, you can become a go-to suggestion when a visitor asks for bed and breakfast options in the area, and get listed as a preferred accommodation provider on the board’s website.

If the tourism board runs a visitor centre, as is common in many tourist hot spots, you can place posters, brochures and business cards in that space to generate even more potential business.

Tourism board representation: How small B&Bs can get featured

Exactly how you bring your bed and breakfast to the attention of the tourism board, and exactly what that board can do for you, will depend on the organisation at hand.

Small, independent hoteliers are wise to get in touch with local boards that operate within their specific region. Giving the board a call or sending them an email is a great place to start. Explain that you’re looking to become listed as an accommodation provider in the area. 

Doing so can make your B&B a board- or government-endorsed accommodation option, which you use in your advertising and marketing.It’s also wise to show your face at any industry events held by the board. It may even be worth investigating the process of becoming a member of the board.

Overview of major governmental tourism boards

National-level tourism boards are tasked with attracting international tourists to a country. These are of limited value to independent hotels and B&Bs, because they don’t often suggest specific accommodations to travellers – they leave that to regional travel boards.

Nevertheless, those regional boards will often answer to the national board, and your bed and breakfast has a chance of being highlighted to an international audience if you offer something truly unique or newsworthy/social media-worthy.

USA tourism board (Brand USA)

A surprisingly new organisation, Brand USA has only been promoting the country since 2011. It is tasked with supporting more than a million American jobs, and publicising the US as one of the world’s premier travel destinations.

UK tourism board (VisitBritain)

VisitBritain is a national tourism board that gets directly involved in the promotion of the country, by offering destinations, itineraries, things to do and trip planning tools to travellers.

Germany tourism board (GNTB)

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has spent 70+ years promoting Germany as a travel destination. Its ongoing ‘Destination Germany’ campaign has proven incredibly successful over the course of decades.

Italy tourism board (ENIT)

One of the world’s oldest tourism boards, ENIT is an Italian agency that was established in 1919. It runs the country’s official tourism site, Discover Italy, that promotes Italian travel service providers.

France tourism board (Atout France)

The French word atout means ‘asset’ or ‘advantage’, making Atout France an appropriate name for the tourist board of one of the world’s most famous and popular destinations. As of 2023 Atout France partnered with around 1200 tourism businesses and organisations.

Spain tourism board (Turespaña)

Turespaña is part of Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, and provides support for the marketing of Spanish tourism products abroad. It collaborates with communities, public entities and the private sector.

Thailand tourism board (TAT)

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has a rather unique dual mandate: to promote Thailand’s tourism industry and to protect the country’s environment. It has commonly used the slogan “Amazing Thailand” in its advertising and marketing.

Ireland tourism board (Fáilte Ireland)

The National Tourism Development Authority of Ireland, better known as Fáilte Ireland (‘welcome’ in Gaelic), is the latest iteration of the Irish tourism board. It uses a shamrock sign as its approved quality symbol.

Australia tourism board (Tourism Australia)

Created in 2004, Tourism Australia burst onto the scene with its 2006 advertising campaign “So where the bloody hell are you?“, which gained international attention when it was banned in the UK.

Direct bookings have increased by 25-50% since implementing Little Hotelier. It is an easy-to-use system that can be used on the move as well as statically.

Clint MacWhinnie,

General Manager

The Blazing Donkey Hotel

Read more

Tourism boards: Next steps for B&B owners

How do you approach a tourism board? The following checklist can give a small, independent B&B owner a framework for how to collaborate with a tourism board and capitalise on any grants, programs and promotional opportunities that the board might offer.

1. Research the board: Identify the appropriate tourism board, then read up on their goals, target audience and recent campaigns.
2. Define your value: Identify the unique value that your accommodation brings to the table.
3. Develop a proposal: Craft partnership or collaboration ideas and describe how they align with the board’s objectives.
4. Find the right contact: Identify the person or team you need to speak to, such as a partnerships representative.
5. Discuss expectations: Clarify goals, deliverables, deadlines and any required approvals, and what assistance the tourism board will provide.
6. Set clear terms: Establish a formal agreement that outlines the responsibilities of both you and the board.

If you successfully establish a solid partnership with your local tourism board, you could begin to receive a steady stream of potential guests.Your next task is to convert those leads into paying customers. And that’s where smart software like Little Hotelier comes in.