Mapping and Assessing Needs of Existing Rural Hospitality Businesses
A study for American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) on rural tourism and alternative lodgings. It aimed to expand, solidify and institutionalize the rural hospitality infrastructure and encourage activities of responsible tourism. Methodology: Mapping lodgings countrywide. Face-to-face interviews with 60 lodging owners. Assessed the conditions of the buildings and grounds to see whether they conform to statutory and safety requirements. Mapped the services provided by the guesthouses and the support services available in the direct vicinity of the lodgings. Capacity and occupancy rates as well as booking methods and prices were established. Assessed the marketing tools utilized by the lodgings and the linkages with other local attractions. The information gathered allowed to formulate a gap analysis which helped identify the volume and high level boundaries of work needed on the ground to improve the physical infrastructure, service quality, and ancillary services of the sector.
Read more