National B&B Day 2018
24th March 2018 was the inaugural National B&B Day. The aims of the day were to:
Launch an industry recognised “national day” to raise the profile of all things independent accommodation related
Get as many people as possible staying in B&Bs on the weekend of National B&B Day
Make guests think of a B&B when planning a short break or holiday all year round
Here’s What Happened
To entice people to book, B&Bs across the UK were encouraged to offer something a little bit special to their guests. This turned out to be anything from a special deal to something extra special, such as breakfast in bed, offering a free afternoon tea, a tasting of local produce or a free beauty treatment; something over and above what B&Bs would normally offer. 350 properties rallied to the cause, with our very favourite exclusive offers for the National B&B Day including:
- “A La Bark” breakfast for dogs
- Prosecco & strawberry breakfasts
- Free gin tasting
- Free Lake Windermere cruises
- Free trips on the Brighton i360 attraction
All-in-one booking software providers, eviivo, worked hard along with the B&B Association to get more than 30 industry-leading sponsors on board with the day, including:
What else?
- MPs got behind the cause, passing an Early Day Motion in Parliament. The Minister for Tourism, Mike Ellis, spoke out about his support for NBB Day, and MPs visited 6 B&Bs on the day in celebration.
- Seven radio interviews with the B&B Association or eviivo took place, including on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Radio Devon and BBC Radio Essex.
- #BandBday was trending at no. 8 on Twitter, thanks to involvement from celebrities, sponsors, tourist boards and B&Bs using the hashtag!
- Press and blogger stays were arranged at B&Bs in exchange for coverage, including the Birmingham Post, Mail on Sunday and Trinity Mirror Group.
- Online accommodation booking website toprooms.com offered commission-free bookings for the weekend
- Online travel agency LateRooms featured NBB Day on their homepage.
NBB Day co-founders eviivo went to town, and:
- Launched Great British B&B Breakfasts, a customer breakfast cookbook (covered by MailOnline and The Sun), with proceeds supporting the Family Holiday Association.
- Ran a competition for 20 Keyworkers (teachers, NHS staff, emergency services, armed forces) to win a 2 night break in a UK B&B of their choice.
- Sponsored a fleet of NBB Day branded black cabs for 1 month across Birmingham, Edinburgh, Liverpool, London and Manchester.
- Delivered breakfast hampers – including lots of lovely homemade goods from B&Bs – to regional press, radio and TV stations, as well as the world’s top travel websites’ offices. Watch how it went in our video.
In the week following National B&B Day, eviivo saw an 8.1% YoY increase in bookings at B&Bs!
It looks like the NBBD initiative has helped reignite the UK’s love affair with B&Bs and the authentic British Holiday experience that they offer. Join us March 18th – 24th 2019 for the new and improved National B&B Week!
To find out more about how you can get involved in National B&B Week 2019, please contact us at info@bandbweek.com
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