The bed and breakfast market of Buffalo City (BC), South Africa: Present status, constraints and success factors

A telephone survey aimed at examining the bed and breakfast (B&B) market of Buffalo City of South Africa was conducted, using 36 operators, selected through random sampling. The B&B's had an average of 3.6 years of existence and 2.1 part-time and 2.3 full-time employees. They provided an amalgam of services, facilities, activities and used a variety of promotional techniques with word of mouth being the most prevalent. They experienced problems such as crime, lack of sector focus, lack of entrepreneurial creativity and skills, limited support from local authorities, lack of access to finance and competition. The success factors identified were networked enterprises, access to a dedicated fund for business finance, reduced operating expenses, non-financial support, and continuous skills development. The conceptual framework offered in this study leads to an improved understanding of the B&B sector, provides lessons and insights for other destinations world-wide and serves as a benchmark and platform for future investigations.