During the summer of 2001, we struggled with the challenge of a slowing economy, and we complained. Shaken to the core by the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, we cried. Now, as 2001 draws to a close, it's time to straighten up and move on, clear-eyed and determined.

After reeling from the double whammy of an unprecedented national airline shutdown, combined with a sluggish economy, the tourism industry is fighting back. According to the Travel Industry Association of America (www.tia.org), the U.S. travel and tourism industry is America's third largest retail sales industry, with $582 billion in total annual expenditures. The TIA, along with numerous state and regional tourism groups, has run ads to promote the right to safe and secure travel for all. A TIA poll conducted after the September 11 tragedy showed 83 percent of Americans believe the ability to travel whenever and wherever they want remains important. Sixty-seven percent of Americans believe it is important to travel as they did before the attacks. And 70 percent say they're keeping their travel plans.

B&Bs and inns represent a small but significant and highly visible segment of the travel industry. Please give serious thought to these five key points, so that we can grow strong again -- together.

• It's about the guest. One of the basic principles of psychology is that people seek pleasure and avoid pain. Make sure that you're not punishing guests with overly rigid rules about credit cards, check-in, breakfast times and menus, and availability of telephones and TVs. Use on-line availability and real-time bookings to make it easy for guests to plan their trips-even at midnight, when you're fast asleep. You won't have a chance to add the personal touch of a phone call if they've already booked elsewhere, and you can always call to chat after you've gotten that on-line reservation. Just because you don't like the look of a wall-mounted hair dryer (now standard in every decent motel) doesn't mean your guests should endure a bad hair day. Make it a point to stay in other B&Bs, inns, motels, and hotels as often as possible, so you'll never forget how it feels to be a guest.
• It's about hospitality. People are hurting. They need hugs-lots of them. They're worried about their jobs, travel safety, global terrorism and more. Although no one wants their privacy invaded, guests want to feel special, coddled and cared for. No hotel concierge can ever compete with the innkeeper who offers the inside track on great restaurants, hidden hiking trails, and antiques auctions. Guests will never forget the innkeeper who brings out a tray of iced tea or hot cider and just-baked cookies before they even realized they were thirsty or hungry.
• It's about comfort. If the basics of comfort are missing, all the throw pillows in the world are just frosting on a cardboard cake. You may have invested in the best quality queen-size mattress and box springs, but if the supporting bed slats are flimsy, your heftier guests will complain that the bed is sagging. Ample storage space, good lighting, functional plumbing, adequate heating, cooling, and sound-proofing are not optional amenities. Impeccable housekeeping and immaculate linens and towels are essential. Guest rooms are not stage sets; banish excess clutter (including those pillows!) so that your accommodations are as livable as they are lovely. Most guests reasonably expect to be at least as comfortable at your inn as they would be at home.
• It's about value. Guests can spend $150 to spend a night with you, and feel it was worth every penny, or spend the same amount and feel ripped off. Although some people will never be satisfied, your goal is to make sure that fair-minded guests are getting fair value. Do this by honestly and objectively comparing your inn with other area lodgings, including the high value, low-cost chains which offer well-equipped guest rooms, swimming pools and fitness centers, plus breakfast and afternoon tea and coffee for under $100. When problems do inevitably arise, surprise your guests by treating their complaint as a gift, instead of arguing about technicalities.
• It's about marketing. They say a rising tide floats all boats. So what happens when the tide is going out? In this difficult emotional and economic climate, reach out to repeat and referral guests, and give them reasons to return to your inn. Market to those within several hours drive of your destination, and offer a "local's rate" to entice area residents to recharge their batteries without traveling far from home. Use the Internet to its fullest advantage by sending email promotions, fine-tuning your home page, and using every special feature offered by on-line directories like BedandBreakfast.com. Work with area inns and your local chamber of commerce to promote your destination and its special events to the media. Think "outside the box" to get publicity for related special interests, from lighthouses to trains, quilting to fly-fishing.

By Sandra W. Soule