ur first full year as an association has been remarkable. I personally want to thank our
members for their support and commitment to AIHP. AIHP is a cohesive community of passionate and forward-thinking individuals, who are the recognized thought leaders, voice within the industry and serving as the standard-bearer of excellence among the small independent lodging industry.
I am looking forward to 2017 being a prosperous year for AIHP, innkeeping and for you. This is a time of year for reflection, thankfulness and giving back. For me, it is also time to reflect on AIHP’s journey in 2016 and give thanks for the support you’ve shown the organization through your membership.
Here are a few of AIHP’s accomplishments in 2016.
Membership Growth: We have had great membership growth this year. Overall, AIHP has grown by 35% this year and we have just passed the 300-innkeeper membership mark. We are expecting continued positive growth in 2017.
The “Voice of Innkeeping”: AIHP continues to position itself as “The Voice of Innkeeping” on issues that are important to the innkeeping industry. As an example, I represented our interests on a panel at the Airbnb Open before a global audience of about 1,200. Airbnb recognizes AIHP as “the leading B&B association in the U.S.” and is looking to us to share our experiences and expertise, as they look to evolve in new ways to support the small independent lodging industry. During the panel discussion, AIHP also continued to express concerns about the need for a level playing field, with regard to enforcing the collection of occupancy tax and requiring regulations parity for B&Bs.
Advocating for Bed and Breakfasts: We have addressed a number of concerns throughout the year that have been raised by our members. We heard your concerns related to TripAdvisor’s changes to their mobile site, that did not position bed and breakfasts in a way that would be easy for travelers to locate a professional bed and breakfast. We lobbied for changes to be made and will continue to advocate for our members until those changes are completed.
Partnerships: We continue to work toward maintaining strong partnerships with key travel organizations to ensure that professional bed and breakfasts are positioned for success. It has been AIHP’s ongoing position to be “inclusive” and to work with all organizations that impact our industry.
We have had success doing that this year in a number of ways. We’ve started by working closely with Airbnb to advocate for professional B&Bs. We are working with TripAdvisor to host a regional meeting at their headquarters in early 2017, which will provide a forum for members to interact on issues important to our industry. We have created an Allied Partner Committee, which brings their expertise and resources to AIHP, which in turn helps our innkeeping members acquire the tools that they need to navigate the challenges of the innkeeping industry.
Year in Review
Why your Investment in AIHP Makes a Difference!
2016
O