Ulster B&B rebels set up group

By Alan Fry

Ulster guesthouse owners are in open rebellion against the Northern Irish Tourist Board (NITB).

Three proprietors' associations have set up a new organisation to fight a proposed NITB classification system which they have been opposing for several years.

The guesthouse owners say the system would demand improvements they cannot afford, and many prefer to be graded by the AA as bed and breakfast houses.

The Northern Ireland Town and Seaside House Association, the Northern Ireland Farm and Country Holidays Association and the Fermanagh Guesthouse Association have launched the Northern Ireland Bed and Breakfast Association.

Roy Bailie, chairman of the NITB, had urged the formation of such a body to give proprietors a single voice on this issue.

But although he has welcomed the new association, he has rejected its demands for a suspension of the classification scheme.

A minority of Ulster guesthouses are expected to go along with the NITB scheme, but the majority are planning to opt for classification as bed and breakfast houses.

Nevertheless, bed and breakfast classification is not a realistic option for all guesthouses because the downgrade in status could mean ruinous loss of income.