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A couple of decades ago, Tasmania rocketed to popularity as a tourist destination – for its spectacular scenery, unspoilt wilderness areas, historic sites and buildings, and much more – made all the more appealing by its temperate climate; a climate unlike most of mainland Australia in that it has four ‘proper’ seasons, each offering quite different experiences.

Mainland Australians and overseas visitors flocked to the tiny island, which responded gallantly. Fine food and wine producers sprang up around the state, taking advantage of the fertility of the soil and pristine air to produce fare which is now a major attraction in itself. Attractions and activities proliferated the length and breadth of the island. Happily, the Tasmanian government also recognized the benefits the tourism industry could bring, in a clean, green way, to the state’s economy and invested heavily in it too.

And the Tasmanian bed and breakfast industry was born

Tasmanians are naturally friendly, relaxed people and their bed and breakfast hospitality became legendary. Not just for the people who ran them, of course, but the properties themselves were – and still are – very special. Many heritage properties have been adapted to stunning effect for accommodation use, homes in spectacular locations have become B & Bs, and people are building new properties especially for use as B & Bs. In those early days, facilities were diverse but they all remained true to the B & B tradition – they offered true hospitality. In short, they were ‘hosted’.

Then the lines became blurred

Unfortunately, the popularity of bed and breakfasts led to operators of self-contained accommodation jumping on board the bed and breakfast bandwagon, by simply adding breakfast provisions to their larder and calling their properties B & Bs. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with this type of accommodation, if it’s what you want, but it has blurred the definition of ‘bed and breakfast’.

Travellers who want to enjoy the hospitality which is the charm of traditional bed and breakfast accommodation now need to research diligently more than just the facilities on offer. My advice, if you want to experience the personal attention which is the hallmark of B & Bs, is to read the small print on the internet listing or brochure very carefully. Is it hosted? If not, keep looking.

In Tasmania, hosted B & Bs are now very easy to find

Finding hosted bed and breakfast accommodation, in Tasmania anyway, is now very simple. There is a new website which covers the whole state and only lists hosted B & Bs. There’s a wide range of properties and styles, but hosting is the underlying theme. You can even read about some of the interesting people – the B & B hosts – you will meet on your travels and there are maps and tourist information to help you plan your holiday.

By: Brenda Bourne

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