State of Alaska offers DVD on operating a B&B

A free DVD is now available for those residents wishing additional assistance in operating a successful Bed & Breakfast. It is geared toward rural Alaska, including residents wishing to open a Bed and Breakfast in the northern Sustina Valley.

The Alaska Office of Economic Development has a new educational DVD designed to provide information for individuals interested in operating a Bed and Breakfast in Alaska. The DVD features information and advice from several Bed and Breakfast owners and operators located throughout Alaska. The video is designed to assist tourism entrepreneurs understand the realities of operating a B & B in rural Alaska and details many of the steps necessary to have a successful operation. Topics covered range from handling reservations, to marketing to insurance to food safety.

According to Dru Garson, Tourism Development Specialist, B & B owners from Homer all the way to Nome are featured. He says it is geared toward rural Alaska and the challenges and opportunities that rural operators face are presented.

Funding for the project was provided through a USDA Rural Enterprise Grant and 3 project partners, the Alaska Office of Economic Development, the Alaska Bed and Breakfast Association of Alaska and the Alaska Film Group.

The DVD is free. According to Garson, the DVD should be posted on their website soon. Residents can either call the Office of Economic Development at 465-2162 or wait for a week for the DVD to be posted on the Economic Development website.