Research commissioned by Tourism South East (TSE) has revealed that rural pubs offering good quality accommodation could be missing out on millions of pounds every year.

According to the research, over 70 per cent of rural pubs in the south east that offer quality accommodation have to turn away overnight business because they are full, which equates to around £27m of lost business each year.

It also showed that rural pubs in south east England could safeguard their futures by investing in good quality accommodation. TSE has consequently launched a new initiative to encourage investment in rural pub accommodation.

TSE’s development services director, Peter Colling, said: “There is huge short break and business market on our doorsteps – from Greater London and the Midlands to northern Europe.

“Rural pubs are a key tourism asset, providing a genuine experience of village life, but in order to survive in the long run, they must diversify and one way to do that is to invest in good quality accommodation.”

The research studied 150 pubs and suggests that total room nights lost per pub in some areas could be as high as 600 a year.

According to the report, many pubs could increase their room rates by up to £20 a night through simple refurbishment while adding an extra room could bring in an extra £10,000 a year.

As part of the TSE rural pub initiative, the organization will now produce guidelines on developing rural pubs – based on the research – for landlords and pub companies.

The initiative is funded by TSE with support from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA). The surveyed area covers Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.