Jan. 8, 2003 - KINGSTON, Tenn.--Paul Cowell says a recent visit by a couple at his Whitestone Country Inn is typical of today's guests at such getaways. 

The wife had just learned she had cancer and told her husband she needed a couple of days of rest at the Whitestone before having surgery. 

Cowell says many of the travelers frequenting inns come from people looking for stress relief through two- and three-day getaways. In fact, he and other inn owners say longer vacations are becoming a thing of the past. 

"The two-week vacation is gone," said Cowell, who with his wife, Jean, operates Whitestone Country Inn in the Paint Rock community near Kingston. "The trend in travel is for more frequent getaways and shorter stays. In a faster-paced world, it's easier to take two to three days off. 

So when about 100 members of the exclusive Select Registry of Distinguished Inns of North America gathered this week for a meeting at Whitestone Country Inn, their focus included marketing to the weekend vacationer using packages and itineraries and on use of the Internet and Web sites to reach today's travel market. 

The meeting, Sunday through today, was of innkeepers from nine states that belong to the registry: Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. 

The registry includes 400 country inns, bed and breakfasts and small unique hotels in the United States and Canada that have qualified for membership. 

Inns must have been in operation for at least three years and must be recommended and voted on for membership by other nearby inns. Membership is based on hospitality, friendliness, cleanliness, safety and the personal involvement of the owners, Cowell said. 

The registry, considered the marketing tool for the inns, was founded in the late 1960s by Norman Simpson, who has written definitive books on country inns. 

"This group represents the upper end of the bed-and-breakfast industry," Cowell said. 

Whitestone Country Inn is located on 360 acres on Watts Bar Lake with a view of the Great Smoky Mountains. It has several buildings, including 20 guest rooms, dining rooms, a conference room, a chapel and cottages. 

As part of new marketing to reach the two- to-three day vacationers, inn owners are targeting those couples and families through their Web sites. 

Sue Moore, executive director of the registry, based in Marshall, Mich., said 50 percent of reservations at registry inns in 2001 were made by the Internet. Five years ago, she said, only 2 percent of registrations were made from Web sites. 

Cowell said the inns are learning the value of Web sites that may contain features such as virtual tours of guest rooms. 

"We're learning how to more effectively use the Internet," he said. 

Curt Lockett, an owner of Maple Grove Inn in West Knox County, said advertising on the Internet will save money "in the long run" through reduced mailing costs. 

In addition to virtual tours, inns are now listing room availability online as well as packages and itineraries. For example, Lockett said his site lists links to the University of Tennessee, the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, the Museum of Appalachia, West Town Mall and the Knoxville Museum of Art. 

While other areas of the travel industry are suffering since the 2001 terrorist attacks, Moore said inns and bed-and-breakfast resorts are doing well because travelers see them as "stress reducers." 

It has particularly helped inns within driving distance of travelers, she said. 

"Nine-eleven helped the rural inns," Cowell said. "There's no fear of terror in Paint Rock. After 9-11, they (travelers) wanted to see safety and peace." 

SELECT REGISTRY OF DISTINGUISHED INNS OF NORTH AMERICA: 

--Founded: Late 1960s by Norman Simpson, author of Country Inns and Back Roads. 

--Headquarters: Marshall, Mich. 

--Members: 400 inns in the United States and Canada. 

--Qualifications: Must be based on high hospitality standards and approved by other inns after three years of operation. 

--Average inn size: 15 rooms 

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(c) 2003, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Tenn. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.