It is an issue that impacts on the $200million-a-year Barossa industry.

A tourism operator himself, Julian said that some international visitors arrive in the Barossa and find the accommodation booked is not what they expected.

Julian explained that in the Barossa, most of the bed and breakfasts are actually self-contained accommodation.

“What we call ‘bed and breakfast’ is called ‘cottage rental’ overseas,” Julian said.

International tourists have an expectation that bed and breakfast accommodation means that you stay under the same roof as your hosts, and the same hosts cook your breakfast.

Julian said he believes there are Barossa bed and breakfasts that have won a national award for hosted accommodation, when the package provided is not a hosted service.

“We are shooting ourselves in the foot, by international standards because we are calling our accommodation things that it isn’t,” he said.

Julian’s biggest concern is the rating process carried out by AAA Tourism, a company owned by Australia’s Auto Clubs - including the RAA.

“There is a different system for each different category of accommodation,” he said.

For example, a caravan park could call itself the Barossa Tourism Retreat, and earn a five-star rating.

But when the park is advertised the ‘five star Barossa tourism retreat’ could be promoted without mentioning the star rating was based on caravan park standards.

“The whole thing is a mess,” Julian said.

The AAA Tourism star rating scheme has 10 different categories that it says have been tailored to suit the specific needs of different sectors.

Star ratings can be awarded in the following categories: apartment hotel, backpacker-hostel, bed and breakfast, guesthouse, hotel, houseboat, motel, resort, self catering, tourist/caravan park.