LOCAL PROGRAMS:
A. Travel Shows: Potluck travel shows where volunteers tell their stories of affordable travel adventures with culture immersion in the U.S. and worldwide.
B. Travel 101: A workshop on how to travel cheaply and fit into the culture anywhere in the world.
C. Women Travelling Solo: A workshop for women who want to travel on their own anywhere in the world.
D. The local Eco-Hostel Program:
The future Seaside Eco-Hostel at Fort Ord will fill an unmet need for low-cost visitor overnight accommodations on the Monterey Peninsula. The Monterey Bay is a world treasure that should be experienced by as many people as possible. Unfortunately, this area is very expensive to visit with the average cost of accommodations at over $200 per night. Additionally, there is only one hostel with 50 beds currently on the Monterey Peninsula and it doesn’t meet the existing demand.
The Eco-Hostel will provide needed beds for low to moderate income families, groups, and individuals who want to experience the Monterey Bay and the multitude of outdoor adventures in the area.
Along with bringing in additional visitors with a focus on eco-tourism and low-cost overnight accommodations, the Eco-Hostel supports local job readiness and training as it partners with local college programs in Sustainable Tourism. Small Business Training and Development through the operation of the Seaside Eco-Hostel at Fort Ord can provide “entrepreneurial” training ground for people to create new businesses associated with ecology and travel.
