9 years
Here is an article about the Crashpad Powwow
Powwow brings hostel owners together to find ways to appeal to older travelers
Half the Powwow attendees were millennials -- backpackers, hikers and cyclists in their 20s. As said before, the norm for hostel guests. But they want to venture outside their age bracket, wooing Gen Y and baby boomers with amenities like free Wi-Fi, swimming pools and nicer accommodations. They believe cheap rates combined with key upgrades make hostels the perfect lodging in an era when paychecks are shriveling worldwide but the yearning to explore the world seems boundless.
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Chattanooga Convention and Visitor's Bureau CEO Bob Doak arrives after lunch to lead a discussion about city-hostel alliances -- and hostilities."I'm way overdressed for this," Doak jokes, taking off his suit jacket and loosening his tie as his glance swept across the crowd dressed in shorts, jeans and T-shirts. "But I promise you that whether we're dressed in suits or shorts, Chattanooga loves the Crash Pad and values hostels just as much as we appreciate a 300-room hotel. You're reaching visitors we want."
Many of the hostel owners told him their cities did not share his attitude, and the discussion turned to Nashville where attendees insist that bigfooted, deep-pocketed hotel industry lobbyists often come to city government meetings to denigrate hostels by describing them as havens for transients and drunken party animals. Owners say they all have rules at their hostels to prevent any behavior that might bother neighbors, but they often feel outgunned by the lobbyists.
Doak reassured the group that, in his view, more hostels would add more to Chattanooga's coffers.
It’s great to see events around the world that bring hostel operators together! I would love to hear what conclusions were drawn or what kind of things the participants took back to their own hostels from the Powwow discussions.
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