Nonprofit Hostel Group Turns Tour Guide in Boston

Seeking to attract penny-pinching travelers amid the recession, the Boston outpost of nonprofit lodging provider Hostelling International is pitching itself as a gateway to the city’s culture, offering guests free museum tours, event tickets, and other services, says The Boston Globe.

The effort reflects a larger endeavor by Hostelling International USA, which runs 4,000 such facilities worldwide. Traditionally viewed as a provider of cheap beds for students and backpackers, the organization is increasingly seeking to make the arts part of guests’ travel experience.

“We focus on engaging people into local communities, to really experience that local community’s arts and culture, be it music, the visual arts, or the spoken word,” said Mark Vidalin, Hostelling International’s national marketing director.

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