In most countries they are hostels for people who travel so they have a place to stay for one or two nights.
Many people who visit may not have the money to stay in expensive hotel rooms.
Having enjoyed the hospitality of hostels in other countries and even here in the United States, while driving my bicycle from Oregon to Mexico it seems like a wonderful idea.
There should be more hostels in the United States of America and in our larger cities there are hostels and they are available, but sometimes people do not know where they are and they need better public relations and promotion to alert travelers of their existence.
Word-of-mouth advertising is a good way to promote hostels, but a more robust marketing program is important for them to do the most good.
The trick is to get the hostels listed in various travel journals so people know of their existence.
By promoting the fact that there are hostels in major US cities, we can increase the importance of cultural exchange with other people who travel from other countries who are used to such facilities.
Hostels should join with other nonprofit groups, which get together on a periodic basis and also promote themselves on a web site.
Please consider all this in 2006.