Back to Press Releases

April 2007

HALF MOON BAY LAUNCHES COASTSIDE ECOTOURISM PROGRAM
HALF MOON BAY LAUNCHES COASTSIDE ECOTOURISM PROGRAM


“Experience Nature’s Bounty”

Coastside Ecotourism: Responsible travel to natural areas and directly related cultural resources that conserve the environment, provide extensive opportunities to learn and sustain the well being of local people.


Half Moon Bay, CA - The Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce and Visitors’ Bureau is home to California’s first and only broad based ecotourism visitor program, which allows the bounty of the area to be shared with people from around the world. Located just 35 minutes south of San Francisco, Half Moon Bay is filled with an abundance of natural, historical and cultural wonders including rich marine reserves and wetlands, small farms, a working harbor and many parks, hiking trails and bird refuges.


More than 30 farmers, fisherman and business community members have come together to offer visitors a large menu of exciting hands-on activities and a chance to meet local residents who make the Coastside such a special place; all the while, building a balanced and sustainable tourism economy.


To help visitors experience Half Moon Bay's ecological offerings, a four-color, two-sided Ecotourism Map features more than 45 hands-on Half Moon Bay adventures divided into 11 categories: bird refuges; wineries; kayak and adventure trips; air tours; fishing and whale watching; historical sites; retail; wildlife observation; eco-friendly conference facilities; farm tours and stays; and beaches and parks. The list of unique activities to choose from is endless - from dinner on a working farm, touring a wholesale flower farm, catching fresh salmon and Dungeness crab to picking farm-fresh organics and flowers and learning how to make goat cheese.


A detailed description of each activity, approximate visitor times and contact information for each participating business in included on the map, along with a large drawing of the area with colorful, easy to navigate symbols. To be included in the Ecotourism Map, all businesses had to agree to follow important environmental standards.


For more information, contact the Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce and Visitors’ Bureau (650) 726-8380 or visit www.halfmoonbayecotourism.com. To order a map, visitors may call the Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce and Visitors’ Bureau (650) 726-8380 or pick one up at 520 Kelly Avenue, Half Moon Bay, CA.

###

Media Contact:
Kelly Chamberlin
Chamberlin Public Relations
(415) 336-4332
kelly@chamberlinpr.com

HALF MOON BAY LAUNCHES COASTSIDE ECOTOURISM PROGRAM