Nestled along the Lost Coast, Shelter Cove is gearing up for its first-ever Wellness Weekend from Jan. 24 through Jan. 26. Organized by the nonprofit Visit Shelter Cove, the event is designed to draw visitors to the remote town during the tourism off-season with activities promised to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit, while showcasing the area’s natural beauty.
“Wellness Weekend is about more than just attracting visitors; it’s about supporting our local businesses and helping Shelter Cove thrive year-round,” said Amy Lundstrom, vice president of Visit Shelter Cove and a partner in Arts at Heart, an artists collective. “The winter months can be tough for many businesses here, but events like this give us a chance to share what makes Shelter Cove so unique.”
Many locals and business owners say Shelter Cove’s “solitude and quiet” and “natural assets” — including its panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean framed by rocky, forest-topped cliffs — make it an ideal destination for a wellness-themed event. The hope is that a host of wellness activities and offerings, as well as some package deals, will draw tourists to the coastal town, which sits 22 miles — or a 45-minute drive — southwest of Redway.
Wellness Weekend attendees can participate in yoga and meditation, eat locally sourced meals at participating restaurants, explore the coastline through guided walks, attend mindfulness workshops and other wellness activities. The weekend offers meal and lodging packages at different price points, like an all-inclusive $660 two-night stay at a hotel or VRBO with meals and all activities included, or a two-night camping package that includes meals and activities for $460. There’s also a $175 package that includes access to all classes, walks and activities, and a $210 food package that’s good for two breakfasts, two lunches and three dinners at participating restaurants.
But organizers hope Shelter Cove itself will prove the primary attraction.
“In a world that’s so fast-paced, Shelter Cove offers people a chance to disconnect, be in nature and reconnect with themselves,” said Lundstrom.
Amy Ogle, who owns Mario’s Marina Bar (and has been a Journal contributor), said she’s hopeful Wellness Weekend could help transform Shelter Cove into a wellness travel destination, which would help the town’s economy.
Since 2022, Shelter Cove’s population of about 800 has dropped to 486 residents. With such a small population and minimal industry, the town’s economy is heavily reliant on tourism, which peaks in the summer and dwindles in wintertime, when the weather can be inhospitable.
According to the U.S. Census, about 15 percent of Shelter Cove residents live below the federal poverty line ($15,060 in annual earnings for an individual or $31,200 for a family of four) and the median household income is $46,066, half that of the state.
Simy Rajan, the president of Visit Shelter Cove and owner of Oceanview Hot Tubs, said the slow winter months are a drag on the economy.
“Restaurants close, staff are laid off and businesses struggle to stay afloat,” said Rajan. “This event is about keeping our community running year-round.”
Lundstrom said the event started with a brainstorming session, with Visit Shelter Cove, business owners and residents pitching ideas of what could be done to break that winter lull. The possibility of a wellness-themed event was brought up by a handful of people, she said.
Rajan said the group discussed other ideas for drumming up business in the winter, including music and food festivals, but settled on a wellness-themed weekend because Shelter Cove already had wellness practitioners and businesses with a wellness focus.
Rebeckah Thompson, a local yoga instructor and Visit Shelter Cover board member, spearheaded the effort and laid the groundwork for Wellness Weekend before passing off planning duties to Rajan.
Amanda Belarmino, an associate professor of hospitality at the University of Nevada and an expert in event planning, said events like this can revolutionize a rural town.
“Seasonal tourism is a major challenge for small communities” she said. “Bringing in people during the off-season requires careful planning, from marketing the event to ensuring businesses can accommodate the influx of visitors.”
Wellness, Belarmino said, could prove a good fit for Shelter Cove.
“Wellness tourism’s rising popularity is a positive sign for the town, [because] wellness is a growing trend internationally,” she said.
According to Global Wellness Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting global wellness, wellness trips accounted for 7.8 percent of all tourism in 2022 and 18.7 percent of all tourism expenditures worldwide, with U.S. travelers accounting for 39 percent of that spending.
But tapping into that and bringing tourists into an out-of-the-way destination during the off-season requires careful planning, from marketing the event to making sure businesses are ready to accommodate an influx of visitors, Belarmino said.
“The goal is to bring people in, get feedback and build on that for future years,” Belarmino said. “Transparency is also key — communicate clearly what’s available during the off-season so visitors know what to expect.”
According to the Visit Shelter Cove website, there are eight hotels and 10 vacation rentals participating in the event — that’s roughly 140 rooms to house guests for the weekend.
“Nearly every local business is participating, from hotels and vacation rentals to restaurants and artists,” Rajan said. “It’s a true team effort.”
Belarmino said a lot of places in Idaho have started doing seasonal events to bring in more tourism. She also highlighted Stowe, Vermont, saying its Winter Carnival — which brings in a host of professional ice carvers for a variety of demonstrations and a competition — is a great example of how communities can capitalize on off-season tourism. But she again stressed that planning is key.
“Marketing should be the primary focus,” she said.
To market Wellness Weekend, Rajan says he’s been doing “guerrilla style” marketing campaign, utilizing social media platforms to spread the event’s flyer. He said the strategy focuses on high volume posting and tagging media outlets to build engagement and awareness.
“Instagram tagging the flyer to all the visitors bureau organizations, like the Southern Humboldt Visitors Bureau and etc.,” said Rajan. “We sent messages to all six media outlets in Humboldt County, and I’m also planning to do a direct e-mail campaign to travel magazines, too.”
Rajan also mentioned trying to market to areas outside of Humboldt County, like the Bay Area, but said those plans were still in the works as of Jan. 8, 16 days before the weekend was to start. The press release sent to Humboldt media, meanwhile, went out about a month prior to the event.
Belarmino said success often takes time, cautioning that not everything will go perfectly the first year. But for many businesses participating in Wellness Weekend, the stakes are high, and they see this as an opportunity to bring something good to Shelter Cove.
“This isn’t just about filling hotel rooms. It’s about raising awareness of Shelter Cove as a destination, especially in the Bay Area and beyond,” Rajan said. “If people come for the event, they’ll see how special this place is and hopefully they’ll return.”
Lundstrom is optimistic about the momentum behind the effort.
“This is the first time we’ve come together as a community to create something like this. This is only the beginning,” she said.
As the countdown to Wellness Weekend continues, the community is optimistic about the possibility this could establish Shelter Cove as a wellness travel destination, boosting the town’s economy. Rajan is excited about the organizing group’s progress.
“We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and we can’t wait to welcome people to experience the magic of Shelter Cove,” he said.
Kelby McIntosh is a California Local News Fellow placed with the Redwoods Listening Post (RLP). The California Local News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to support and strengthen local news reporting. Kelby’s reporting comes courtesy of a partnership between RLP, North Coast Journal Inc., and Access Humboldt. For more on the California Local News Fellowship, visit fellowships.journalism.berkeley.edu/cafellows.
This article appears in ‘A Big Family’.