Airbnb seeks candidates to take a sabbatical in Italy

This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

The idea arose because the town of Grottole has only 300 inhabitants in its historic center and 600 uninhabited homes making it is at risk of disappearing. In fact, Grottole runs the risk of becoming a ghost town. Enter the NGO, who is looking to bring multinational tourists to the Italian town in an attempt to save it. 

"Italy is an extraordinary country with a strong and vibrant rural community, countless villages in the mountains and a passionate and hospitable culture," said Joe Gebbia, one of the creators of this initiative. "From the platform, we want to help preserve these communities for the next generations, inspiring and supporting others to get involved and contribute to the life of the people," he added. 

Those who are selected will take Italian language classes, learn to cook and will be trained to co-host accommodations and events in Grottole. However, with the hosting application AirBnb and the Italian NGO Wonder Grottole, are giving an opportunity to make this dream come true. Andrea is the founder of Wonder Grottole, and the profits that arise from this experience of social impact will be reinvested in the town. 

Volunteers will learn from other Airbnb Experiences hosts, including Rocco, the beekeeper who lived in the village for more than thirty years. They themselves have stressed that "it is an experimental project which aims to bring together people from all over the world to establish new relationships and create new solutions for agriculture and tourism with the local community." 

 "Visitors who arrive at Grottole will live in a quiet place, with a slower pace of life. There is no traffic, no chaos, no pollution, we are good at listening," says Vicenzo, one of the most experienced local olive oil producers. 

In fact, the townspeople live from farming; the pottery which they create is made in a traditional manner which will then be marketed to help boost the local economy.

The opportunity is available to those over 18 years of age from the following countries: Mexico, United States, Argentina (with the exception of the province of Mendoza), Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Australia, India and Japan.

Applications must be sent to the portal italiansabbatical.com by February 17, 2019.

This article was written and published in Spanish and has been translated into English via Google Translate. Click here to read the original article.

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