Hostelling International



Hostelling International (HI) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation working with UNESCO and the World Tourism Organisation UNWTO. Formerly known as International Youth Hostel Federation, Hostelling International has 60 member associations operating over 2,650 hostels around the world.

Origins of the IYHF
Richard Schirrmann, after creating many youth hostels in Germany, founded the nationwide German Youth Hostel Association in 1919 to create an organized network of affordable and safe accommodation for school and youth groups and individuals.

This concept was adopted by other countries in Europe and eventually led to the founding of the International Youth Hostel Federation in October 1932 in Amsterdam by representatives from associations in Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Britain, Ireland, France, and Belgium. In 1933, Richard Schirrmann became the president, but the German Government forced him to resign in 1936.

Youth hostels originally differed in setup from modern hostels, although the growing popularity of backpacking culture forced them to evolve. For example, in the UK, as in other countries, the practice of visitors completing daily chores and cleaning tasks as part of their stay was phased out during the 1980s.

Modern organization


60 National Youth Hostel Associations are members of Hostelling International (HI), with over 2,650 hostels worldwide. Based in Welwyn Garden City, near London, the organisation provides services for travellers and coordinates the national organizations.

HI marked its eightieth anniversary in 2012. The organization held its inaugural International Conference in 1932 at the YMCA hotel in Amsterdam. Representatives from 11 National Associations attended this conference, during which they agreed on a standardized international membership card and established minimum standards for the equipment and supervision of youth hostels. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, HI hosts 37 million overnight stays annually.

Though the parent organisation has charity status in the UK, not all member organizations have charity or nonprofit status. Hostelling International Canada lost a legal battle for charity status in 2008, and the YHA in England and Wales considered becoming a commercial company during a 2005 consultation, partially in response to increased competition from independent for-profit hostels.

The financial impacts of the 2019–2023 COVID-19 pandemic have meant that some national hostel associations, such as the Youth Hostel Association of New Zealand, have needed to sell some of their properties.