| Hostelling International | |
| Abbreviation: | HI |
| Formation: | 1932 |
| Status: | Charity |
| Purpose: | Accommodation for backpackers across the world |
| Location: | Gate House, Fretherne Road, Welwyn Garden City, UK |
| Region Served: | Global |
| Membership: | Youth Hostel members |
Hostelling International (HI) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation working with UNESCO and the World Tourism Organisation UNWTO.[1] Formerly known as the International Youth Hostel Federation, Hostelling International has 60 member associations operating over 2,650 hostels around the world.[2]
Richard Schirrmann founded the German Youth Hostel Association in 1919 to create an organized network of affordable accommodation for youth and school groups.[3]
Other countries in Europe adopted this concept, which eventually led to the founding of the International Youth Hostel Federation in October 1932[4] in Amsterdam by representatives from associations in Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Britain, Ireland, France, and Belgium. Schirrmann, who became president in 1933, resigned under pressure from the German Government in 1936.[5]
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.[6]
Hostelling International celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2012. The organization held its first international conference in 1932 in Amsterdam, where representatives agreed on the introduction of an international membership card and established minimum standards for hostels. HI reports 37 million overnight stays annually, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. 60 National Youth Hostel Associations are members of Hostelling International (HI), with over 2,650 hostels worldwide.
Although HI holds charity status in the UK, not all member organizations share this status. For example, Hostelling International Canada lost its charity status in 2008,[7] [8] and the YHA in England and Wales considered commercializing in response to increased competition from independent hostels.[9]
The COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2023) led some national associations, such as the Youth Hostel Association of New Zealand, to sell off properties due to financial impacts.[10]