Hostelling International
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| Abbreviation | HI |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1932 |
| Legal status | Charity |
| Purpose | Accommodation for backpackers across the world |
| Location |
|
Region served | Global |
Membership | Youth Hostel members |
| Affiliations | |
| Website | hihostels |
Hostelling International (HI) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organisation working with UNESCO and the World Tourism Organisation UNWTO.[1] Formerly known as International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF), Hostelling International is a grouping of 71 national youth hostel associations, with over 3,500 affiliated hostels around the world.[2]
Origins of the IYHF[edit]
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 away from home for travelling school and youth groups and individuals in the country.[3]
This concept was adopted by other countries in Europe and eventually led to the founding of the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) in October 1932[4] 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.[5]
Youth hostels originally differed in setup from modern hostels, although the growing popularity of backpacking culture forced them to adapt so as not to lose customers, most notably abandoning the idea of chores in all but a few of their locations.[citation needed]
Modern organisation[edit]
Seventy-one National Youth Hostel Associations are members of Hostelling International, with over 3,500 hostels worldwide.[2] Based in Welwyn Garden City, near London, the organisation provides services for travellers and coordinates the national organisations. It also facilitates youth work and international and cross-cultural understanding in conjunction with UNESCO.[citation needed]
Hostelling International celebrated its eightieth anniversary in 2012, with the first International Conference being held in the YMCA hotel in Amsterdam in 1932. Eleven National Associations were present at the conference, and an agreement was reached on a standard international pattern for membership cards and on minimum standards for the equipment and supervision of youth hostels. According to UNWTO, the HI has 37 million overnights per year.[2]
Though the parent organization 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,[6][7] and the YHA in England and Wales considered becoming a commercial company during a 2005 consultation,[8] partially in response to increased competition from independent for-profit hostels.
See also[edit]
- Category: Hostelling International member associations – pages for individual member associations of HI
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ "About HI – Hostelling International". hihostels.com. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ a b c "INTERNATIONAL YOUTH HOSTEL FEDERATION (IYHF) / HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL | UN Tourism". www.unwto.org. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ "A Brief History of Hostelling International". 16 May 2011.
- ^ Coburn, p. 48
- ^ Coburn, p. 81
- ^ Broder, Peter (2009). "Giving charities their due". LawNow.
- ^ Blumberg, Mark. "Canadian Charities and Business Activities" (PDF). Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 January 2007. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Sources[edit]
- Coburn, Oliver. Youth Hostel Story. London: National Council of Social Service, 1950.
- Grassl, Anton and Heath, Graham. The Magic Triangle: a short history of the world youth hostel movement. [S.l.]: International Youth Hostel Federation, 1982.
- Heath, Graham. Richard Schirrmann, the first youth hosteller. Copenhagen : International Youth Hostel Federation, 1962.
External links[edit]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
