Hostelling International

Name

Hostelling International

Legal name

International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF)

Website

https://hihostels.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Budget Hostel Accommodation

NAICS

Rooming and Boarding Houses, Dormitories, and Workers' Camps (72131), All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Student & Youth Hostels (Youth Organization/HI-style) (THAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Traditional Dormitory Hostels (THAGAGAA), Traditional Dormitory Hostels (THAMAIAA), Quiet/Work-Friendly (Digital Nomad) Hostels (THAMAIAF)

Keywords

• Budget hostel accommodation
• Youth hostel network
• Hostel membership program
• Sustainable tourism services
• Group travel bookings

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Hostel Accommodation Bookings: Revenue from direct bookings at HI hostels worldwide. Members receive member rates or discounts on accommodation. Booking directly with hostels or YHA websites is recommended for best rates and guaranteed member benefits.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees valid for 12 months from date of purchase. Individual adult membership (16+), with family, group, and life membership types available. Prices vary by country of residence.
3. Carbon Offsetting: Partnership with myclimate since 2012 offering guests option to offset CO2 emissions during booking. 0.10 GBP per night contributed to HI Sustainability Fund for network-wide sustainability projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hostelling International operates a global federation of 2,300+ hostels across 58 member associations in 56+ countries, offering affordable shared and private accommodation. Its core commercial offerings are the annual HI Membership Program (with 2.63 million members worldwide) and the HI Booking Platform that enables direct reservation of hostel stays, including group bookings for schools and families.

Product overview

Hostelling International (HI) operates as the world's largest youth hostel network, comprising over 2,300 hostels across 58 member associations in more than 56 countries. The core offering consists of the HI Hostel Network for accommodation booking, the HI Membership Program with over 2.63 million members, and the HI Booking Platform enabling direct reservations with optional carbon offsetting. Supporting services include the HI Travel Discounts & Partner Benefits program offering deals on travel services (eSIM, luggage storage, car rental, insurance), HI Group Bookings for groups of 10+, and the HI Standards & Quality & Sustainability (HI-Q&S) management system recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Additional initiatives include the HI Sustainability Fund for eco-projects, the Say HI for Peace annual campaign, the HI-Connect mobility program, and the HI Youth Panel for youth engagement. The organization is a non-profit charity established in 1932, with HI-Q&S currently implemented in 32 associations across over 400 hostels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HI Hostel Network A global network of over 2,300 hostels across 58 member associations in more than 56 countries, offering budget accommodation including shared rooms (single-sex or mixed) and private rooms to travelers worldwide.
• HI Membership Program A global annual membership program with over 2.63 million members, providing access to member rates and discounts on accommodation at HI hostels worldwide plus travel-related savings through partner discounts. Individual adult, family, group, and life tiers are available.
• HI Booking Platform Online booking system allowing travelers to search and book stays directly at HI hostels, with the option to purchase membership and offset carbon emissions during the booking process.
• HI Group Bookings Group accommodation services for organizations including schools, social clubs, and families traveling with 10 or more people, with dedicated group-booking channels ([email protected]) and country-level group pages across multiple member associations.
• HI Travel Discounts & Partner Benefits A collection of travel-related discounts and benefits available to HI members from partner companies, including Airalo eSIM (15% off), Bounce luggage storage (15% off), Eurosender shipping (10% off), Discover Cars rental (up to 10% off), The Clever Travel Companion gear (25% off), World Nomads insurance, and FREETOUR.com free tours.
• HI Quality & Sustainability (HI-Q&S) Management System Quality and sustainability management system recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, used in 32 associations and over 400 hostels worldwide to ensure consistent standards across the network.
• HI Sustainability Fund A fund financing sustainable initiatives at HI hostels, receiving contributions of 0.10 GBP per night from guests who opt to offset their carbon emissions, with annual competitions to select projects; 23 projects totaling £170,000 funded to date.
• Say HI for Peace Campaign An annual global campaign celebrating the International Day of Peace (September 21), with hostels in 30+ countries hosting events and activities promoting intercultural exchange; 2025 theme is Play for Peace.

Quantifiable outcome

• YHA Australia achieved 16% booking engine conversion rates at select properties using Mews platform (vs 2% industry average)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MewscoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership announced June 2026 to deploy cloud-native property management system across HI's 58 member associations in over 56 countries. Mews hospitality operating system will enable shared benchmarking, faster onboarding, and collective operational improvements as part of HI's digital transformation journey.
• AiralominorGTM or Marketing PartnerWorld's first eSIM store offering affordable eSIMs in 200+ countries. Partnership provides HI members 15% discount. 10% of Airalo payment is transferred to HI Sustainability Fund supporting sustainable initiatives in hostels.
• BounceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLargest luggage storage network with over 10,000 storage partners worldwide. Partnership provides HI members 15% discount on luggage storage services.
• EurosenderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLow-cost door-to-door shipping service across Europe. Partnership provides HI members 10% discount on all available products with code HOSTEL10.
• Discover CarsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal car rental booking platform with 2 million+ cars in 150+ countries. Partnership provides HI members up to 10% discount on selected products.
• The Clever Travel CompanionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPickpocket-proof travel gear retailer. Partnership provides HI members 25% discount on all available products.
• World NomadsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel insurance provider offering simple and flexible coverage for travelers. Enables micro-donations to community development projects during policy purchase.
• FREETOUR.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal platform for booking free and tip-based tours in 120+ countries. Partnership provides access to quality free tours for HI members.
• UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHI is an Affiliate Member of UNWTO. Elected Vice-Chairman of UNWTO Affiliate Members Programme and part of UNWTO Committee on Tourism and Sustainability. Leading UNWTO SDGs Support Working Group for Affiliate Members.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. HI holds NGO Consultative status and is a recognised organisation within UNESCO.
• myclimatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld leader in voluntary carbon offsetting since 2012. Partnership offers guests option to offset CO2 emissions during booking. Offset option offered in 35 countries, contributing to three UN Gold Standard Projects in Peru, China, and Malawi.
• Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit establishing sustainability criteria for tourism. HI-Q&S standards are 'Recognised' by GSTC for compliance with global sustainable travel and tourism standards.
• European Youth Card Association (EYCA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit representing youth card organisations in 38 countries across Europe with 8+ million cardholders. Committed to promoting youth mobility and active citizenship.
• AEGEEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of Europe's largest interdisciplinary student organizations. Network of around 13,000 members spread across almost 200 university cities in 40 countries.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hostelworld Group: Hostelworld Group is the world's largest OTA specializing in hostels, listing properties and driving bookings across the same budget-traveler customer base that HI serves. It is HI's principal indirect competitor for hostel bookings and a key distribution channel for member associations.
• Generator Hostels: Generator is a design-led private hostel chain operating in major European cities, targeting the same young, social, budget-conscious travelers as HI. Its centralized ownership and design consistency is the private-sector analogue of HI's federated network.
• A&O Hostels: A&O Hostels operates a large pan-European network of budget hostels and hotels with group and family travelers as a core segment — directly overlapping with HI's backpacker, school-group, and family customer base.
• Wombat's Hostels: Wombat's is a privately operated hostel chain across major European cities, focused on backpackers and group travelers. Its integrated property management and loyalty mechanics offer a benchmark for what a centralized hostel operator can achieve versus HI's federated model.
• St Christopher's Inn: St Christopher's Inn operates a network of backpacker hostels across Europe, primarily serving young international travelers — closely aligned with HI's core backpacker and group-travel customer segments.
• MEININGER Hotels: MEININGER is a hybrid hostel/hotel chain across European cities combining private rooms and shared dorms at budget price points. It targets families, school groups, and budget travelers — segments that overlap with HI's broadening customer mix beyond traditional youth.
• Hostel Mostel: Hostel Mostel operates backpacker hostels across Central and Eastern Europe targeting the same youth, group, and budget-traveler segments as HI's European footprint, with comparable dormitory-led product.

Emerging players

• Selina: Selina is a fast-growing hostel/hotel hybrid explicitly built for digital nomads and millennial travelers, with coworking, wellness, and community programming. It targets the same aspirational budget-traveler demographic that HI is increasingly trying to reach.

Broad incumbents

• Airbnb: Airbnb is the dominant alternative-accommodation platform and increasingly serves budget and group travelers through shared listings and Experiences. It is a broad competitor for the same traveler wallet share that HI targets, particularly in family and group travel.
• Booking Holdings: Booking Holdings operates Booking.com and other accommodation platforms that drive significant hostel bookings globally. It competes with HI for direct demand and exerts pricing pressure through commission-based distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hostelling
• Facebookfacebook.com/HostellingInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hostelling-international_2
• Instagraminstagram.com/hihostels
• TikToktiktok.com/@hihostels
• Xx.com/hostelling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hostelling International