Meet the WYSE speakers at WTM London 2015

Meet the STAY WYSE speakers

Session: Hostels: Dirty word or revolutionary lodging segment?
Dates: Wednesday, 4 November 2015
Venue: South Gallery 13 – 14
Time: 14:00 – 15:00 (GMT)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve read about explosive growth in hostels and other forms of ‘youth-inspired’ travel accommodation in the last few years.

Historically cheap and basic lodging for youth and student travellers, today hostels boast loyal traveller followings on par with those of international hotel chains thanks to the sector’s ability to answer to the needs and wants of its core target group: the millennial generation.

The hostel sector’s ability to answer to the needs and wants of the millennial generation has been noticed by the big hotel chains, but how can hostels hold their ground while also improving business? WYSE Travel Confederation and STAY WYSE present key findings from this year’s STAY WYSE Flash Survey Series and discuss with a panel of hostel business experts what lies ahead for hostels in 2016.



David Chapman	Eric van Dijk	Anne Dolan



Heather Forshaw	Sabine Ranft

Session: From Y to Z: Are you ready for Generation Z?
Dates: Tuesday, 3 November 2015
Venue: South Gallery 13 – 14
Time: 12:00 – 13:00 (GMT)

With more than 260 million international travellers having generating roughly USD 275 billion in international tourism receipts in 2014, the youth and student travel market is worth understanding – it must be understood as young travellers become ever more influential to mainstream travel trends.

The millennial generation’s travel behaviours and preferences have been well documented by WYSE and others, but what can be expected from the next generation of travellers to follow millennials- generation Z?

WYSE Travel Confederation Director General David Chapman and leading experts from its member community will discuss ways that generation Z could shape not only youth, student and educational travel, but the broader travel industry.