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Manchester, United Kingdom — 22-25 September 2009

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Welcome to our newest member – Europe’s Famous Hostels

Aug 8, 2018

Interview with Rui Magro Correia, General Manager

 

Tell us your story. How did Europe’s Famous Hostels get started?

Europe’s Famous Hostels began as a group of 5 famous top-rated hostels back in 1995, which was at the time named “The Famous Five”. Over the years, the hostel industry has changed, forcing hostels to adapt to market trends based on the “new concept” of budget and stylish accommodation. In 2001, The Famous Five re-launched themselves as Europe’s Famous Hostels and have been expanding ever since. Currently, we have 44 hostel members in 22 countries across Europe that joined our unique network.

What makes Europe’s Famous Hostels different from your competitors?

It’s not just about selling beds, it’s about selling the best experience. Our hostels are award winning, fun, safe and provide the best backpacker experience. The Association’s purpose is to offer a genuine backpacker experience across Europe.

Each Hostel is unique! Customers know that staying with Famous Hostels will be unique every time in every destination. Each city has only one of Europe’s Famous Hostels, guaranteeing you’ll have a great stay and an authentic experience in each destination.

Each hostel is an independent hostel assuring our travellers an authentic, local experience in each of our locations. All our members are dedicated to offering the best tips and advice for travelling and enjoying their city.

What is your favourite success story from your organisation?

As we are an organisation in the hostel industry, we can develop a network of Members’ hostels that enhance the idea of working together to improve their business and promote their brands by sharing experience, information and business with each other.

Every year we organise an annual gathering called ‘Staff Meeting’, that reunites more than 100 staff members from all our hostels at a Conference. This is always a great success and a testimony of the power of the association.

This event gives staff members, from all over Europe, the opportunity to get to know each other and share hostel life experiences. During this week, we hold workshops and presentations with well-known speakers from the industry. Besides sharing stories, knowledge and contacts, the staff are able to learn more about strategic management, marketing and better understand sustainable operations in Hostels.

What can we expect to see from Europe’s Famous Hostels in the future?

We are focusing on delivering our guests the genuine backpacker experience. We aim to guarantee that we are on the traveller’s top of mind on every step of their journey. From when they think and plan their travels, we provide important info and tips before their trip. And when they book through our website and until they stay at a Famous Hostels, we provide them the best activities and experiences.

We are looking for steady growth in a really challenging market, always providing our members with the support and help in providing the best hostels in their cities and in Europe.

Which trends do you see in educational and active youth travel?

The new generation of hostels is shifting the industry and it’s important for hostels to adapt to new trends and travellers’ expectations, especially in the online and digital platforms. Also, with the continuing “democratization” of travel, the market has to adapt to a wider range of the type of traveller.

Another trend we see happening in the next couple of years is more around partnerships between European travel brands that can complement each other and help youth travellers to have a better travel experience.

How do you work to ensure the health and safety of young travellers involved with Europe’s Famous Hostels?

Due to our many years of experience at the very top of the hostelling business, we can guarantee that any hostel member will provide the best genuine backpacker experience that city has to offer. Our team searched high and low throughout some of Europe’s most electrifying cities and found hostels that matched our Famous Hostels standards and ethos: safe, fun, and the best experience.

What was your motivation to join WYSE Travel Confederation?

The Association’s purpose is to offer a genuine backpacker experience across Europe. Therefore, we must stay focused and adapt to the changes of tourism and the hostel industry. Joining WYSE Travel Confederation is crucial to understanding the ever-changing characteristics, motivations, and needs of young travellers.

It’s also very important to keep in touch and work with other top brands and companies, something that WYSE Travel Confederation provides the opportunity to do.

Have you attended a WYSE Travel Confederation event? If so, what was your experience with the event?

No, I’ve never attended any WYSE Travel Confederation events. The first one I will be attending is in Edinburg in September.

What is an industry challenge your organisation is facing at this time?

The main challenge of the hostel industry is always to guarantee that we can exceed guests’ expectations and obviously ensure long-term profitable growth. However, in an industry that is always so dynamic, the competition that once was less complex, is now way more difficult to identify due to the new increase on easy vacation rentals and other types of accommodation.

 

Member snapshot

Europe’s Famous Hostels is an association of individually owned, independent hostels. We only accept the best hostels in Europe. The association was founded in 1995 when it was made up of just 5 members. As of 2016 we have grown to include 50 Hostels, both in Europe and beyond.

We represent this hostels in the travel industry and work to make them stand out among the competition and to give them the tools to better perform in the competitive market they are in.

Europe’s Famous Hostels’ purpose is to provide a recognisable stamp of quality in the Hostelling business. Our name comes as a guarantee that our customers will have a great stay at the best value; choosing a Europe’s Famous Hostel is choosing quality and great customer service.

Each city has only one Famous Hostel and staying at a Europe’s Famous Hostel guarantees you’ll have a great stay at unbeatable value. Where a Europe’s Famous Hostel has not yet been selected, we strive to provide travellers with the best option that each of the 200 most-searched for cities have to offer. Thanks to our years of experience at the very top of the hostelling business, we can guarantee that any hostel suggested by us will be the best that city has to offer.

For more information, visit their website: www.famoushostels.com

Membership: WYSE Travel Confederation Association Member

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