Essential
market insight
Our members gain an advantage over industry competitors with free access to the industry’s most comprehensive insights into the youth and student travel market.
Our publications are also available for individual purchase by non-members; please contact us to request a publication.
Tourism Adventure Group Completes Acquisition of Work & Travel Company
Media Release Tourism Adventure Group (TAG), a global leader in youth travel experiences, has announced the successful completion of the acquisition of the Work & Travel Company. The acquisition...
Welcome to our new member – Adventures in Borneo
1. Tell us your story. How did Adventures In Borneo get started? We embarked on our journey in the UK back in May 2000, initially operating as a PADI Dive Centre where our primary focus was...
WYSE Travel Confederation launches fifth New Horizons study on global youth and student travel
PRESS RELEASE WYSE Travel Confederation launches fifth New Horizons study on global youth and student travel The World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation has launched the...
Culture and the importance of youth travel
David Chapman, Director General of WYSE Travel Confederation spoke at the Bridging Cultures Through Travel Conference hosted by CultSense and ATLAS, the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education...
Tourism Adventure Group appoints new CEO
Media Release Tourism Adventure Group (TAG), a world-renowned player in the youth travel experiences market, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Tom Cooney as its new Chief Executive Officer....
Giant inflatable flamingo or portable disco ball?
If you could pack one of those non-essential items for your next trip, which would it be? Or maybe one is essential to your next trip?* We’ll discover this and many other (more practical) youth...
Potential millennial demand for creative tourism experiences – research from South Africa
Creative tourism, or the active participation by tourists in creative activities in the destination, was one of the growth areas for youth tourism identified by WYSE Travel Confederation as far back...
Welcome to our new member – Amistat Hostels
1. Tell us your story. How did Amistat Hostels get started?The origins of Amistat date back to the 2010s, when faced with the opportunity to operate the first large Hostel in New York City, but a...
Welcome to our new member – Alliance Visas
Tell us your story. How did Alliance Visas get started? Alliance Visas began with my personal journey through the immigration process. As I navigated through my own immigration requirements, I...
Five ways to get involved with New Horizons 5
It’s time for the New Horizons 5 survey, our community’s global study of youth and student travel. You can help renew our global understanding of international youth and student travel by getting...
Dubai Welcomes Global Hospitality Recruitment Powerhouse, Alliance Abroad
Dubai, UAE, 23 May 2023 - Alliance Abroad, the renowned leader in global hospitality recruitment and cultural exchange, has set its sights on Dubai with the opening of its newest office. This...
Welcome to our new member: CHE Intercultural Exchange
Tell us your story. How did CHE Intercultural Exchange get started? CHE started out back in around 1991 as a not-for-profit company under the name ‘Cultural Homestay in Europe’ (abbreviated to...
Welcome to our new member: Worldwide Friends
Tell us your story. How did Worldwide Friends get started? Worldwide Friends Iceland (WF) was founded in 2001 as a non-governmental, non-profit organisation promoting nature and peace-oriented...
Federal budgets hit Working Holiday Makers at a time when youth tourism is struggling
The announcement in yesterday’s budget of a 21% increase in the cost of a Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa is a blow to the youth tourism sector, which is still struggling to recover in the wake of...
Activities and accommodation type in the youth travel market
The New Horizons survey of youth and student travel is back. Over the next few months, we will be gathering data on youth travel around the globe with the New Horizons 5 survey. Changes and trends...
WYSE Travel Confederation doubles budget for 2023 World Youth and Student Travel Conference hosted buyer programme
WYSE Travel Confederation, the global not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to promoting and developing opportunities for the youth, student and educational travel industry, has announced...
Welcome to our new member – Discover Qatar
Tell us your story. What is Discover Qatar? Discover Qatar is the Destination Management Company of Qatar Airways and a proud partner of Qatar Tourism. With an outstanding and comprehensive...
BYTAP and Tourism Australia launch digital content initiative to promote Australia
The Backpacker & Youth Tourism Advisory Panel (BYTAP) has been working on a digital content initiative to promote Australia. Over 200 photos and five short videos are now freely available for...
U.S. Department of State announces change to DS-2019 form requirements
The Department of State has recently announced a change to the DS-2019 form requirements, allowing designated Sponsors for the Exchange Visitor Program to digitally sign and electronically transmit...
Youth travel and Brexit
The Brexit vote in 2016 to leave the European Union eventually led to the UK formally departing on 31 January 2020. Since then, there has been much speculation on the consequences of Brexit for many...
Barcelona Pere Tarrés Youth Hostel receives Biosphere certification for commitment to the environment
This week, Barcelona Pere Tarrés Youth Hostel was awarded the Biosphere certification, one of the most important sustainability accreditations in the tourism sector, in recognition of its dedication...
Youth travel agency KILROY launches in the UK
Former STA leader John Mccoach to help spur growth in UK youth travel market KILROY, a leading youth and student travel agency headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, today announced its launch in the...
International youth travel poised for continued stability and growth in volume and expenditure
PRESS RELEASE Youth travel has long been considered a significant segment of international travel, both in terms of the number of trips taken and the volume of spending. Research undertaken by WYSE...
BUNAC and USIT launch youth-led travel brand, JENZA
Backed by 60+ years of expertise, JENZA is a new youth-led travel brand designed for a generation that craves adventure – but no longer has the luxury of exploring without earning or the appetite...
Welcome to our new member – Haka House
An amalgamation of assets between GCP Hospitality and Haka Tourism Group, created Haka House Hostels which will operate 13 hostels across 11 centres throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
Isabelle Gruner takes over management of Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof
As of January 2024, Isabelle Gruner will take over the management of Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof, a hostel with 190 beds in the heart of Interlaken, Switzerland.
New year, new looks: extensive hotel renovations at three MEININGER Hotels in 2024
The European hotel group is investing in comprehensive renovations of three properties: one in Munich and two in Vienna, as part of over 10 larger-scale hotel refurbishments in 2024.
WYSE Travel Confederation invites members to co-exhibit at ITB Berlin 2024
The World Youth, Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation is pleased to announce that it will once again host the WYSE Village at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show, on 5-7 March 2024.
Meet the new WYSE members of 2023
Welcome to all our new members of 2023. We are delighted to see our network continue to grow, allowing us to offer you even more opportunities to trade and forge global partnerships to develop your business.
Top 10 WYSE news articles from 2023
WYSE Travel Confederation: Growth and developments in the digital nomad market since COVID-19. The rise of digital nomads, identified as a niche market in 2017, has surged to around 35 million.
Design-driven hostel brand launches to cater to emerging tourism segments
The launch of a new hostel brand is set to help NZ cater to growing local and international demand from flashpackers, digital nomads, and other emerging market segments seeking community-driven travel experiences.
Be part of our growth: Alliance Abroad announces recruitment for key senior positions
Alliance Abroad, winner of this year’s Best Work Experience Provider at the Global Youth Travel Awards, is adding several senior positions to its global team to meet the increasing demand for international cultural exchange opportunities.
Thank you and welcome: WYSE 2024 Management Board and Sector Panels
From 1 January 2024, we will be bidding farewell to some of our valued members who served their time on the Management Board and Sector Panels, namely Russ Hedge, Dave Dahl, Carye Duffin and Nick Pound.
Four for 2024
What will define youth travel in the near future? Based on what we hear on the ground and what we see in the data, here are four things that we think the youth travel industry can act on in 2024. 1....
Strong demand and responsible travel choices expected to flow into 2024
WYSE Travel Confederation’s community of youth and student travel specialists was represented by Director General David Chapman in this year’s Titans of Tourism panel discussion.
Travel + ______ = Happiness
How happy are you from travelling? From one to ten, what would you say? Five? Nine? 6.66? But before you rate your happiness, tell us this: how many activities did you do on your last trip? We might be able to make a good guess at how happy you are!