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.
AIFS welcomes its first group back to Australia
After almost two years since the last AIFS participants arrived in Australia, earlier this week the first group of arrivals touched down in Melbourne. With more groups scheduled in the coming weeks,...
An end of year message from WYSE Travel Confederation’s Director General
Dear Members, Friends and Colleagues, As 2021 draws to a close, I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas holiday season and most of all, a prosperous New Year. 2021 was...
WYSE Travel Confederation calls on governments to support international travel businesses
Government support for the travel industry is urgently needed as we move into a third year of restricted movement related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses that have managed to stay afloat are...
WYSE Travel Confederation welcomes four new panel members
The WYSE Travel Confederation Extraordinary General Meeting, held on 16 December 2021, saw the appointment of four members to the WYSE Sector Panels. The Nominations Committee, comprised of Robyn...
How to be a cool employer that attracts and retains good staff
WYSE Travel Confederation Accommodation Members share tips and tactics for dealing with hospitality labour shortages during a Panel Connect Session Labour shortages have had severe impacts on...
BUNAC selects iTEP English test for UK Interns
Have you signed up to one of our industry events yet? Click the logos to find out more. Academic Language Solutions, the exchange program distributor of the iTEP (International Test of English...
CIEE and InterExchange to administer 2022 Ambassadors Fund for Summer Work Travel Scholarship Program
The Council on International Educational Exchange(CIEE) andInterExchange have announced that they have been selected to administer the Ambassadors Fund for Summer Work Travel (SWT) Scholarship...
Global Tourism Sees Upturn in Q3 but Recovery Remains Fragile
After a weak first half of 2021, international tourism rebounded during the Northern Hemisphere summer season, boosting results in the third quarter of the year, especially in Europe. ...
Australia celebrates the return of Working Holiday Makers
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement on 22 November 2021 signalling the return of Working Holiday Makers was celebrated by one of Australia’s largest youth tourism company’s and...
An update from the Accommodation Panel
Dear Accommodation Members, I am sure all of us have seen highs and lows over the past few months. The hospitality industry has been forced to be constantly adjusting, which is a major challenge....
Alliance Abroad Group (AAG) announces global expansion and the appointment of new CEO
Victoria Lynden, Founder of Alliance Abroad Group, a leading global exchange provider, has announced a major transformation of the business that will see the establishment of a new Holding Company...
Crisis Management: Winter Work & Travel 2021
In this case study on crisis management, Rafael Espinoza, Founder of Universal Student Exchange (USE), explains how USE reacted proactively to the pandemic, working together with sponsors and...
Youth tourism welcomes border reopen
Australia’s youth tourism industry group, BYTAP welcomed news today that New South Wales (NSW) will remove hotel quarantine for all fully vaccinated travellers through the gateway of Sydney from...
What’s the message 18+ months into COVID-19?
For youth and student travel organisations, uncertainty on the economic and political fronts seems as certain as their propensity to modify terms & conditions and cancellation policies during...
Youth and student travel 18 months into the global COVID-19 crisis
There appears to be an improved business outlook amongst travel and tourism organisations, but let’s face it – 2020 was a pretty bad year. If your business is still around after 18+ months of a...
WYSE Travel Confederation calls on members and industry to lobby their ambassadors to revoke Presidential Proclamation 10052.
WYSE Travel Confederation calls upon its members, US Sponsors and their agents and the industry as a whole, to lobby their US ambassadors to revoke Presidential Proclamation 10052. The BridgeUSA J-1...
Responsible youth travel and COVID-19
Getting off the well-worn tourist path has always been a tenet of independent youth and student travel. Backpackers, international exchange students, gap year students and working holidaymakers have...
BYTAP calls on government to protect the future of Australia’s youth tourism industry
The results derived from a recent nation-wide survey of over 200 youth tourism operators conducted to measure the impact the expiration of JobKeeper will have on the inbound youth travel industry...
Projecting the recovery timeline for youth travel
Countries are making progress in vaccinating their residents against COVID-19, but travel restrictions remain for much of the world. The travel and tourism industry is eager to get back to business...
WYSE Travel Confederation’s top 10 news articles of 2020
2020 was, to say the least, an unprecedented year. We saw readers flocking to articles ranging from the COVID-19 Travel Business Impact Survey results to BUNAC securing investment following the fall...
a&o Hostels sets up COVID-19 test centres in selected properties
a&o Hostels has partnered with Berlin startup Das Lab to offer COVID-19 testing facilities at selected properties. Those wishing to travel over the Christmas period may be required to show proof...
Sustainable Development Goals and the youth travel industry
The Sustainable Development Goals form the core of a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future” and are part of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda...
London hostel performance update, October 2020
By Kelsey FenertyLondon may have been one of the last accommodations markets to lock down in Europe, but the duration and severity of the government mandate meant it has been one of the last hostel...
Hostel accommodation in 2021, according to buyers
Social distancing has been a difficult challenge for hostels. WYSE Travel Confederation estimated that social distancing has equated, on average, to a 52% reduction in capacity and a 66% drop in...
Mental health and travel: Shifting Perspectives in Secondary Exchange Programs
In the field of secondary school exchange programs, there has long been a norm that if a student discloses a history of mental health problems or treatment, or experiences the onset of a mental...
Welcome to our new member – GTS Work & Travel
For more than 20 years, GTS has been providing opportunities for students and youth to experience world cultures programmes. Currently, GTS is one of the leaders of youth programmes on the Romanian market.
Tourism Adventure Group Completes Acquisition of Work & Travel Company
Tourism Adventure Group (TAG), a global leader in youth travel experiences, announced today the successful completion of the acquisition of the Work & Travel Company.
Welcome to our new member – Adventures in Borneo
Adventures in Borneo’s commitment to delivering exceptional adventure travel experiences, promoting environmental conservation, and supporting local communities allows us to make a positive impact in the travel industry.
WYSE Travel Confederation launches fifth New Horizons study on global youth and student travel
New Horizons combines information on the social and cultural aspects of young travellers (backgrounds, motivations, and experiences) with data on travel behaviours (purchasing, booking, product search and destinations visited).
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 and Research, on Wednesday, 14 June.
Tourism Adventure Group appoints new CEO
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?*
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 as 2005 (WYSE/UNWTO, 2005).
Welcome to our new member – Amistat Hostels
With brand-new refurbished hostels in major South European capital cities, Amistat stands out by delivering exceptional experiences and facilitating connections among travellers.
Welcome to our new member – Alliance Visas
With a focus on client needs, safety, and innovation, Alliance Visas offers unique solutions in youth travel.
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.