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.
Surviving COVID-19 twice
Carissa Vaudrey, Managing Director of Playschool Au Pairs, was one of the first people in New Zealand to contract COVID-19 after a trip to Italy. When looking at how her business would survive, she...
COVID-19 cuts into summer internships
Accountancy firm Deloitte has cancelled its summer internship programme as part of its broader strategy to save on operational costs amidst the COVID-19 crisis[1]. The firm will instead offer a...
WYSE Travel Confederation calls on governments to support youth, student and educational travel organisations
Travel and tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world. It supports jobs. A lot of them. Everywhere. Actually, about 320 million jobs worldwide[1].Travel and tourism has a proven track...
Satisfaction with COVID-19 cooperation, but placement availability concerns rise
Findings from WYSE Travel Confederation’s second COVID-19 Travel Business Impact Survey[1] indicate that while top business concerns remain unchanged between March and April, there is increasing...
Staff cuts, location closures and short survival periods
Findings from WYSE Travel Confederation’s second COVID-19 Travel Business Impact Survey[1] indicate that travel businesses have moved quickly to streamline operations in the face of declining...
Q2 worse across the globe, but some source markets expecting better for the whole of 2020
Findings from WYSE Travel Confederation’s second COVID-19 Travel Business Impact Survey[1] indicate that travel and tourism businesses experienced a 60% drop in business in Q1 2020 compared to the...
Looking back in order to see ahead
Findings from WYSE Travel Confederation’s first COVID-19 Travel Business Impact Survey[1] have indicated that youth travel organisations experienced significant drops in business by the first week...
Business outlook by youth travel sector
Cautious with pockets of optimism Findings from WYSE Travel Confederation’s COVID-19 business impact survey[1] show a mixed picture across various sectors when it comes to the outlook for 2020. Some...
Youth travel anticipating 30% decrease in business for 2020
Findings from WYSE Travel Confederation’s COVID-19 business impact survey[1] indicate travel businesses are anticipating a 30% drop in business for this year. Based on this, the estimated decline in...
Cloudbeds raises $82 million to develop its platform
Adam Harris and Richard Castle, Cloudbeds Co-founders Nearly a decade ago, Cloudbeds was just an idea that we had while traveling in Brazil trying to book a pousada. It got to a point that on...
WYSE workshops – your quick and free source of intel on youth travel at ITB Berlin 2020
These short-format sessions that start at the top of most hours in Hall 4.1/117 offer quick and easy insights and know-how on the Gen Z and Millennial travel markets. There’s something for...
Welcome to our new member – YellowSquare
Interview with Fabio Coppola, CVO Tell us your story. How did YellowSquare get started? YellowSquare started back in 1999 as a small hostel with only 25 beds. My brother and I started it as a way to...
Welcome to our new member – Expresso Viagens
Tell us your story. How did Expresso Viagens get started? Expresso Viagens was founded in 1966 and since then has been developing solutions and providing consultancy in the travel market. Expresso...
Our latest member interview – Eduvoyage
Interview with Shaik Shibli, Head of MarketingTell us your story. How did Eduvoyage get started?Eduvoyage is an ITL World Company, so perhaps I should start there. ITL World originated during the...
In search of the aging backpacker
We’ve been tracking the quintessential youth traveller since 2002 – the backpacker. In 2017, data from WYSE Travel Confederation’s New Horizons Survey of the youth and student traveller indicated...
Tourism Leading Other Global Sectors in Advancing Gender Equality, New Report Shows
London, United Kingdom, 7 November 2019 – The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), in collaboration with UN Women, The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), World Bank Group and...
Sunny days and lively nights attract WYSTC delegates to the buzzing capital of Portugal for business
More than 600 representatives are convening in Lisbon for the best annual business conference for the youth and student travel industry. The World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) brings...
Welcome to our new member – American Tour Guide Association
Interview with Paula Reynolds, President Tell us your story. How did American Tour Guide Association get started? American Tour Guide Association started with a vision to create experiences rather...
Presenting the finalists of the 2019 Global Youth Travel Awards
The 2019 Global Youth Travel Awards (GYTAs) ceremony will be held on 11 October, bringing the World Youth and Student Travel Conference in Lisbon to a close. This year, we have received a...
Viajero Hostels opens its 10th hostel in Latin America
On August 13 the Latin American chain of hostels, Viajero, opened the doors of a new hostel in the city of Santa Marta, Colombia with a capacity of 170 beds and a price range of between USD 11 and...
Exports From International Tourism Hit USD 1.7 Trillion
Madrid (Spain), 6 June 2019 - Exports generated by international tourism reached USD 1.7 trillion in 2018, a 4% increase in real terms over the previous year, a new report from the World Tourism...
Giving travellers a more authentic glimpse of Indonesia
With the aim of providing youth travellers with a real feel of what the country has to offer, The Dragon Trip has created a range of new budget backpacking tours, taking 18 to 35-year olds across...
Amsterdam TrevPAB and the Market’s Shifting Revenue Management
By Kelsey Fenerty, STR AMSTERDAM – From a revenue perspective, one of the biggest differences in the hostel and comparable hotel operating models is the relative contribution of ancillary revenue...
If every travel company would do just one small thing
Making progress on sustainable travel with youth - an interview with Urban Adventures' Responsible Business Manager. WYSE Travel Confederation spoke to Anula Galewska, Responsible Business Manager...
WYSE Travel Confederation doubles budget for 2023 World Youth and Student Travel Conference hosted buyer programme
WYSE Travel Confederation is redoubling its efforts to support the attendance of new buyers looking to build new connections within the industry at WYSTC.
Welcome to our new member – Discover Qatar
Discover Qatar is the DMC of Qatar Airways and partner of Qatar Tourism. Its goal is to continue advancing Qatar as a premium tourist destination.
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 change will allow designated Sponsors for the Exchange Visitor Program to digitally sign and electronically transmit the Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status,
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
Barcelona Pere Tarrés Youth Hostel has been awarded the Biosphere certification, one of the most important sustainability accreditations in the tourism sector, in recognition of its dedication to environmental and social sustainability.
Youth travel agency KILROY launches in the UK
Leading youth and student travel agency KILROY will offer a selection of inspiring once-in-a-lifetime experiences to the UK youth market, focused on backpacking and adventure travel.
International youth travel poised for continued stability and growth in volume and expenditure
WYSE Travel Confederation has been working on calculating the size of the global youth travel market since 2003 as part of the New Horizons research programme.
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.
Sleep doesn’t come easy: In conversation with Adrie Vreeke of Capsule Services
It started in Switzerland in 2018 as an add-on to an idea. It grew to a multi-location business, focussed on a unique and extraordinary guest experience: Swiss Capsules.
CIEE announces relaunch of its Global Internship Conference (GIC)
The GIC convenes global leaders in higher education, industry, and government to drive learning, action, and innovation around the critical task of preparing young people for a global workplace through work integrated learning experiences.
Looking to 2023 with the Study Abroad Panel
The WYSE Travel Confederation Study Abroad Sector Panellists provide insight into the current state of the sector and how they see 2023 panning out.