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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.
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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...
Travel product development in the face of the pandemic
As of September, the expected change in demand for 2020 compared to 2019 seems to have levelled out at -70%. After a slight show of optimism (-62%) in June, there has been little change and the...
HI USA to re-open select hostels
The United State's largest hostel network opens its doors with reduced capacity, and has introduced a new "Let's Stay Safe, Together" Health and Safety Program, and savings for guests. Hostelling...
When and where will recovery begin?
After a bit of optimism in June about demand for travel and tourism services for the remainder of the year, youth travel businesses adjusted their expectations slightly in July, saying they...
Investment in digital shift stymied drop in demand for youth travel programmes
Investment in digital shift stymied drop in demand for youth travel programmesInternships, language immersion courses, study abroad semesters and many other travel-based educational and cultural...
Viajero Hostels opens 12th property in Latin America
Viajero Hostels has opened the doors of its new property in Medellín, Colombia's second largest city. Medellín is the quintessential youth traveller's preferred travel destination in Colombia due to...
The impact of visas goes beyond cultural exchange programmes
While some businesses active in the youth travel industry are slowly getting back in operation after COVID-19 closures, organisations facilitating travel for educational and cultural exchange...
Social distancing equates to 66% drop in revenue for youth travel accommodation
Some providers of accommodation, tours, activities & attractions and youth travel programmes are back in operation with social distancing measures implemented and others are still anticipating...
Students want to come back! How New York City’s 92Y Residence is holding steady during the storm
For students moving to the Big Apple and needing affordable accommodation, 92Y Residence is a hidden gem of New York City. Situated at 92nd Street and Lexington in the Upper East Side of Manhattan,...
Spotlight on educational and cultural exchange travel after the US suspends visas for one of the most popular programmes for youth globally
Organisations dealing in educational and cultural exchange travel programmes for the student market have remained slightly more positive than the youth and student travel industry as a whole since...
WYSE Travel Confederation opposes the inclusion of J-1 visas in the Presidential Proclamation on Immigration
On 22 June 2020, the White House issued a Proclamation suspending certain nonimmigrant visas until the end of the year. In conjunction with the current closures of the US consulates and embassies,...
June a small turning point for the youth travel industry, but hopes are mostly set on 2021
A slightly more optimistic view from travel and tourism companies operating in the youth market was detected in June after three months of increasingly negative outlooks. The fourth edition of...
Love and travel, plus another Zoom call, in the time of Coronavirus
It has always been essential for the youth travel sector to focus on the unique characteristics and conditions that make tailored travel experiences possible for young people, but the COVID-19...
Experiencing Dublin from your bedroom in Ohio: Study abroad challenges during COVID-19
WYSE Travel Confederation hosts global events for the youth travel industry. Click the logos below to learn more. COVID-19 Resource Centre > Letter to governments Resources by country...
Tiritose Sustainable Travel supports local communities in response to COVID-19 impacts
WYSE Travel Confederation hosts global events for the youth travel industry. Click the logos below to learn more. COVID-19 Resource Centre > Letter to governments Resources by country...
Marketing youth travel in the shadow of global crisis
8 June 2020, Wendy Morrill and Prof. Greg Richards Marketing has obviously been on the back burner for many travel and tourism businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic because travel has been...
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!
CAS Trips Unveils Community-Led Service Trips
Global student travel tour operator CAS Trips announces the launch of CLS (Community-Led Service) Trips. As of today, CAS Trips invites schools and students aged 14-18 to explore eight destinations.