Published September 2011

The youth travel market grew from 160 million international trips a year in 2005 to almost 190 million in 2010. The growth of youth travel is reflected in the increased supply and diversity of Youth Travel Accommodation (YTA) around the globe. Stemming from the original youth hostel product, the sector surveyed in this publication covers many different forms of accommodation aimed at young travellers, including backpacker hostels, guesthouses, budget hotels, student residences and campsites.
As the YTA sector grows in size and complexity it becomes even more important to have reliable and timely information on market trends and developments. This report is the fifth in a series of reports on the YTA industry produced by the former Sector Association STAY WYSE.

Key takeaways

The 2010 survey provides more detailed information than previous reports, including new questions on accommodation type. The quality of the financial data has also been improved compared with previous years, and as the response rate has risen and the number of operators providing detailed financial information has also increased.