Thank you David Chapman
David Chapman
Director General 2013 – 2026
WYSE Travel Confederation
During his time at WYSE, David oversaw the restructuring of the Confederation and, amongst many other achievements, the launch of the WYSTC Buyer Programme and the development of STAY WYSE into a leading conference for the sector. He also continued to strengthen WYSE’s long-standing role in producing essential market research, delivering industry events, and supporting youth travel organisations around the world.
David’s greatest strength was his unwavering fairness and consistency with our members. He was approachable, trusted and widely respected across the sector, and many members valued the fact that they could always speak to him directly. His integrity and even-handedness helped build strong relationships and lasting trust throughout the WYSE community.
David’s leadership was never more important than during the extraordinary challenges of COVID-19. Throughout that period, he showed agility, resilience and focus, steering the organisation through enormous uncertainty with calm and strength.
We are deeply grateful for David’s contribution to our team, to our members, and to the wider sector. We thank him for his leadership and dedication, and wish him all the very best for the future.
We invite members to share their memories and well-wishes for David in the comments below.
Message of appreciation from our partners and members
“Congratulations on your retirement, and your leadership record as Director General of the WYSE Travel Confederation.
David, you are a leader for all seasons. Before the pandemic, WYSE was on a growth path with the World Youth and Student Travel Conference reaching record participation. When I joined as Board Chair in 2019, you were prepared to take the organization to new heights. But then, the pivot. The pandemic devastated travel and WYSE, and you and your small but mighty staff agilely shifted to a survival mode, using creativity and technology to keep WYSE afloat. When I left as Board Chair in 2022, you had shifted once again, to focus on rebuilding WYSE and youth travel for the post-pandemic era.
Your leadership has been instrumental in moving global youth travel forward. WYSE events served as a meeting place where industry leaders talked business and ideas. WYSE research created an industry buzz and built wider understanding of our marketplace. WYSE committee and working groups incubated best practices and training.
David, you championed youth and student travel as a catalyst for cultural understanding, personal development, and global connection. By bringing together industry leaders, elevating research and data and providing a steady voice for the sector, you helped WYSE and the industry to navigate uncertainty and advance our shared mission. It’s been a real pleasure working together.“
2009 WYSTC Manchester, United Kingdom
“Dear David, It has always been a genuine pleasure working with you. You brought clarity, professionalism and a calm steadiness to every interaction, and that is rarer than people realise. I am truly sorry to see you step away, although very happy for you as you begin this next chapter. I hope retirement brings you the freedom to pursue what matters most, at your own pace. Please do keep me informed of your whereabouts. It would be great to catch up for lunch or dinner from time to time. With warm regards, Markus .“
2012 Jerusalem, Israel
2012 World Hostel Conference Jerusalem, Israel
2013 ITB Berlin, Germany
“Dear David You didn’t just put hostels on the map, you drew the map. Thanks to you (and the team at WYSE), hostels have pivoted from being an unloved and underinvested hospitality format to attracting large inflows of institutional and private equity capital. Safe and inexpensive ways to stay have allowed many more young people to discover the world and also themselves. And fostering understanding across nations is the best legacy baby boomers such as us can provide to millennials and Gen Z. Maybe it is time to drop Mr, Infantino a line to suggest to whom he gives the next FIFA World Peace prize?! Congrats on your retirement David and hopefully tot ziens, Carl “
“David, enjoy your retirement and get to relax after a hectic job as director general. You’ve been a great leader and you’ve always paid good attention to all of us. We appreciate that and wish you the best of luck.“
2007 WYSTC Istanbul, Turkey
“Dear David, Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. It has been a pleasure collaborating with you on youth travel. WYSE opened my eyes to the vast travel community that supports youth from around the globe to gain new international experiences. Thank you to you as well as Laura and Wendy for WYSE’s over the years that I was working with IEC. “
2012 WETM-IAC Budapest, Hungary
2012 WYSTC San Diego STAY WYSE Board Meeting
“Dear David, Ever since the first day I met you at the STAYWYSE Board, you became a trustworthy and dear friend for me. A magnificent executive with the neccesary strong hand and velvet glove, so necesary to navigate the turbulent waters of our dear Confederation and Board members. I deeply appreciate all that you have done to continue to improve the legacy that we founder members have left and that will hopefully have a lasting impact upon future generations of youth travellers. I sincerely wish you the very best possible in your new adventure as well as an extremely well – deserved more restful life in the coming years in which I wish to be present and to enjoy many wonderful chats with you and an excellent glass of wine. Warmest wishes, my dearest friend.“
2012 WYSTC San Diego, USA
“Dear David it has always been a pleasure to work with you and I am delighted that you are joining the army of retired people. Wishing you a world of good.“
2013 IAPA Meeting, Munich, Germany
2013 WYSTC Sydney, Australia
“Dear David, Congratulations from Canada on your retirement! You have left an impressive legacy in terms of the youth work and travel industry, and with respect to your kindness. Thank you for welcoming me into the WYSE community and for your support. I wish you lots health and happiness as you move on to your next adventure where you will no doubt make another hugely positive mark. With my deepest appreciation.“
“Congratulations Mr Chapman
I still remember when you started and since then you have done a fantastic job for WYSE and the youth travel sector in general.
It was a real pleasure working alongside you during a few years and now I’m looking forward to one of your retirement trips – to the beautiful north…🇸🇪 ☀️ 🚤 🍻”
2014 WYSTC Welcome Reception, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
2014 WYSTC Dublin, Ireland
2014 WYSTC Global Youth Travel Awards Dublin, Ireland
“All the best David. And thank you for your work, support & effort for the youth travel! .“
2014 WYSTC Global Youth Travel Awards, Dublin, Ireland
2014 WETM-IAC London, United Kingdom
2014 Post WYSTC Else Globe
2014 WYSTC Dublin, Ireland
2014 WYSTC Dublin with Sir Ranulph Fiennes
2015 WETM-IAC Lisbon, Portugal
2015 WYSTC Cape Town, South Africa
“David, On behalf of the International Experience Canada (IEC) team, we would like to offer our sincere congratulations to you on the occasion of your retirement in March! IEC has been working with you and your team for more than a decade, attending WYSTC since 2011 and learning from your leadership in WYSE’s many initiatives. We have thoroughly enjoyed our collaboration together and have benefitted from your knowledge and expertise as we work in Canada to support youth work and travel. Your commitment and dedication to the youth travel industry has helped to highlight its value and importance to the global economy. The IEC team has enjoyed working with you over the years, and your presence will be missed at future WYSE events and in the community. We wish you all the best in this new chapter of life! IEC Team “
2015 WYSTC Cape Town, South Africa
2015 WYSTC Cape Town, South Africa
2016 WETM-IAC Atlanta, USA
“Dear David, It’s hard to believe that your incredible journey with WYSE has come to an end. On behalf of Experiment e.V., I want to thank you for your years of inspiring leadership and for the countless ways you’ve shaped the global youth travel community. On a personal note, it has been such a pleasure to work with you. Your thoughtfulness and commitment have left a lasting mark – not just on WYSE, but on all of us lucky enough to collaborate with you. I went through my pictures and while I couldn’t find my favorite one from the GA in 2014, I did find the one outside of the hotel. Wishing you all the very best in this next chapter. I hope it brings you new adventures, joy, and plenty of well-earned time to reflect on an extraordinary career. If you are ever in or near Bonn, you are always welcome to come by for a cup of tea or some other kind of beverage! All the best.“
2016 WYSE Exchange, Australia
2016 ITB Berlin, Germany
“Dear David, so much souvenires from WYSTC around the world and at ITB in Berlin….We will miss you already missing our Trips to Amsterdam including our private Boat Trip with Laura and Holger….That was great…I wish you all the best …a lot of Travel and good health for the next decade Big Hug Freddy”
2016 UNWTO, Armenia
“Congratulations on a job well done sir. You have certainly guided that ship with tenacity, skill and genuine passion of what you are doing, and your success has demonstrated all of those!
Nice work David Chapman – I am sure you will still find projects to keep you busy into retirement. “
2016 UNWTO Armenia
2016 WYSTC Site visit, Belgrade, Serbia
2016 WYSTC Belgrade, Serbia
2016 WYSTC Belgrade, Serbia
2016 WYSTC Belgrade, Serbia
“Wow, the end of an era for WYSE. Congratulations David, on an amazing career at WYSE and nothing but the best wishes for the future! “
“Many congratulations David. Your contribution to the youth travel sector has been significant and it was a pleasure to work with you for a little while too! Never a dull day. Enjoy your last few months and all the best. Phil. “
2016 WYSTC Belgrade, Serbia
2016 WYSTC Belgrade, Serbia
2016 WYSTC Belgrade, Serbia
“Hard to imagine WYSE without you, David! Thank you so much for all that you did to navigate us through some very challenging times and WYSE would not be still standing today if it weren’t for your leadership! Happy you’re retiring and finally going to try to relax a bit, but you will definitely be missed by us all!.“
2016 WYSTC Wire, Belgrade, Serbia
2016 WYSTC Belgrade, Serbia
2016 WYSTC Belgrade, Serbia
2017 UNWTO Jamaica
“David, Always enjoyed catching up, whether it was your insights and counsel on something affecting our industry, or talking nonsense about something completely unrelated! Hope you enjoy some peace and quiet with the bees and the chickens, and do hope that our paths cross again! Best wishes, Enda.“
“David, Thank you all you’ve done to make WYSE a vital part of the student and youth exchange community. It has been a pleasure to work with you and WYSE and I wish you a great retirement.“
2017 STAY WYSE MEININGER Networking party
2017 ISIC Berlin, Germany
2017 ISIC, Japan
2017 WETM-IAC, Munich, Germany
“I will always think of David as “the enabler.” He has been instrumental in opening doors for me both personally and professionally, just as he was instrumental in navigating WYSETC through some of the severest storms in the confederation’s history. I have nothing but respect for this exceptional gentleman. Wishing David a retirement that is as rewarding as his career – I am confident he will continue to “enable” the people and organisations around him, even in this next chapter!.“
2017 Global Youth Travel Awards with ISIC – WYSTC Montreal, Canada
2017 WYSTC Global Youth Travel Awards, Montreal, Canada
“Congratulations David for everything you’ve accomplished with WYSE during these 13 years. You’ve taken on the role during a crisis and lead the organization through very difficult time. It has been a real pleasure working with you during all those years. Enjoy this new chapter of your life and I hope our paths will cross again soon. “
2017 WYSTC AGM. Montreal, Canada
2017 Volunteer winner with David – WYSTC Montreal, Canada
2017 WYSTC Montreal, Canada
2017 Board meeting, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
“It is with great appreciation that I recall the challenging period for WYSE in 2011. At that time, it was evident that the organization needed strong leadership to move forward, and many of us believed that the right person had to be found to guide this process. We were convinced that you were the right choice for this role, and the years that followed have clearly proven that this confidence was well placed.
Congratulations on your retirement after many years of dedicated service, during which you successfully stabilized and reorganized the organization and helped build a solid foundation for its future development.
I had the pleasure of knowing and working with you during those important early years, particularly through our cooperation in the Steering Committee, the Executive Board, and during my term as President of WYSE in 2013. Your professionalism, commitment, and positive approach were always highly valued and respected.
I sincerely hope that the years ahead will offer you the opportunity to enjoy your personal interests, travel, and spend many wonderful moments with family and friends.
Thank you for your valuable contribution over the years to our organization and to the wider industry. I wish you a happy, healthy, and fulfilling retirement. “
“Wishing you the very best David Chapman, it’s been fun and lots of great connections and fab memories! .“
2017 NAFSA Los Angeles, USA
2018 STAY WYSE Hans Brinker party Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2018 ITB Berlin, Germany
2018 ITB Berlin, Germany
2018 WETM-IAC Seville, Spain
“David, you know everyone by name, and of the 100s of WYSE members et al, you even remember mine. Thanks for that! And thanks for the advice and attention you’ve devoted to each and every one of us all these years. Enjoy your next chapter to the fullest!! “
2018 WYSE Exchange, Australia
2018 – HI USA Reception , New York , USA
I enjoyed being called onto the WYSE stand at ITB in 2016 after I had tweeted a pic of me and Holgar at ITB with an irreverent line about his tie being undone. Holgar marched down to David and demanded he get me under control! Very amusing.
However, my favourite story, is when David and I were at ATTA in 2014 in Killarney, Ireland. We were out post event at a networking event and had lost track of time. We had both been invited to the Tourism Mongolia networking event, so we rushed over just to catch them as they were packing away. However, due to their unlimited hospitality, they stopped immediately and gave us a personal 1-1 virtually presentation and talk, together with individual personalised pictures of the Mongolian country. We were extremely sheepish as we didn’t want to be a nuisance, however we loved their kindness and company. Over the next couple of days and then at ITB we always had a personal welcome from them for being the most engaged attendees!.“
2018 WYSTC, Edinburgh, UK
“Dear David! An era ending – you were “my man” at every single WYSTC and WETM-IAPA I have attended. Thanks for all the great conferences you have prepared and organized – won’t get any better when you are gone, I am sure! 🙂 All the best and enjoy the next part of your life Cheers Thomas “
2018 WYSTC Edinburgh, UK
2018 WYSTC Edinburgh, UK
2019 ITB Berlin with Hostelling International
2018 WYSTC Edinburgh, UK
2018 WYSTC Edinburgh, UK
2019 STAY WYSE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2019 WETM-IAC Luxembourg
2019 WETM-IAC Board meeting Luxemborg
2019 Chicago Board meeting
2019 STAY WYSE Miami, USA
2019 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
2019 STAY WYSE Networking party Miami, USA
2019 Georgia site visit
2019 Georgia site visit
2019 World Travel and Tourism Council Seville, Spain
2020 STAY WYSE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
WYSTC 2021 site visit
2021 Global Youth Travel Awards – Online (COVID)
2021 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
2022 WYSTC
2022
2022 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
2023 ITB Berlin, Germany
2023 STAY WYSE Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2023 Board meeting Leiden, The Netherlands
2023 WYSTC Libson, Portugal
“Congratulations on your retirement and on your remarkable leadership of WYSE over the years. Your dedication and vision have made a lasting impact on the organization and the broader community we serve. Wishing you all the very best in this next chapter—may it be filled with health, happiness, and new adventures. Warm regards“
2023 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
“David Sending you all the best for your retirement! My first work trip with International Experience Canada (IEC) was the 2015 WYSTC in South Africa. From that trip onward, WYSTC has been a key event for me because of all the wonderful connections that were made available – all due to you and your team. I am thankful for your leadership and expertise in the youth travel industry, and your ability to lead a dynamic team that supported our work and objectives with such dedication and humour. Here’s wishing you a wonderful retirement full of joy and well-deserved relaxation. And I also hope to see you sporting that Canada bow tie again! .“
2023 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
2023 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
David 10th Anniversary as Director General WYSE Travel Confederation – WYSTC 2023 Lisbon, Portugal
2023 WYSTC Welcome reception Lisbon, Portugal
“You’ve been an incredible role model and leader during your time as Director General at WYSE. In additions to all your hard work and achievements, what really stands out are the countless stories and memories I’ve collected along the way — and the huge amount of laughter that came with them. Serving on the SATA board with you will always bring a smile to my face. Between the characters, the politics, and the moments that could only happen in those meetings, it was never dull! They’re memories I’ll always look back on with a grin. I know us “Goldies” will stay in contact and we will all get together for that lunch soon .“
2024 STAY WYSE Munich, Germany
2024 WETM-IAC Krakow, Poland
2024 ITB Berlin, Germany
2024 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
“I can only echo all the comments. We‘ve been working together for all these 13 years and a few more when you were not DG yet but you already plaid an important role in WYSE.
We have run quite a few WETM-IACs together(mastered some behind-the-scenes chaos), went on site visits and exchanged ourselves as association leaders. I only wish you all the best for your time without all the hard work. Enjoy !!! While you certainly deserve it, I am-like the others here-very glad, we still have some months to work together and you will do WETM-IAC in Sofia with us.
You can be proud of your legacy. 👏👏 “
2025 WETM-IAC Alicante, Spain
“Dear David, Over the many years I attended the WYSE events, it was always a pleasure to see you. Reinhard and I truly appreciated that, despite the hectic pace and your responsibility for making the event a success, you always found time for a friendly conversation and you made us feel like part of the community. Ever since the WYSTC in Edinburgh, when you wore a kilt at the farewell event, I have greeted you as “James Bond.” I’m not sure you ever fully understood why—but it always came from the heart. We will miss you very much and wish you all the very best for the next chapter of your life. Warm regards, Claudia”
2025 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
2025 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
2025 WYSTC Lisbon, Portugal
“Under David’s leadership, WYSE strengthened its position as a leading voice for youth travel, helping define and promote its value globally, guiding the sector through the Covid years, and building WYSTC and WETM into essential events in the calendar. What has always stood out most, though, is not just his knowledge or experience, but his ability to connect with people across the industry, from ministers and policymakers to hostel owners and operators, and make each of them feel heard and valued. As he steps into retirement, we thank him for his dedication, leadership and lasting contribution to WYSE.”
2026 STAY WYSE Budapest, Hungary
“Dear David, After so many years of good cooperation, it is difficult for me to imagine WYSE without you. But of course I respect your decision.
There were many challenges that you had to overcome, which required a lot of strength and nerves. You steered the association safely through difficult times. We members owe you a lot. Thank you very much for successfully leading the association for so many years.
There are still a few months to go, and I am sure we will see and speak to each other before you step down from office. “
2026 STAY WYSE Budapest, Hungary and on his penultimate event, David had to convince some youth travellers in a ruin bar in Budapest that he was not the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanense.
2026 STAY WYSE Budapest, Hungary
2026 WETM-IAC Sofia, Bulgaria
2026 WETM-IAC Sofia, Bulgaria
Thank you, David, for your years of leadership, fairness and commitment to WYSE and the wider youth travel community. The messages and memories shared here reflect the respect, trust and appreciation so many people have for you, and the lasting impact you have made over the years. We wish you a very happy and well-deserved retirement.
With thanks, glitter and best wishes,
The team at WYSE Travel Confederation
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