Our Mission
To provide opportunity for all, but especially young people, for education by personal development, fostering friendship and bringing about a better understanding of others and the world around them.
Our Story
YHA is a membership-based, not for profit association, with all profits going back into the hostels and the experience they provide.
2009 marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of the youth hostel movement. In Germany in 1909, schoolteacher Richard Schirrmann had the idea to create a network of budget accommodation options across the country to be used by school groups or older, independent travellers. The first permanent youth hostel, Altena Castle, was established in Germany in 1912 and still operates today. The International Youth Hostel Federation, known today as Hostelling International (HI), was established in 1932.
Beginning as modest quarters in barns and schools during the holiday periods, hostels today are the mainstay of budget travelers. Offering much more than a bed, you're likely to find the 'noughties' traveller using the hostel's wifi connection on their laptop or iPhone to update their blog and share videos with friends back home. Movie theatres, pizza nights, free pancake breakfasts, wildlife sanctuaries and swimming pools are just some of the things you'll discover in YHA hostels in Australia today.
Each year, 35 million overnights are spent in Hostelling International hostels around the world. There are now more than 80 participating countries, representing over 4,000 hostels worldwide. Over 100 of these hostels are in Australia, and there are more than 70,000 Australian members continuing the tradition at home and abroad.
To see how we celebrated 100 years of hostelling and to view an interactive timeline of our history click here.
