? book y n e o i t th a d o o d omm l cc e How How v 3rd party websites party 3rd A a Hostels r W Culture ho o t are Flashpackersrs t the rie y? Bar EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Why are they travelling? Backpackers YOUTH TRAVEL How ACCOMMODATION USAGE Hotels d Based on the findings from the New Horizons lll Survey ? o th e s m ey b u ? oo he k ia d ? n en d t s o e t i sp y me a e l v ia i oc do th do S tinat s Mobile bookings at mot at Wh Student accommodation How much How ties in de Hostelling International Hostelling i Activ YOUTH TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION USAGE BASED ON FINDINGS FROM NEW HORIZONS lll WYSE Travel Confederation and STAY WYSE Association are committed to understanding the ever changing characteristics, motivation and needs of young travellers. The Confederation and STAY WYSE gather, analyse and share important research data and market intelligence with their members, academics, corporate and government decision- makers, and the general travelling public. This extract from the New Horizons survey contains data on Youth Travel Accommodation demand in 2012/13. The main sectors covered in this report are Independent and Hostelling International Hostels, Hotels, Student Residences and Apartments. Our investment in research and market intelligence informs the policies, services and products which make international travel and educational experience exciting, safe, accessible and affordable for young people. Please visit www.staywyse.org for more information about the STAY WYSE research programme and how to become a member. Author: Tourism Research and Marketing Survey Manager: Laura Daly Title: New Horizons III - Youth Travel Accommodation Usage Report Publisher: STAY WYSE Published: September 2013 Design: WYSE Travel Confederation Printing: Worldwide Printing Solutions Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia YOUTH TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION REPORT 3 INTRODUCTION This extract from the WYSE Travel Confederation New Horizons III survey contains data on Youth Travel Accommodation demand in 2012/13. The main sectors covered in this report are Apartments, Independent Hostels, Hostelling International (HI) Hostels, Hotels and Student Residences. This research is based on data gathered from consumers, and therefore compliments and adds to the research already conducted by STAY WYSE (2012) on the supply side of the industry. RECENT ACCOMMODATION RESEARCH Much recent research in accommodation in general, and Youth Travel Accommodation in particular, points to the rapidly changing face of consumer demand. “The IHG Kinship economy” report (2013) from the InterContinental Hotels Group indicates that the role of accommodation is changing as travellers become more tech savvy and are increasingly seeking experiences that will help them to develop relationships with others. New forms of ‘relational travel’ are helping to transform traditional accommodation value chains into more extensive ‘value webs’ (that include many non-tourism elements, such as the local community) faster than ever before (UNWTO, 2011). Increasingly, business and leisure travellers will start carrying new high-tech ‘accessories’. These portable sources of information have radically changed the way in which people search for and book accommodation. The trends observed in the New Horizons research indicate that mobile bookings will increase rapidly in future. One in four travellers have used social networking sites to plan their travel while 45% have made travel plans based on reviews and experiences of others. This is true of both leisure and business Cheap eats. Last calls. travel. One in three business travellers posts reviews online of properties they stay at (Google & Art openings. Pickup games. Ipsos Media, 2011). Other “Google & Ipsos Media” (2012) surveys indicate that almost a quarter Vintage shopping. Velvet ropes. of af uent leisure travellers currently book accommodation via a mobile device. Concerts every night. In contrast, “Traditional travel publishing has been in decline in the UK over the last seven years: overall, guide sales have fallen by 30% during this period.” It is also having an impact on the way Coffee shops all night long. in which young people use and experience accommodation: NYC <30. “Hotels could be used as local community hubs, for example with local bands and artists coming and performing, meaning that the hotel has much more connection with the community. This is why Get the most out of New York City people like boutiques at the moment – people want to experience the local.” with NYC & Company—the official In many ways the traditional hotel sector is now starting to mimic the relationship building resource for all youth travel services, function that has long been at the heart of the Youth Travel Accommodation product and which is including hotels, restaurants, tours, particularly important for hostels. The continued blurring of boundaries between different forms of accommodation means that Youth Travel Accommodation suppliers have to face new areas of attractions and more. competition, particularly from budget hotels and apartments. However, the changing landscape of youth travel also presents new opportunities. As the New Horizons research shows, new forms of accommodation such as couchsur ng are not replacing the traditional hostel – they may even be driving new areas of hostel business. For example, 37% of couchsurfers also stayed at HI Contact [email protected] or visit nycgo.com/traveltrade 4 YOUTH TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION REPORT YOUTH6 TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION REPORTYOUTH TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION REPORT5 RECENT ACCOMMODATION RESEARCH Hostels while travelling, and 67% also stayed at an independent hostel. Because these people also travelled more and spent more on accommodation than the average young traveller, they also spent more money on accommodation in total. As hostels are also now often functioning as gathering places for couchsurfers in some cities, this also represents an income opportunity. A recent HostelBookers Survey on “Why Women Travel Solo” (2013) indicated that women still love to travel alone. In common with the ndings of the New Horizons survey, the women surveyed by HostelBookers balance their desire for freedom and adventure with a healthy sense of caution. “Freedom” (28%), a “sense of adventure” (17%) and “learning about yourself” (15%) were cited by respondents as the top reasons for travelling solo. 64% stayed in hostels, underlining the bene ts of hostels as cheap places to stay where you can meet new people and become part of a community of travellers. Hostel statistics from different parts of the world indicate stable or growing demand in spite of the economic crisis. European HI Hostel members reported over 26 million bednights in 2012, an increase of 6% compared with 2010. In New Zealand, independent accommodation overnights increased 2.9% in May 2013 compared with May 2012 and occupancy levels increased by 2.3% points. Major commercial hostel groups are now challenging budget hotels, according to a report from HVS (Douglass, 2013). The report indicates that the top 10 groups in Europe including A&O, Meininger and Generator now have a total of more than 35,000 beds spread across 100 properties. 00/00 05/08/1990 UNIVERSITY NAME M DARIUS THEAU 6 YOUTH TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION REPORT YOUTH TRAVEL ACCOMMODATION REPORT 7 AMSTERDAM ROTTERDAM LIEGE ROTTERDAM II THE HAGUE EINDHOVEN ENSCHEDE MAASTRICHT UTRECHT BRAZIL 700 ROOMS 250 ROOMS 150 ROOMS 240 ROOMS 320 ROOMS 390 ROOMS 460 ROOMS 300 ROOMS 540 ROOMS METHODOLOGY THE NEW HORIZONS SURVEY OPEN OPEN OPEN OPEN 2014 OPEN 2014 OPEN 2015 OPEN 2015 OPEN 2016 OPEN 2016 OPEN 2016 The data for the New Horizons III research was collected via email solicited web-based questionnaires. The third New Horizons survey of global youth and student travel was conducted by the World Youth The email addresses of people using or enquiring about the services of youth travel companies Student and Educational Travel Confederation (WYSE Travel Confederation). The aim of the survey IT’S A HOTEL AND A HOME. were used to generate responses. An incentive of a draw to win an iPad was used to increase is to provide an overview of the global youth and student travel market, which was estimated to response rates. The survey was distributed by WYSE Travel Confederation members through email, include over 200 million international trips in 2012. social media, newsletters and website postings, with over 300 active links collecting data. SOMEWHERE YOU CAN SLEEP, EAT, DRINK AND STUDY. The New Horizons research is the only consistent global survey of this important market. Since The link to the survey was made available in English and Spanish versions between August 2012 2002 the survey has expanded in both scale and scope, and now represent responses from over WhERE You LEArn AboUT liFE. and January 2013. During this period some 34,000 responses were collected, a signi cant 34,000 travellers in late 2012 and early 2013, draw from 137 different countries. increase on previous surveys in 2002 (2,300 responses) and 2007 (8,500 responses). In order to ensure a representative picture of global youth tourism was obtained, where global data are For the purpose of providing more customized reports relating to speci c youth travel industry WHERE YOu CAN MEET nEW PEoPlE analysed the data have been weighted by visitor origin to re ect the distribution of global outbound sectors, this report provides an analysis of the data collected from Youth Travel Accommodation tourism according to UNWTO data. Weightings were also applied to the data collected in previous users during the New Horizons III survey. years in order to compare survey waves. AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS The data mainly re ect questions asked about the last main trip taken by respondents during the 12 months prior to the survey. The vast majority of these trips will therefore have been made in SOME Who’LL BE FriENDS FOr LIFE 2012. The accommodation sectors covered in the New Horizons survey are : Or EVEN LIFElONG PARTNErS.