Quality youth travel

Apart from trade and socializing opportunities the YSAW workshop will focus on one key question:

What does the future hold for European youth travel and youth accommodation?

This question and its answers are essential at a time where the European Union is willing to regulate a market under growing competition. Youth travel is no longer limited to associative or non profit activities. Since September 9/11, youth travel has proved to be a stable and expanding business. Governments are re-discovering tourism as a key economical factor, especially for "weak" areas, and are identifying youth travel as a possible motor for regional development.

Defining and organising the industry seems to be a new phenomenom. Motivations vary: regions want to profile their offer and motivate local providers to improve their services; associations want to secure their lobbying positions and offer new concepts to politicians; governments want to clean their markets and eventually be first with an existing national model when it comes to a European discussion.

The YSAW workshop will discuss the accuracy of youth travel quality approaches under the aspect of European wide regulation, with a main focus on quality criteria for youth accommodation and for the organisation of youth group journeys. Here is a list of such*:

Certification for Sustainable Tourism, the WTO has issued quite an interesting overview of existing certification possibilities. More details under www.world-tourism.org.

Certified Group Travel (D), the Youth Hostels Berlin-Brandenburg have got through the first certificate of TÜV. More details under www.youthhostels.de.

ISO certification, ISO is working on developing its range of certifications together with key organisations like the WTO. More details under www.iso.org.

Plan Qualité France (F, in French only), the French Ministry for Tourism starts a trade mark for Quality in french tourism, together with 22 national associations . More details under www.tourisme.gouv.fr.

Quality Assurance Standards for Hostel Accommodation (UK), the English Tourism Council has developed standards to improve quality and are proposing a classification tool for hostels, camping barns and bunkhouses. More details under www.visitbritain.com.

Quality Label for Swiss Tourism (CH), the Swiss Tourism board offers a service classification for service providers. More details under www.swisstourfed.ch.

Scottish Hostel Quality Assurance Sheme (UK), Scotland has developed a range of tools from guidance to classification for the business development of hostels and also for b&b’s and guesthouses... More details under www.scotexchange.net.

UCRIF Quality Charter (F), the UCRIF has set up a list of 140 control points around comfort and security for its member accommodation. More details under www.ucrif.asso.fr.

Youth Travel Quality Management (D, in German only), the Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommen has started their own accreditation sheme for youth accommodation. More details by www.mcpom.com.

* Please let us know of any further quality approaches that should be listed here and/or taken into consideration at YSAW. Contact us...