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Hostelling International

Hostelling International, a global not-for-profit youth hostel organisation created in 1932 is one of the largest youth membership organisations in the world. Their mission is “To promote the education of all young people of all nations, but especially young people of limited means, by instilling in them a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and an appreciation of the cultural values from towns and cities in all parts of the world, and as ancillary thereto provide hostels or other accommodations in which there shall be no distinction of origin, nationality, colour, religion, sex, class or political opinions and thereby to develop a better understanding of their fellow man, both at home and abroad."
 
Global Tourism Plastics Initiative Signatory
In 2018, Hostelling International approved at the International Conference two crucial motions: to minimise, if possible, ban, single-use plastics at all HI Hostels and to take steps in all HI Hostels that offer food products to reduce their ‘foodprint’. The motions contain solutions and alternatives to common single-use plastic items such as single-use hygiene products, disposable plates, cups and cutlery, single-portion food products, plastic bottles, straws and even the HI Membership card. The ‘foodprint motion’ also includes targets such as using local ingredients and bulk purchasing which contribute to minimising and eliminating single-use plastics.
Countries
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Role in programme(s):

Commitments:

In the framework of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, Hostelling International commits to:

  • Encouraging all HI Member Associations and Hostels to join the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative by referencing the GTPI in future internal and external communications and events as appropriate.
  • Continuing to advise and support their Member Associations to better manage plastics in their operations through guidance material on plastics management, and follow up on the ‘Say HI to a world without single-use plastics’ motion signed in 2018. A report with the progress made to date will be ready by February 2022.
  • Communicating successes to their Member Associations, partners, travellers and key stakeholders as appropriate, through direct communication channels or press statements.
At HI, we continue to live our mission for over 100 years and we commit to deliver not just quality and sustainable accommodation but authentic experiences that lead to mutual understanding and global peace. We thus commit to the 5 pathways of the Glasgow Declaration:
Measure: We will continue to measure our emissions with our partner myclimate and make the results public.
Decarbonise: We will follow on our emission reduction targets and continue to offset our impact.
Regenerate: We will continue to support the communities around our hostels by ensuring our guests respect the local culture and biodiversity and by providing opportunities and experiences to guests, staff and locals to learn and grow in an international environment.
Collaborate: We will continue to share solutions and best practice from our member associations, maintain global and local partnerships that foster a faster implementation of common climate goals.
Finance: We will ensure organisational resources and capacity are sufficient to meet the objectives set out in our climate plans, including the financing of training, research and effective implementation of our comittments .
We commit to deliver plans aligned with these pathways to contribute to cutting tourism emissions in half over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050.
Climate Action Plan Pending

Members