Today Hostelworld, the Online Travel Agent for the hostelling category, unveils a new framework dedicated to communicating and elevating sustainability practices in the industry, marking a significant step towards a greener future for travel.

Developed in partnership with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the ‘Staircase to Sustainability’ framework introduces a first of its kind universal measurement system tailored for hostels which addresses the sector’s unique challenges and opportunities.

Hostels, by design, offer a highly sustainable accommodation option for travellers. Their shared accommodation set up results in reduced water and electricity consumption, while their use of shared kitchens means there is considerably less food, plastic and packaging wastage. Hostels also play a vital role in acting as community guardians, actively promoting authentic local experiences, working with local suppliers and organising volunteering opportunities that contribute to the betterment of the local community.

New research from Bureau Veritas and Hostelworld published today highlights that hostels are leading the way in providing a sustainable accommodation option for travellers, revealing that hostels emit 82 per cent less carbon compared to hotel counterparts.

A survey of Hostelworld’s hostel partners also reveals that although 85 per cent of hostels either participate in sustainability initiatives or have expressed interest in doing so, they face challenges in communicating their efforts and the impact of their existing sustainability practices.

Recognising the need for formal recognition in a sector that is already deeply committed to sustainability, the ‘Staircase to Sustainability’ framework aims to provide hostels with a clear pathway to communicate their sustainability management practices, as well as recognise their socio-economic, cultural and environmental impact.

Divided into four levels, and aligning directly with the established sustainable tourism criteria of the GSTC, the ‘Staircase to Sustainability’ is designed to not only help hostels identify any gaps in their current sustainability practices and guide them to moving up the ‘staircase’ to secure a formal certification, but to also celebrate the incredible work already being done in the category. Hostels that sign up to the framework will be subject to auditing by a third party, from level two upwards, speaking to the high standard it sets for participating hostels.

The framework also serves as an accessible guide for the climate-conscious traveller looking to make informed choices when selecting accommodation, removing hours of research as well as any potential guesswork. For every level of criteria achieved, a hostel will be awarded the relevant sustainability Badge on Hostelworld’s website. Travellers can now also search for sustainable hostels using Hostelworld’s new sustainability filter.

On launch day, 1,000 hostels will proudly display a Level One badge on their Hostelworld profile, signifying that positive sustainability practices are already being incorporated, while an additional 219 will have achieved Level Two and a further 9 hostels will be at Level Three.

Commenting on the launch of the ‘Staircase to Sustainability’, Caroline Sherry, CFO and ESG Lead at Hostelworld said: While there is a sustainability framework for hotels, our hostel partners have voiced that the existing frameworks do not adequately address the unique characteristics of the independent hostel market. This is why over the past 18 months we’ve dedicated our time, working in close partnership with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, to craft this pioneering framework for the hostelling sector. The unwavering support and willingness of the GSTC to deep dive into the distinct needs of hostels has been instrumental in shaping this framework.

Randy Durband, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, CEO comments on the new framework, Hostels have historically been, and continue to be, an excellent sustainable option when travelling. We congratulate Hostelworld for this framework in line with the GSTC Criteria. Having hostels continue on their sustainability path in a comprehensive, step-by-step, and achievable manner is a commitment to a more sustainable future.

The Staircase To Sustainability Framework Levels Explained

Level One

To achieve a Level One Badge, the hostel has started to introduce practices that generate positive social and environmental impact for their staff, the local community and customers

  • Sustainable management: the hostel complies with local legal requirements and have put processes in place to manage their sustainability goals
  • Socio-economic impact: the hostel offers fair employment to their community and are taking steps to contribute to local livelihoods
  • Cultural impact: the hostel is respectful of cultural heritage and gives guests relevant information to ensure they are too
  • Environmental impact: the hostel has put measures in place to reduce their environmental impact and provides guests with information to minimise their impact

Level Two

To achieve a Level Two Badge, the hostel has to have achieved everything outlined in Level One as well as the new criteria below. Within Level Two the hostel has put a sustainability strategy in place to document and measure progress. They’re prioritising environmental, social and cultural best practices. Hostels will also be subject to auditing by a third party from level two upwards.

  • Sustainable management: the hostel compiles details and data on their sustainability efforts, provides staff with training and implements sustainability-related feedback from guests
  • Socio-economic impact: the hostel actively supports local businesses and community groups and provides opportunities for guests to support them too
  • Cultural impact: the hostel displays cultural information for guests at the hostel or in digital communications
  • Environmental impact: the hostel has implemented strategies to improve their environmental efforts and conserve biodiversity of their surroundings, helping customers have a more sustainable stay

Level Three

To achieve a Level Three Badge, the hostel has to have achieved everything outlined in Levels One and Two as well as the new criteria below. Within Level Three the hostel is making continuous improvements on their sustainability goals, outlined in their detailed strategy. They’re committed to creating significant environmental, social and cultural change, making them ready for certification by a Global Sustainable Tourism Council accredited certification body.

  • Sustainable management: the hostel reports on and publishes their sustainability actions and achievements. They’re involved in sustainability programmes in their local area and are making their hostel accessible
  • Socio-economic impact: the hostel reports on contributions made towards community groups
  • Cultural impact: the hostel embraces and educates guests on traditional and current local culture
  • Environmental impact: the hostel ensures that not only their practices are environmentally friendly but that their supplies are too. They’ve also taken steps to reduce pollution

Level Three +

To achieve a Level Three+ Badge, the hostel has to have achieved everything outlined in Levels One, Two and Three. The hostel also has had their sustainability strategy certified by a Global Sustainable Tourism Council accredited certification body and is committed to improving the environment with industry-leading sustainability practices.

‘Staircase to Sustainability' Level One Badge Holder Case Studies

Volunteering at Rio Hostel Buritaca, Colombia

This beautiful hostel, near the beaches of Tayrona National Park, helps local people through its array of educational, environmental and sporting programmes. The hostel is committed to hiring locals and employs a teacher to help staff learn English - a language deemed essential for a job in tourism. They also run sports clubs for local children, with the help of travelling volunteers as well as funding an education programme, with volunteers teaching 60+ hours in the community every week.

Recycling St. Christopher’s Inn, Barcelona

St. Christopher’s Inn sits at the top of the famous bustling pedestrian street Las Ramblas in Barcelona. This hostel is renowned for its recycling initiatives; not only its colourful array of recycling bins but they also developed their own technology to capture waste shower water and use it again as toilet water. The hostel has also cut down on food waste by moving away from a breakfast buffet and installed solar panels on the roof to reduce additional energy consumption. To raise awareness of rising sea levels and plastic pollution, St. Christopher’s also partnered with a local brewery to create Ocean Beer that gives 100% of its profits to ocean clean up projects.

Inclusivity at Modal Hostel, Greenville, South Carolina

Modal Hostel is a modern boutique hostel complete with its own art gallery and coffee shop in Greenville, South Carolina. While the city is regularly named the friendliest in America, it is also known for its very conservative values. For this reason, Modal stands out as a shining example of inclusivity and diversity in the city. Inspired by the owners own experiences of coming out, Modal warmly welcomes all walks of life. The hostel regularly hosts LGBTQIA+ events such as starting the first ever Pride, as well as working with an LGBTQIA+ charity to help those in need.

Accessibility at INOUT Hostel, Barcelona

INOUT hostel, based in the beautiful Collserola Park on the outskirts of Barcelona, is a first of its kind hostel; built from a non-profit social initiative called Icaria Social Initiatives to promote the diversity and inclusion of people with disabilities. Out of their 60 staff members, 55 have a disability. INOUT also provides an inclusive workplace, and accessible space for travellers too. The hostel is tailored to meet the physical, visual and auditory needs of anyone using the space.

About the Bureau Veritas Research

The research conducted by Bureau Veritas, in partnership with Hostelworld, focused on 80 hostels whose inventory is sold via Hostelworld’s online booking platform. The carbon intensity of these 80 hostels was compared to the carbon intensity of 6 hotel chains. The reporting period was 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022 and the data was collected from accommodation facilities located in Europe.

The results identify that hostels produce 82 per cent less carbon than hotels. In fact, this is a notable year-on-year improvement for hostels, with 2022’s analysis finding hostels were 75 per cent less carbon intensive compared to hotels. Furthermore, the study reveals hostel carbon emissions have reduced year-on-year from 0.30 tCO₂e to 0.25 tCO₂e. In contrast, hotel carbon emissions have increased within the last year from 1.18 tCO₂e to a range of 1.37 tCO₂e to 1.43 tCO₂e.

The 80 responding hostels accounted for a total of 30,697 beds. The study collected data from hostels ranging in size, from 0-50 guests, up to hostels with 500+ guests. The study included data from both chain and independent properties.

In the case where the actual data was not available, Bureau Veritas used an estimation methodology to fill in the gaps and ensure the data was as complete as possible.

The estimations included:

  • Electricity: Bureau Veritas calculated the average energy consumption per bed of the hostels that had reported electricity. For properties that had not reported electricity, the average energy consumption, of those that had reported, was divided by the number of beds in each property, to estimate the totals for these locations. There were 5 facilities that did not report electricity: 2 in Albania, 1 in England, 1 in Switzerland and 1 in Germany.
  • Refrigerants: The properties reporting F-gas leaks were unable to give information on the type of F-gas used in their equipment. Bureau Veritas therefore used an assumption of R410A. This was based on research regarding the most commonly used refrigerant in many air conditioning units in Europe.
  • The full report can be downloaded here: https://www.bureauveritas.co.uk/sites/g/files/zypfnx216/files/media/document/Hostelworld_Bureau%20Veritas_Understanding%20The%20Carbon%20Impact%20of%20Hostels%20vs.%20Hotels.pdf

About the Hostelworld Research

Hostelworld conducted a partner survey in August 2023 to understand hostel industry’s current sustainability management practices and ambitions. This data reflects the findings from 1,089 respondents.

About Hostelworld Group

Hostelworld Group PLC is a ground-breaking social network powered Online Travel Agent (OTA) focused on the hostelling category, with a clear mission to help travellers find people to hang out with. Our mission statement is founded on the insight that the vast majority of travellers go hostelling as a means to meet other people, which we facilitate through a series of social features on our platform that connect our travellers in hostels and cities based on their booking data. To date the strategy has been extraordinarily successful, generating significant word of mouth recommendations from our customers and strong endorsements from our Hostel partners.

Founded in 1999, Hostelworld is a well-known trusted brand with almost 250 employees across 11 countries; hostel partners in over 180 countries; and a strong commitment to building a better world in all that we do. In particular, our focus in the last few years has been on improving the sustainability of the hostelling industry, through our membership of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC); our active involvement in the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI); our partnerships with Bureau Veritas to establish emissions benchmarks for the hostelling industry. Hostelworld is a signatory of the Climate Pledge and is committed to Net Zero by 2040.