The 54th International Youth Hostels Federation Conference, hosted by Qatar and represented by Qatari Youth hostels from Sep 1 to 5, concluded with the participation of delegations and leaders of youth hostels in more than 30 countries around the world. The conference discussed topics related to the global youth hostels movement and youth tourism in particular, and put forward new strategies for hostels that were adopted during the conference.
The conference also reviewed many international experiences and proposals of the associations and organisations members of the International Youth hostels Federation, and witnessed the election of the new Board of Trustees.
Qatari candidate Hussein Ali al-Hababi won a four-year membership in the Board, while Swedish Stefan Korman won its presidency for two new years. German Dr Uwe Boeheim won the first deputy president position for two new years, and Portuguese Miguel Brestillo won the second deputy post for two years. Representative of the United Kingdom and Wales Alan Bjorn won the post of treasurer of the International Federation, while Qatari Hussein al-Hababi, Libyan Abdulsalam al-Mukhtar al-Arabi, and American Nicola Marie Sandoval won the membership.
In a statement on the occasion of the conclusion of the 54th Conference, Director of Network and Brand at the International Federation Cecile Yerle expressed happiness with the success of the conference in Qatar, where, in addition to the work of the conference, they were briefed on various aspects of Qatari culture, as well as the preparations to host the FIFA World Cup 2022.
She added that the conference discussed the report of the current Board of Trustees and the achievements of the International Federation of Youth hostels, as well as the adoption of financial reports and accounts for the previous period and the study of the financial plan for the next five years, and also touched on the topic of sustainability and the inclusion of proposals voted in 2018 with the aim of reducing single-use plastic and food waste. One of the main points on the agenda was the digitisation journey undertaken by the federation to update the systems and stay in touch with young guests starting from the recently launched website www.hihostels.com, as the reorganisation of the brand and programs and the events organised by the international federation are also at the heart of the agenda and pillars of the federation's strategy to be more relevant to young people around the world.
On the sidelines of the conference, the federation celebrated in Doha the 90th anniversary of its establishment, as it originated in 1932 in Amsterdam. The federation includes 62 sub-federations in 75 destinations in addition to 3.3mn members who have access to more than 3,000 hostels around the world. The federation is an international organization of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), which aims to promote sustainable tourism practices among its members. It constantly strives to improve and expand its network to new places, which means working with governments and volunteer agencies to create similar practices and high standards everywhere.
The conference also reviewed many international experiences and proposals of the associations and organisations members of the International Youth hostels Federation, and witnessed the election of the new Board of Trustees.
Qatari candidate Hussein Ali al-Hababi won a four-year membership in the Board, while Swedish Stefan Korman won its presidency for two new years. German Dr Uwe Boeheim won the first deputy president position for two new years, and Portuguese Miguel Brestillo won the second deputy post for two years. Representative of the United Kingdom and Wales Alan Bjorn won the post of treasurer of the International Federation, while Qatari Hussein al-Hababi, Libyan Abdulsalam al-Mukhtar al-Arabi, and American Nicola Marie Sandoval won the membership.
In a statement on the occasion of the conclusion of the 54th Conference, Director of Network and Brand at the International Federation Cecile Yerle expressed happiness with the success of the conference in Qatar, where, in addition to the work of the conference, they were briefed on various aspects of Qatari culture, as well as the preparations to host the FIFA World Cup 2022.
She added that the conference discussed the report of the current Board of Trustees and the achievements of the International Federation of Youth hostels, as well as the adoption of financial reports and accounts for the previous period and the study of the financial plan for the next five years, and also touched on the topic of sustainability and the inclusion of proposals voted in 2018 with the aim of reducing single-use plastic and food waste. One of the main points on the agenda was the digitisation journey undertaken by the federation to update the systems and stay in touch with young guests starting from the recently launched website www.hihostels.com, as the reorganisation of the brand and programs and the events organised by the international federation are also at the heart of the agenda and pillars of the federation's strategy to be more relevant to young people around the world.
On the sidelines of the conference, the federation celebrated in Doha the 90th anniversary of its establishment, as it originated in 1932 in Amsterdam. The federation includes 62 sub-federations in 75 destinations in addition to 3.3mn members who have access to more than 3,000 hostels around the world. The federation is an international organization of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), which aims to promote sustainable tourism practices among its members. It constantly strives to improve and expand its network to new places, which means working with governments and volunteer agencies to create similar practices and high standards everywhere.