Hostel bookings reveal surprising new trends

Hostelworld.com, the leading provider of online reservations to the budget, independent and youth travel market, has announced substantial industry growth in new destinations across the globe including Moldova and Columbia, where over the past year bookings grew 600 percent and 266 percent, respectively.

Ukraine hostel bookings increased by 181 percent during this time period, while Uruguay experienced growth of 147 percent..

Top Cities emerging as popular travel destinations are:

Kiev, Ukraine – 218 percent
Zadar, Croatia – 160 percent
Hiroshima, Japan – 89 percent

Other regions that experienced significant growth in hostel bookings over the past year include:

El Salvador – 104 percent
South Korea – 86 percent
Malaysia – 45 percent

“Growth in these markets is driven in part by the economy and those seeking more affordable choices in accommodations,” said Hostelworld.com spokesperson Aisling White. “Additionally, the spirit of adventure, the desire of travelers to seek out more authentic travel experiences and the maturing of the hostel industry are also driving this movement.”

The growth is also driven by a wealth of information on hostels and travel made available through sites such as Hostelworld.com. Award winning travel videos allow individuals to take a walking tour of remote locations or discover the 10 things you absolutely should know about your destination. City guides and podcasts provide a breakdown on cities all over the world in terms of what to see and do.

Millions of user-reviews and a social network equip budget-conscious travelers with an arsenal of knowledge provided by like-minded individuals. With these tools, travelers are more informed than ever before, and this knowledge is helping to drive the budget, independent and youth travel industry in markets across the globe.

Furthermore with Hostelworld.com, available in 23 languages, offering over 20,000 hostels in 6,000 destinations and spanning 170 countries, the choice for customers is greater than ever before.

The popularity of hostels has also increased closer to home. For those people choosing as ‘staycation’ this year, it seems the choice of accommodation is also hostels. UK travels into UK destinations are up 19% while bookings into England rose by 21%.