Is Hostelworld a Brand Focused on Loneliness?

06.12.2023 - 04:17 / skift.com / Srividya Kalyanaraman

Top of the morning to you. Do you know that quote, “There are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet?” 

That’s the motto Hostelworld operates on. The OTA for hostels is keen on helping people forge and foster social connections through travel. 

We heard from Hostelworld CEO Gary Morrison at the Skift Global Forum last month. But I caught up with Morrison for a longer conversation about how this philosophy aligns with business strategy. Through social gatherings, targeting marketing and creating space, the company wants to take travel back to its roots: It’s about exploration. 

“Fundamentally, it’s helping people to hang out. People expect to meet people on the go,” Morrison said. What makes hosteling unique, according to Morrison, is that the accommodation category serves a distinct need and targets customers with a low acquisition cost.

Put simply, travelers who stay at hostels are intentionally choosing that experience over hotels or Airbnbs. 

At a time when short-term rentals and hotels tout privacy as a premium, hostels deviate from that by design. Moreover, they are affordable, well situated in urban areas and inherently cater to global travelers on longer trips. 

“It’s the Netflix way of thinking about what a travel business could look like,” Morrison said at the Skift Global Forum. 

German vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo has joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). The UNGC brings together organizations, governments, and civil society to uphold the Ten Principles related to human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.

By signing up, HomeToGo reaffirms its commitment to integrate UNGC values throughout its operations and enhance sustainability initiatives. The company will also transparently report on its progress in support of UN goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the first report scheduled for 2024.

Commissioners in Brevard County, Florida are seeking proposals from software companies to identify non-compliant vacation rentals, Florida Today reported. They aim to enforce rules and ensure tax compliance for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and Vrbo units. 

An outside firm would be contracted for a one-year trial to assess the program’s effectiveness. The county estimates around a 1,000 illegal short-term rentals are operating, sparking concerns among homeowners and rental property owners. Local and state-level discussions are ongoing to find a balanced solution to address the issue.

Airbnb and Klarna have together launched a new payment option in Australia where guests can spread the cost of their reservations. This initiative is part of a phased global expansion that will introduce an alternative payment method in 20 countries across three