Youth Hostelling as a movement has not taken long to establish in the world. During the course of the last almost eighty years, it has spread from country to country and spanned all the five continents.

The movement is based on two basic urges in the youth - love for the unknown, which includes desire for adventure and the desire to make friends.

Since the movement started in Germany in the second decade of last century, there was very little opportunity for young people of limited means to travel at will and see and enjoy the beautiful places in their own country and the world around. The virtues of travel have been acknowledged in all ages and in all climes. Its hazards and uncertainities and costs used to be too great to allow the common youth to get as much benefit from it as was desired.

The development of the means of communication and the establishment of youth hostels in more beautiful and attractive spots in many countries has made the opportunity of travel at a nominal cost far more easily available for youth.

History

As already explained the Youth Hostel Movement is the brainchild of aneminent German school teacher, Richard Schirrmann, who set up the first Youth Hostel was opened in 1912 in Altenia, Germany. As a consequence, the Youth Hostels Association was formed in Germany in 1919. The inauguration of the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) was an outcome of the first International Youth Hostel Federation Conference held in Amsterdam in 1932. With this, the YH Movement caught up and more Youth Hostels were established in Europe with hygienic and sanitary conditions.

IYHF is presently represented by 62 National Member Associations and 18 Associate Organisations and 18 Accredited Agents with a chain of more than 4,500 Youth Hostels and 4.5 million youth members worldwide. The hostels provide 35 million bed nights and an estimated contribution of $ 1.6 million (US) to the World Tourist revenue every year. With the computerised services available in a number of Youth Hostels for accommodation booking, more than 4 million people see the world through Youth Hostelling International. This system is popularly known as International Booking Network (IBN).

The Indian Scene

The hostelling principles had their roots in the ancient Indian wisdom in the form of resident places of learning, which imparted conventional and non-formal system of education. The modern Youth Hostel Movement has thus a close resemblance with our age old pilgrim idea. Education was not considered complete in olden days till the disciple was sent out on a pilgrimage. This meant a hard and strenuous journey to sacred spots all over the country. The pilgrim centres were located in such beautiful places that a journey to them by itself was an elevating experience. All the adventures and hardships encountered on the journey strengthened and disciplined the mind. Meeting people at road and in shelters like dharamshalas and rest houses in a simple friendly way with different backgrounds and cultures marching on road for the same goal, helped to break down the barriers and broadened the mind and liberated the spirit. It has been said that the pilgrim centres, more than anything else, have maintained the oneness of India. All this conforms to the youth hostelling ideals in better and spirit.

In a country where there is a multiplicity of religious, languages, sub- races and nationalities, there was a need to bring about divergent unity. Social fusion had always been the distinctive feature of Indian history. There was just the need to reawaken in every Indian a sense of unity and value of national integration which would consequently lead to international understanding by bringing people closer. Youth hostelling was one of the right media to achieve the ultimate.

The Youth Hostel Movement had found its way into India before the partition of the country in 1947. The idea was introduced in early forties by the Boy Scouts and Girls Guides of India, Punjab Circle and the first Youth Hostel was formally opened at Tara Devi near Shimla on June 9, 1945 by H E Sir Bertrand Glancy, Chief Scout and Governor of the Punjab.

In 1949, some enthusiasts in Mysore set up a Committee for promotion of the Movement. Three years later the Indian Association received Associate membership of IYHF. The first National Conference of the Youth Hostels Association of India (YHAI) was held in 1956 in Delhi which marked the establishment of the movement on a national level.

On October 5, 1970, National Youth Hostel Trust was created through a Resolution passed by the National Council of YHAI, a day earlier. As a result, a 120-bed Youth Hostel complex in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi with Administrative Offices came into existence. Later a Training Centre equipped with audiovisual aids and Recreation Centre with indoor games and library facilities were added. The Training Centre has since been approved by IYHF for training of international participants.

The Plan for constructing youth hostels by YHAI was taken up and the first Youth Hostel built with its own resources on a donated piece of land was a small 35-bed youth hostel at Jagjit Nagar near Kasauli. An international camp of volunteers helped to construct its foundation. Gopalpur-on-Sea, Ganjam, Orissa was the next one built by YHAI in 1961. Some State Branches and Units are in the process of procuring land for construction of Youth Hostels.