OUR VALUES

non-profit, cosmopolitan, inclusive, social, sustainable

The Austrian Youth Hostel Associations ÖJHV and ÖJHW stand for a non-profit and affordable accommodation offering high quality for groups, schools, backpackers, families and individuals in Austria. But our hostels are much more than a place for affordable overnights - the idea hostel has been inspiring for over 100 years as a place of understanding, cultural exchange and appreciation of others and nature.

Our goals and values

Our mission

  • Sustainable, social tourism in a fair and charitable balance for all stakeholders and the environment
  • We are aiming young people and the young at heart to acquire a taste for traveling in the most beautiful regions of Austria and around the world
  • Our Youth Hostels make it possible to stay convenient and meet new friends from all over the world
  • Our hostels stand for mutual respect and are open to all, regardless of nationality, origin, age, religious affiliation, political ideology or sexual orientation
  • Say HI® to the world: We are proud to be part of Hostelling International and to provide our members with Youth Hostels around the world

Our vision

  • We would like to offer young people a clean, comfortable and safe place where they will feel comfortable and accompany them when they discover our beautiful country and our earth and interact with travelers from all over the world to expand their horizons

Our passion

  • We love what we do – it´s that simple
  • We are always happy when our members can leave for their next trip and discover the world
  • As part of the Hostelling International family our network around the world inspires us day by day and motivates us to become even better

Inclusion

  • Wie try to make our Youth Hostels accessible to all, regardless of their origin, disability, sexual orientation or age
  • Accessible rooms and facilities are available in many of our hostels, and inclusion is always the top priority for new renovations and investments
  • Practical example*: The Youth Hostel in Velden Cap Wörth offers accessible rooms and a unique, barrier-free lake access to the private beach on the lake Wörthersee

* Initiative was developed in collaboration with Hermann Schmid (behindertenservice.at) and GÖD

Sustainability

Economic sustainability

  • We are faithful to our non-profit principles and we stand by our roots
  • Nevertheless, we structure our services in such a way that enough income is available for investments in our youth hostels and we can provide secure jobs

Social sustainability

  • The prices and services of our Youth Hostels and services are developed to
    • Be affordable for teens, families, school groups and
    • Offer a very good quality and
    • Allow fair wages for our employees

Ecological sustainability

  • The environment and the beautiful nature in Austria are very important to us and we try to show and communicate this to our guests
  • For any investment, be it new buildings or renovations, environmental factors such as energy and water consumption are an integral part of planning
  • Aspects such as the reduction of plastic waste, waste separation and energy-saving operation are analysed in daily business and optimized both economically and ecologically sustainable
  • In practice, for example, the following ecological measures were taken (excerpt):
  • 1200 Vienna Brigittenau Youth Palace Vienna (Info)
    • Certification with the Austrian Ecolabel for tourist accommodation
    • Special attention in the planning of the building for climate protection and sustainable use of resources
    • Built in low-energy construction and heated by water heat pumps using groundwater in winter and cooled in summer
    • Warm water treatment takes place via solar collectors, the rainwater is collected in tanks and used as service water in the house
    • For years, water-saving fittings, showers and kitchen appliances have been used to save energy and water
    • Long-time waste separation & recycling
  • Youth Hostels Carinthia (Info)
    • Villach: Solar system for heating use and warm water treatment
    • Velden Cap Wörth: Changeover from oil heating to pellets
    • Heiligenblut: Window replacement on triple glazing for energy saving
    • In all Youth Hostels in Carinthia:
      • Start of conversion of disposable plastic jam or honey containers to ceramic cups
      • Long-time waste separation & recycling
      • All fruits, vegetables and pastries are only delivered unpacked in reusable boxes
  • Youth Hostels St. Gilgen, Mondsee, Bad Ischl and Linz, Upper Austria (Info)
    • Long-term use of reusable cups and glasses instead of disposable cups in the dining room
    • Jam, honey and spreads in glass containers to avoid plastic waste
    • Long-time waste separation & recycling
    • Movement-sensitive lighting on public toilets for energy saving

Say HI to Hostelling International

Our membership at Hostelling International (HI)

  • Completely committed to our founding concept, its self-evident saying that the idea of a youth hostel achieves a worldwide, unifying effect
  • That's why we are a proud member of the worldwide network Hostelling International and are pleased to offer hostels to our members worldwide
  • Through HI, our members are not only able to stay conveniently in Austria and enjoy further discounts, but also discover more than 3.000 hostels in 60 countries
  • We are grateful that HI offers a worldwide platform for Youth Hostels at hihostels.com and offers additional services such as electronic membership and travel tips for the next trip

Cooperation with HI and other countries

  • The connection with HI and all its sister organizations inspires us day after day to share, help, solve problems, or get ideas for future projects
  • Diversity: Hostelling International and the non-profit associations are not a corporation - despite all the pros and cons, we are proud of the diversity in our global network and it helps us to see the world from different angles
  • Hostelling International also helps relatively small organizations such as the Austrian Youth Hostels to get a voice internationally and to get a better negotiating position with big players on the market (for our organization and our members)

#StrongerTogether

Vienna, on 06.08.2019

Responsible for the content:

Austrian Youth Hostel Association (ÖJHV)
Zelinkagasse 12, 1010 Vienna
www.oejhv.at

Authors: Christoph Sammer, Willy Schubert
Translated from German: Christoph Sammer

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