TheHostelHelper – Online Resource For Hostel Managers and Hostel Owners

There are 15643 Hostels worldwide. 37% are located in Asia, 30% in Europe, 16% in South America, 9% in North America, 5% in Oceania, and 3% in Africa.Let’s take a closer look. 15643 Hostels Worldwide As you can see in the chart below, Asia is the leading continent when it comes to the total number of hostels worldwide. “But there other online travel agencies that claim to have XXX hostels listed.”Well, there’s a difference between hostels and properties.A hostel is a low-priced accommodation that focuses on a shared social experience. Guests typically also share their rooms in hostels.Hostelworld.com currently lists 36.000 properties and claims that around 17.000 of them are hostels. However, after a long discussion with the customer service, it seems like a few other low budget accommodations like B&Bs fall under the definition of “hostels”.For this research, we have only considered "real" hostels. Top-20 Countries With The Most Hostels Thailand is killing it as you can see in the chart below! Tourism in Thailand exploded since 2009. They’ve quadrupled their yearly visitors from around 10 million in 2003 to over 40 million in 2019. [1] 5829 Hostels in Asia (37%) The chart shows only countries with 10 or more hostels. 4738 Hostels in Europe (30%) The chart shows only countries with 40 or more hostels. 2434 Hostels in South America (16%) The chart shows only countries with 10 or more hostels. 1454 Hostels in North America (9%) The chart shows only countries with 10 or more hostels. 718 Hostels in Oceania (5%) The chart shows only countries with 10 or more hostels. 470 Hostels in Africa (3%) The chart shows only countries with 10 or more hostels. Hostel Density Hostel Density Rate Per Continent In the following chart, we have divided the number of hostels by the number of inhabitants for each continent.Let’s take Africa as an example:Hostel density rate = 470 hostels / 618.281.288 inhabitants = 1/1.315.000That means there’s one hostel for every 1.315.000 inhabitants in Africa. As a general rule: The higher this number the higher the potential growth for additional hostels. Does that mean you should build your hostel in Africa instead of in Oceania? - NO!There are more factors like the general demand, political situation, and the number of visiting tourists that play into the growth potential of your hostel's location.Furthermore, the less common hostels are in an area the more educational work is needed: What is a hostel? Why should I stay at a hostel compared to other accommodation types? etc.The USA is the perfect example of this. For more information, read our article on why the US hasn't embraced hostels yet.Nevertheless, that’s something you should be aware of when starting your hostel. Top-20 Countries With The Highest Hostel Density Rate The one thing that surprised us in the chart below is that the USA rank on place 10. To be honest, we assumed it would be among the top #3 because it seems like the whole hostel industry is talking about this huge growth potential for hostels there.Another great example of how facts tell us the truth. Do NOT use this chart as a reason to throw away your plans to start a hostel. Be aware that there are a lot more factors to consider when choosing the right location. Top-20 Countries With The Lowest Hostel Density Rate Again, do NOT use this chart as a reason to throw away your plans to start a hostel. There are more factors to consider!Your country isn’t listed above but you’d love to have more insights?No worries, you’re just a click away to get your stats. Get FREE Access Projected Number of Hostels Worldwide in 2020-2025 According to Phocuswright, the revenue of the hostel industry is projected to grow at 5.5% per year. This leads to an average growth rate of approximately 3% per year (assuming an average inflation rate of 2.5% per year).As with all projections, take it as a rough guesstimate rather than a fact. STOP! 🤚Before you leave: Answer this quick question and help our community.What's the one tip you'd give an aspiring hostel owner when it comes to the location of a new hostel?Share your opinion in the comment section below! P.S. People who read this article were also interested in learning about the best property management software for hostels.

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