Editing Hostel (section)

== History ==
In August 1909, [[Richard Schirrmann]], a teacher in Germany, first published his idea of inexpensive accommodation for [[youth travel]] after leading a school camping trip that was derailed by a thunderstorm. Schirrmann received considerable support and opened a makeshift hostel for hikers in the school in which he taught. On June 1, 1912, Schirrmann opened the first hostel in [[Altena Castle]].<ref name=Beds>{{Cite journal |last=Bunda |first=Robert |date=2014-05-02 |title=The Business of Beds: An Exploration of Hotel and Hostel Business Strategy |url=https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/srhonors_theses/350 |journal=Honors Scholar Theses}}</ref> The original hostel rooms are now a museum. Schirrmann served in [[World War I]] and after observing the [[Christmas truce]] on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]] in December 1915, he wondered whether "thoughtful young people of all countries could be provided with suitable meeting places where they could get to know each other". In 1919, he founded the [[German Youth Hostel Association]]. 

By 1932, Germany had more than 2,000 hostels recording more than 4.5 million overnights annually. The International Youth Hostel Federation (now [[Hostelling International]]) was founded in October 1932. It is now an organization composed of more than 90 hostel associations representing over 4,500 hostels in over 80 countries. These hostels cater more to school-aged children, sometimes through school trips, and families with school-aged children.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

In 1936, [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] was the honorary president of AYH (now [[Hostelling International USA]]). [[John D. Rockefeller III]] was a proponent of hostels and was president for several years.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

During [[World War II]], many hostels in Europe were temporarily shut down or placed under the control of the [[Hitler Youth]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

In the 1960s and 1970s, hostelling prospered. The industry declined during the [[1970s energy crisis]]. 

A law passed in [[New York State]] in 2010 banned hostels due to illegal hostels set up in residences, unless a hotel license was obtained.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Why the Hostel-ity? |url=https://www.decoderny.com/hostels-new-york-illegal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117224118/https://www.decoderny.com/hostels-new-york-illegal |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |date=March 23, 2017 |publisher=Decoder}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shaltiel |first=Jason |date=November 29, 2015 |title=Youth Hostels in Nyc, Made Illegal in 2010, Could Rebound Under New Legislative Push |url=https://www.amny.com/news/hostels-in-nyc-made-illegal-in-2010-could-rebound-under-new-legislative-push-1-11174351/ | work=[[amNewYork]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807190801/https://www.amny.com/news/hostels-in-nyc-made-illegal-in-2010-could-rebound-under-new-legislative-push-1-11174351/ |archive-date=August 7, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the [[2008 financial crisis]] and the [[Great Recession]], the hostel market actually grew due to its cost appeal.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.savills.je/research_articles/262231/198686-0 | title=European Tourist Hostel Report | work=[[Savills]] | date=26 January 2016}}</ref>