Objectives and Background
 Objectives
YHA aims to provide travelers with safe, comfortable, and friendly accommodations at an affordable price, while at the same time promoting multicultural exchange and arousing awareness for the care of nature.
We also create valuable opportunities for youths to broaden their international vision through offering a platform for youths around the world with different culture, background and religion to meet up and learn from each other.
The Youth Hostel Movement in Hong Kong
The youth hostel movement in Hong Kong can be traced back to the vision in 1972 of two men, Seamus Rainbird and Gerald Strickland.
Strickland and Rainbird both believed that there was a pressing need in Hong Kong to establish safe, well-managed hostel facilities for the growing number of young people in the territory. In particular, they had in mind the needs of those who would appreciate individual outdoor recreational activities rather than participation in the more organized institutional type programmes provided for large groups by a number of existing governmental and charitable bodies.
At that time, the majority of the population lived in crowded, densely packed public housing estates or squatter areas. The Association's founders thus envisaged the establishment of a number of basic hostels in the rural areas as a long overdue means whereby young people could take a break from the constricting surroundings in which they lived and experience the beauty of nature.
Throughout 1972 and 1973 further discussions were held between interested individuals and organizations including the Education Department, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, the Social Welfare Department and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. An early and enthusiastic supporter was the then Governor, Sir Murry Maclehose, himself a keen hill walker with an intimate personal knowledge of the remoter reaches of the New Territories and the outlying islands.
Registered as a local non-profit organization, the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association was formally established on 11 September 1973 under the Chairmanship of Gerald Strickland, who guided the organization through its formative years until his retirement in December 1978.
Today, our seven youth hostels still maintain their membership fee and overnight charges at a low level, which allows the general public to gain access to our services at these youth hostels at an affordable price.
About IYHF
HKYHA is affiliated to the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF), which recruited over 4 million members around the world. Members of IYHF can enjoy comfortable, safe and affordable accommodation services at more than 4 thousand youth hostels across 80 countries. They can plan their own route while enjoying discounted price for transportation, meals, tickets, and shopping in many overseas cities.
There are separated dormitories for male and female in all hostels while rooms are available for families and groups in many of them. Shared kitchens and barbeque sites are also available. Some overseas hostels in larger scale are equipped with modern facilities and built with restaurants and bars or even swimming pools. |
