Skift Take
Top of the morning to you. Do you know that quote, “There are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet?” That’s the motto Hostelworld operates on.
Top of the morning to you. Do you know that quote, “There are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet?”
That’s the motto Hostelworld operates on. The OTA for hostels is keen on helping people forge and foster social connections through travel.
We heard from Hostelworld CEO Gary Morrison at the Skift Global Forum last month. But I caught up with Morrison for a longer conversation about how this philosophy aligns with business strategy. Through social gatherings, targeting marketing and creating space, the company wants to take travel back to its roots: It’s about exploration.
“Fundamentally, it’s helping people to hang out. People expect to meet people on the go,” Morrison said. What makes hosteling unique, according to Morrison, is that the accommodation category serves a distinct need and targets customers with a low acquisition cost.
Put simply, travelers who stay at hostels are intentionally choosing that experience over hotels or Airbnbs.
At a time when short-term