Qatar Youth Hostels History
Our journey in promoting youth travel and development
Qatar Youth Hostels History Highlights
Qatar Youth Hostels History
German schoolteacher Richard Schirrmann sees the need for overnight accommodation for schoolchildren so that they have a place to stay during class trips. Schools are then used during the holidays, with classrooms being temporarily converted to accommodate beds.
Schirrmann sets up the first youth hostel in his own school in Altena, Westphalia. Soon after this is replaced by a permanent hostel in Altena Castle.
The youth hostel movement quickly spreads worldwide so the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) is founded. Richard Schirrmann is appointed President. It was agreed through conference that participants accept as their ultimate objective the reciprocal recognition of national membership cards in all countries, and they will work to achieve this objective as quickly as possible. This was the start of national membership cards being recognised worldwide.
Qatar Youth Hostels Establishment. Later on, a group of young leaders saw the need to establish youth hostels in Qatar. The proposal was immediately submitted to the Supreme Council for Youth Welfare, which was then headed by HRH the Father Emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The proposal was approved by his highness on 17/05/1983.
The first statute of Qatar Youth Hostels was approved in 1986 and joined the International Federation of Youth Hostels at the Thirty-Sixth International Conference which was held in Ireland.
In 2019, Qatar Youth Hostels moved to a new location in Al Saad - Jawaan Street.
The 54th Hostelling International Conference hosted by Qatar Youth Hostels in 2022.
