Nor is hostelling an end in itself. All ages use hostels as their gateway to cultural exploration and the appreciation of nature. The economic, social and political environment surrounding hostelling has changed dramatically during the last century. The hostel movement has expanded from its European core to embrace the world and fulfil the expectations of today's young people who have more money, more free time and greater mobility than ever before. The hostel network enables young people of differing nationalities, cultures and social backgrounds to meet informally, share experiences, learn about themselves, each other and their surroundings.
Hostels foster a remarkable international awareness about current issues.
Hostelling also has a fundamental, but unofficial, role in the development of young people as future employees in a global market. The hostel environment encourages social awareness and the importance of living in a community, plus it develops the kind of self-discipline skills that result from experiencing different situations, having to make individual decisions and learning from them. The young have become the spearhead of environmental concerns on this planet and they expect us to join them. Through the continuing vigour of the youth hostel movement, we are living up to their expectations. And we will continue to do so as new generations are born, and as today's youth become the hostelling families of tomorrow.