Ask Us Anything WYSE Travel Confederation

In this episode of the WYSE Ask Us Anything podcast we hear from Catherine Gilvarry, Head of Supply at Hostelworld, an OTA specialised in serving the hostel market. 

As a member of Hostelworld’s ESG Steering Committee, Catherine discusses Hostelworld’s new “Stairway to Sustainability” programme, a framework for hostels to assess and communicate their sustainability initiatives. You’ll also hear about some of the social travel trends that Hostelworld is focussed on as the global hostel market continues to stabilise post-COVID-19. I also ask about media attention for the group’s 2023 year-end results and CEO Gary Morrison’s interest in addressing “loneliness” through travel, and of course, hostels. Have a listen. 
Learn more about WYSE Travel Confederation, the international travel trade association for organisations specialised in youth, student and educational travel.

Guests for this Ask Us Anything conversation are Kevin Morgan and Randy LeGrant, co-founders of Academic Language Solutions. The company specialises in English language proficiency testing, and offers a range of tests under the brand iTEP.  There are iTEP tests to assess conversational or business English, as well as career-specific tests for hospitality or child care. There are also academic tests geared for university and high school admissions and tests utilised by cultural exchange programmes. 
Kevin and Randy first met in 1979. They iTEP in 2016, but their experience in youth, student and educational travel stretches back much further and across more than just English language learning. In this conversation you’ll learn how each got started in cultural exchange travel and how they went from careers in teaching and communications to technology. Kevin boils it down to two words: curiosity and necessity. 
We also discuss the influence of Artificial Intelligence on not only their business and product technology, but young people, education and travel. You’ll also find out what’s in the iTEP pipeline for 2024 and beyond. Have a listen.

Recorded February 2024.


Learn more about WYSE Travel Confederation, the international travel trade association for organisations specialised in youth, student and educational travel.

What’s one of the most important aspects of developing a new hostel brand in the post-pandemic travel space? Staffing? Tech? TikTok? And what about the bed? Comfort? Cool? Cheap? 

This Ask Us Anything conversation with Louise Garner, Commercial Director of Kabannas, a new hostel brand in the UK, offers some opinions and insights on the question. Louise discusses the development of tech specifically designed for hostels and around revenue management of the bed. We also touch on developing a social media strategy alongside the development of your guest experience. And of course, something that’s been a challenge for most in hospitality coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic - staffing.  Strategic partners have been key to the launch of Kabannas, and as you’ll hear Louise say, 2024 will be a ‘big year’ for the brand, especially when it comes to expansion plans… have a listen. 
Learn more about WYSE Travel Confederation, the international travel trade association for organisations specialised in youth, student and educational travel.

CEO and Co-founder of India’s vibrant new brand Olive Living  is our guest on this episode of the Ask Us Anything podcast: Kahraman Yigit. 

Kahraman talks about experience-driven travel and Olive Living's ambition to become the first members club for millennials and gen z. Having launched Olive just a few months before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Kahraman also reflects on some of the big learnings for hospitality that came out of the pandemic and what the must-have tech is for hospitality and providing the ultimate guest experience in 2024. Have a listen.

Recorded December 2023.


Learn more about WYSE Travel Confederation, the international travel trade association for organisations specialised in youth, student and educational travel.

In this episode of Ask Us Anything you’ll meet two outstanding female founders in international educational and volunteer travel: Justine Trembicki of Freepackers and Agustina Gutiérrez of Tingua Intercultural Experiences. 

Together, Justine and Agustina recently won the very first Global Youth Travel WYSTC Partnership Award.  This award recognizes an outstanding collaboration between two organisations that met at the World Youth and Student Travel Conference and have since forged a creative, innovative and sustainable partnership with impact on youth and student travel. 
The two reveal how the two met at WYSTC 2018 and what makes their international partnership work. We also discuss how young people are now approaching volunteer experiences abroad and what they’re working on for 2024. 

Recorded October 2023.
Learn more about WYSE Travel Confederation, the international travel trade association for organisations specialised in youth, student and educational travel.

Hear the origin story of Welcome to Travel from co-founder Darryl Newby in the latest episode of Ask Us Anything. 

Based in Melbourne, Australia, Welcome to Travel caters to the orientation needs of backpackers arriving in Australia with working holidaymaker visas. Darryl reflects on some of the product and marketing experimentations that have propelled the company’s sales and growth, what’s special about Australia as a youth travel destination and what it means to win the 2023 Global Youth Travel Award for Best Youth Tour Operator. 

Recorded October 2023.
Learn more about WYSE Travel Confederation, the international travel trade association for organisations specialised in youth, student and educational travel.