Around 70 youth association representatives, drawn from organisations as diverse as “Abstinente Jugend”, “Pro Juventute” and “Wandervögel”, spend the evening in the hall of the “Mädchenklub Gartenhof” in Zurich and found the “Zürcherische Genossenschaft zur Errichtung von Jugendherbergen” or “Zurich Youth Hostel Establishment Co-operative”.

No less than 12 simple youth hostels are already in operation.

The organisation has 277 members. Overnight accommodation costs 50 Swiss centimes, and the membership card costs 1 Swiss franc.

Membership of the International Youth Hostel Federation.

The number of hostels, now under the name “Swiss Youth Hostels”, rises from 80 to 208, while the number of overnight stays rise from 7,000 to 168,000.

War year: only 91 foreigners stay overnight in youth hostels, while domestic guests generate 135,000 overnight stays – approx. one quarter of the domestic guests are soldiers.

Zurich Wollishofen Youth Hostel opens with 318 beds.

The foundation of the “Swiss Foundation for Social Tourism” marks the separation of the property and asset management side of Swiss Youth Hostels from the day-to-day running of the individual enterprises.

The 30th International Youth Hostel Federation Conference is held in Kloten in August, with 185 delegates and guests from 49 countries.

Overnight accommodation prices at the 99 youth hostels rise from the previous range of CHF 3.00 to CHF 9.00 to the new range of CHF 5.00 to CHF 11.00.

The boom year saw a total of 945,174 overnight guests recorded by the 84 youth hostels; an impressive figure which was not topped for many years.

The district associations of Zurich, North-eastern Switzerland, Berne, Eastern Switzerland and Neuchâtel/Vaud merge to form the association “Swiss Youth Hostels”. The districts of Geneva, Schaffhausen and Ticino remain independent for a further 7 years, and merge in 1999.

Opening of the Headquarters of Swiss Youth Hostels in Zurich.

Conversion and expansion of Grindelwald Youth Hostel, first conversion in accordance with the new Mission Statement 2005 – contemporary and sustainable.

Restructuring phase – from administrator to host, from woollen blankets to duvets, and from dormitories to predominantly 2-bed and 4-bed rooms.

Tourism has changed enormously over the years. The keywords here are market globalisation, altered competitive environment as well as the new requirements and heightened conscientiousness of the guests.
Swiss Youth Hostels sets new standards, in particular in terms of buildings and construction, and begins to implement the philosophy of sustainability.

A total of 836,298 overnight guests are recorded by the now 67 Swiss Youth Hostels. In the same year the in-house travel agency “Jugi Tours” is sold off.

The “Jugithlon” celebrating 75 years of “Swiss Youth Hostels” offers 75 anniversary events in and around 67 youth hostels.

Wins 1st place as Event Master; in the Public Event category, for the events surrounding the 75th anniversary.

Conversion of the Sanatorium, followed by the opening of the Youth Palace in Davos.

Conversion and extension of Zermatt Youth Hostel – renovation of the historic building and the construction of two additional buildings under the “Minergie” label.

Reopening of the converted Zurich Wollishofen Youth Hostel.

The 46th International Youth Hostel Federation Conference is held from 13 – 16 July in Davos with over 220 delegates from 80 different countries.

In November 2006 the converted Valbella Youth Hostel is reopened – certified with the Minergie Eco Label.

Opening of Scuol Youth Hostel – certified with the Minergie-Eco Label.

Milestone 2007 Swiss Tourism Prize in Berne for the sustainability strategy: award in the field of tourism, confirmation for the sustainable business strategy pursued for many years.

With their 59 youth hostels, Swiss Youth Hostels report 919,052 overnight stays. Total membership reaches 91,498 persons, around 4,200 more than in the previous year.

The organisation wins a further award in the elimination stage of the “Hans E. Moppert Prize” for the best projects in the field of Alpine tourism sustainability. The project “Minergie-Eco Scuol Youth Hostel” is awarded 3rd prize.

Zurich Youth Hostel wins the special “Historical Hotel of the Year” award by ICOMOS Switzerland. This is for the conscientious and successful conversion of the building dating from the sixties, and for outstanding corporate philosophy in the field of social tourism.
2008 was the best year in the Association’s 85 year history. The number of overnight guests rose 7.3% relative to the previous year to reach 986,471. Total sales amounted to CHF 40.5 million (excluding franchise enterprises), compared to CHF 36.3 million for 2007. This corresponds to an increase of 11.6%. The total number of members also rose 4% relative to 2007. 3,738 additional individuals (i.e. a total of 95,236) benefited from the attractive membership of the non-profit organisation.

The crisis year does not seriously affect Swiss Youth Hostels. However, slight decreases in turnover and the number of overnight stays are recorded. But the number of members increases. 103,000 people are annual members, thus surpassing the 100,000 mark for the first time. On the whole, the anniversary year is regarded as a success. 85 years of Swiss Youth Hostels and 100 years of Hostelling International are a reason to celebrate. More than 20 Youth Hostels have already been awarded the EU Environmental and Ibex Label.

The new Basel St. Alban Youth Hostel opens in March. A large number of guests from the local region and international associations celebrate the modern building designed by Buchner Brünlder, a Basel-based firm of architects. In April the Youth Hostel is presented with three prizes during the presentation of the “Award for Marketing + Architecture”. It is the overall winner and category winner for “Hotels, Restaurants, Sports and Wellness Facilities” and “Green Technology”. Scuol Youth Hostel also becomes the first Swiss Hostel to attain 5 ibexes, i.e. the highest award in the Ibex Label. The extension of St. Moritz Youth Hostel and the improvement in its energy performance are in full swing. A renovated building opens for guests on 1 December 2010. The Youth Hostel is partially open during the summer.