Planning on backpacking after Coronavirus?  The pandemic has hit the hostel industry hard.  Around half the hostels in Medellin have closed permanently.  Government have denied loans and have stated the industry is no longer sustainable.  As backpackers we all need to do what we can to help.

Anyone who has travelled extensively would agree that hostels are a key resource in exploring the world. A 6 month trip paying $10 a night in a hostel may be feasible. Plans would have to change dramatically however if limited to expensive hotels or Airbnbs. As a backpacker community we need to protect the hostels that give us an opportunity to follow our dreams.

Unfortunately many hostels have already gone bankrupt including three more in our city just this week. Undoubtedly they wont be the last before this pandemic ends, an issue I discussed in length in my previous blog. Helping the community doesn’t necessarily mean spending more of your hard-earned money however. It can be just as effective to make small changes to our traveling habits.  This can help ensure our money goes to where it is needed to protect the tourist infrastructure.

Below are our 5 tips on what we can all do to help without impacting on our own budgets.

For years third party online travel agents such as Hostelworld or Booking have been charging hostels commission rates of up to 25% for reservations. These charges are generally hidden and designed to mislead the consumer. Their website may say their service charge is free but you need to pay a “deposit” to them of 25%.  The customer believes their service is free and that the deposit is paid to the hostel. This money however is their share of the reservation value. In using these 3^rd parties the money goes direct to these businesses and ultimately gets distributed to their shareholders.

In fact many hostels offer better rates if booking direct for this exact reason. Consequently we are happy to give a discount of 10% for direct bookings.  This is because the income from that reservation will still be more than if it came via a third party.

Changing our habits and booking direct immediately restores 25% of a hostel’s gross income back to the hostel itself.  Consequently this can be used to reinvest in facilities or also generally improve services through recruiting more staff.

With the backpacker travel boom of the last two decades it was only a matter of time before the big corporations would take advantage of the market. Chain hostels have become commonplace.  Some have invested millions of dollars in huge buildings that will provide a good return to their investors.

The essence of hostel life is community, and small owner run hostels are the soul of the industry. Hostels like ourselves and others are run by the owners who’s main motivation isn’t financial. We are in this industry as we want to meet fellow travellers and give them the best experience. Of course we want to turn a profit, but this is to put food on our tables as opposed to buying a new yacht.

The same can be said of non-chain but large production line type hostels. Huge towering buildings with hundreds of beds threaten the livelihood of small, family owned and run businesses who want to offer a personal experience. In these uncertain times, it is the guests who can define who survives and how backpacking will be for the next generation.

Hostels form part of an economic ecosystem.  This is shared with neighbouring restaurants, coffee shops and convenience stores. Undoubtedly one of the priorities in selecting a hostel is a good location in other words having close access to relevant goods and services. It is important to realise that whole neighbourhoods often survive on providing services to guests at the local hostel. In giving them our custom we can help protect them.  This ensures that these facilities stay open for future travellers, rather than leaving the hostels isolated in a ghost town of boarded up shop windows.

Volunteering in hostels is a thorny ethical issue. For years I have been a sceptical of taking paid work away from locals by using volunteers.  This however is an example of how the world will need to adapt in the wake of coronavirus. Unfortunately all hostels have had to let go staff. Volunteers could however provide a bridge to the recruitment of those staff again. In the current climate it just isn’t possible to reemploy those staff.  It is too risky due to uncertainty and sporadic tourism over the next few years. Volunteers however would be perfect to fill that void in the short term. This could help sustain hostels that in the medium and longer term will be able to move back to local paid salaried staff.

The Coronavirus has meant that we all need to rethink and change our habits. As a hostel, we have had to rethink all our practices to do our best to protect guests and staff alike. Following government guidelines there are some new procedures we need to follow.  We need each guests’ collaboration to do this effectively.

We know that after a long bus ride the last thing you want to do on check-in is fill in a coronavirus questionnaire and be briefed on social distancing. It may seem annoying to keep all your belongings in your locker rather than on your bed.  This however is essential to let the cleaners do their job properly and prevent the possibility of cross contamination. Washing our own dishes after cooking and throwing away our own trash may be a nuisance while on vacation, but are part of a collective responsibility to protect each other.

Coronavirus has changed how we view the world and nothing will be the same again. Together though we can help rebuild the backpacker community.  This will allow future generations to enjoy travel safely and sustainably.