The Youth Hostel Association of New Zealand, often shortened to YHA New Zealand, is a youth hostelling association in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. It is a member association of Hostelling International

Hostelling International

Hostelling International, formerly known as International Youth Hostel Federation , is the federation of more than 90 national youth hostel associations in more than 80 countries who have over 4,500 affiliated hostels around the world....

.

YHA New Zealand was established in 1932 in Canterbury

Canterbury, New Zealand

The New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...

. The national office is based in Christchurch

Christchurch

Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...

, and the patron of the association is the Governor-General of New Zealand

Governor-General of New Zealand

The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....

.

It operates 52 backpacker hostels, 23 of them in the North Island

North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

 and 29 in the South Island

South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

. YHA New Zealand currently has 7 hostels with 5 Star Backpackers Accommodation Qualmark rating.

Tourism in New Zealand

Tourism in New Zealand

Tourism is an important industry in New Zealand, contributing NZ$15 billion of the country's gross domestic product in 2010. It is also New Zealand's largest export industry, with about 2.4 million international tourists visiting per year , providing 18% of the country's export earnings...

 is one of the country's largest industries. Tourism New Zealand say that 11% of visitors stay in backpacker's hostels. YHA New Zealand is one of the major providers of hostel accommodation within this market.

A national council was created in 1955. In 1965 there were 39 hostels and 7000 members.

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the organisation in 2007, the current Governor General, Anand Satyanand

Anand Satyanand

Sir Anand Satyanand, GNZM, QSO, KStJ was the 19th Governor-General of New Zealand. He previously worked as a lawyer, judge and ombudsman.-Early life and family:...

 described it as a "standout New Zealand organisation" and "such an iconic feature of holidaying in New Zealand".

The YHA hostel in Wellington

Wellington

Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

 won the Hostelworld "Hoscar" prize for Best Hostel in Oceania in 2007 and 2008. In 2009 the YHA hostel in Rotorua

Rotorua

Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...

 won the award.

Sustainability

YHA New Zealand has placed a focus on sustainability

Sustainability

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...

.

The organisation has taken initiatives aimed at reducing organic waste, recycling

Recycling

Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...

, reducing emissions, energy reduction and reduction of water consumption. Initiatives include composting waste on site, separate disposal facilities for recyclable waste and intelligent flush systems in toilets.

YHA Wellington was the first backpackers' hostel in New Zealand to achieve Qualmark's Enviro-Gold rating. YHA have gained Enviro-ratings for 10 of their hostels so far.

External links

• http://www.yha.co.nz/ - Official site