IT is an often overlooked part of the tourism industry, forever associated with uncomfortable dormitories and budget backpacking.
But despite appearing to be the poor relation to boutique hotels and trendy 'glamping', youth hostels are enjoying a resurgence in Scotland and is looking forward to welcoming nearly 400,000 visitors next year.
SYHA Hostelling Scotland (SYHA) is embarking on a new campaign to attract more young people to become members as it gears up for another bumper year.
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The organisation boasts 60 centres around the country, from the bustling centre of Glasgow to the isolated Highland hostel on Loch Ossian, which no car can reach.
And things are changing in the hope of attracting more visitors than ever before.
SYHA Chief Executive Keith Legge said: "The SYHA is certainly alive and well. The perception is that we're still all wearing bobbly hats and knee-length socks and sleeping in dormitories, but nothing could be further from the truth.
"Things have been changing for a number of years, yet the perception remains that we're stuck in the past.
"There has been a massive investment and reorganisation during the past ten years and we are responding to what our guests are looking for."
Mr Legge said that while hostels would never rival the best hotels, they are delivering one vital component of the modern holiday experience which people demand.
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However, while the organisation has modernised, the core ethos of the movement has not changed and the experience remains one of shared experience, many those who use hostels remains young adventurous people looking to experience the great outdoors.
He said: "We know that 70 per cent of our guests want their own rooms, and that's what we're giving them.
"The shared spaces in the hostels, like the common room and the kitchen, remain. We are not changing our ethos of camaraderie and bringing people together in common spaces, but we are making things more comfortable."
More than 60 per cent of the guests are under the age of 25, and and the core group still contains school parties and groups such as foreign students, birdwatchers, hikers, university groups and archaeologists on field trips.
"At some of our more isolated hostels there's not space for rooms, even if we wanted to do it. But the type of people who use these are quite happy bunching up," said Mr Legge.
He added: "Most of our guests are not looking for fluffy towels and fitted luxuries. They are looking for smart modern facilities they can use as a base from which to explore."
SYHA recently teamed up with The Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) and 4th year Digital Design students from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) on a live project to design a promotional for the campaign to attract more young people .
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The brief for the project included researching the target market on their current perceptions and knowledge of SYHA, as well as reviewing the SYHA website before proposing design improvements to both enhance the user experience and appeal to young people.
A group of four students took on the role of a working design consultancy with SYHA and following a Q&A session and a visit to Glasgow Youth Hostel, the design team then had just two weeks to come up with some workable design solutions and put together a persuasive presentation.
“We were delighted to work with SYHA in GCU’s Kick Off Project this year", said Ann Davidson, Enterprise Programme Director at the Scottish Institute for Enterprise. "Key 21st century graduate skills include problem solving and an appreciation of civic and social responsibilities. One recognised way students can develop these skills is through them engaging in real and meaningful projects. This is experience that will help them should they pursue their own business idea with us or stand out to new employers after graduation"
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