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WYSE Travel Confederation announced the winners of the 2026 Global Youth Travel Awards (GYTAs) on 17 September 2026, during the final evening of WYSTC in Bilbao, Spain.
The annual Awards celebrate organisations and individuals whose work has made meaningful contribution to the youth travel industry, recognising outstanding achievements, impactful initiatives, and those helping to shape the future of youth travel.
The 2026 Global Youth Travel Awards winners are:
Malaysian youth travel operator Fuze Ecoteer created the Plastic Bags to Roads initiative, linking responsible travel, community employment and circular economy innovation. Students and volunteers assist in cleaning, shredding and preparing plastic bags for road construction, whilst members of the Lembah Subang B40 community facilitate workshops, operate recycling equipment and explain the process to visiting groups.
The Green Lion Philippines Eco Bricks Project is a flagship initiative of the Aborlan (Palawan) Environmental Conservation Programme, established to address one of the Philippines’ most pressing environmental challenges: plastic waste. By transforming non-recyclable plastic waste into durable eco bricks, the project creates practical community infrastructure while promoting responsible waste management, environmental education and community participation.
The initiative directly contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It advances SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by creating sustainable community infrastructure using recycled materials. It supports SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by giving non-recyclable plastic a second life through circular economy practices.
By preventing plastic waste from being openly burned or improperly discarded, the project also contributes to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water) by reducing pollution and helping protect local ecosystems and coastal environments.
Hanover Discovery makes a youth-travel provider’s programs discoverable and citable by AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity – then captures, qualifies, and routes the resulting student interest automatically so providers can reach the students who are now embracing the new-age of search through AI.
This is AI Engine Optimisation (AEO) applied to youth travel for the first time: the successor to SEO for a world where the search box is a conversation. Unlike chatbot-only AI plays, Discovery closes the loop, connecting the AI discovery moment to capture, qualification, and routing in one continuous, measurable flow.
MEININGER Hotels launched the Lonely Hearts Hotline, a Valentine’s Day campaign built to reject clichéd discount messaging in favour of a cheeky, retro-styled three-chapter short film starring Berlin-based drag queen Rachel Intervention as a self-lovepromoting “cupid.” The campaign celebrated all forms of love, including the love of travel, and ran across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, a dedicated landing page, newsletter, PR, and paid media from late January through February.
The campaign delivered against both core objectives: visibility for the Valentine’s promo code and broader brand awareness during the low season. Results included over 2 million TikTok views, a 182% increase in video views, an 89% increase in Instagram reach and 1 million paid YouTube views.
Teacher Lounge is an international education organisation dedicated to preparing, supporting, and developing globally-mobile educators. The Pathways Teacher Training Program, originally developed for Filipino teachers entering US classrooms, has evolved into a global learning platform serving educators from around the world. Delivered synchronously and asynchronously (through the recent implementation of a robust Learning Management System), the programme combines self-paced online learning, live instructor-led workshops, collaborative discussion, assessments, and resource libraries to provide a consistent, high quality learning experience regardless of where participants are located.
By redefining international teacher exchange as an educational journey rather than a placement process, Teacher Lounge is creating a new model for global work experience.
For nearly 80 years, CIEE has advanced peace by building bridges of mutual understanding through high-quality international exchange and study abroad programmes. CIEE offers 590+ college study abroad programmes in 49 cities worldwide with 9,500+ internship opportunities, allowing students to complement their experience with professional development. CIEE has 45+ high school study abroad programmes in more than 40 cities.
Across all programmes, CIEE delivers high-quality academics, gold-standard health and safety support, and robust cultural immersion through locally embedded CIEE Centers, optional home stays, and meaningful experiential learning and cultural activities.
The Greenheart Global Leaders Conference brings together young emerging leaders from over 20 countries to experience workshops on issues such as social justice, environmental sustainability and intercultural communication. For one week in Washington, D.C., young people participated in workshops on social justice, environmental sustainability and intercultural communication, confronting complex challenges, exchanging perspectives, and building friendships across cultures, languages, and lived experiences.
The impact was immediate and profound. After the conference, 87% felt very comfortable promoting cultural exchange, and 84% felt very empowered to engage with their communities.
However, the true impact of the programme lies in the stories behind those numbers; participants arrived as strangers and left as global citizens. A participant from Papua New Guinea realised they were no longer isolated, but part of a worldwide network of friends and changemakers, whilst a participant from Ukraine described feeling genuinely seen, supported, and connected by a global community during a time of immense challenge.
Drifter Christchurch combines the affordability and social energy of a traditional backpacker hostel with the design and facilities of a lifestyle hotel. During the past 12 months, Drifter Christchurch has seen double digit growth driven by international visitors and an uptick of female guests and its ‘likelihood to recommend’ response rate and NPS score are exceptionally high.
However, what truly distinguishes Drifter is its ability to build community. In the past year, over 40% of guests stated they met someone new. This is not a passive outcome; it is something Drifter deliberately designs, programs and measures because human connection sits at the heart of everything it does.
CAS Trips operates educational travel across 47 destinations worldwide, and treats sustainability as a responsibility integral to decisions made by its team, who are committed to bringing long-term benefits to the communities and environments in which they operate.
CAS Trips is the first tour operator in the Czech Republic to achieve the Travelife Certified status, validating its compliance with 200 independently audited criteria. Rather than offering rigid, top-down tours, it designs a wide range of youth-specific programming, including Global Student Exchanges across four destinations (Prague, Peru, Berlin, and Lisbon), Curriculum-Specific Trips, and Community-Led Service trips – all allowing young people to safely step out of their comfort zones while ensuring their presence directly benefits the host community.
Mother Nature Sado Island by World Unite! is a community-based environmental conservation and cultural heritage programme that connects young travellers with local residents, farmers, conservationists, and Chokokuji Temple on Sado Island, Japan.
The initiative addresses declining biodiversity resulting from industrial farming and the gradual loss of cultural heritage caused by an ageing population. Participants contribute to environmental conservation by supporting biodiversity-friendly agriculture, whilst staying at Chokokuji Buddhist Temple and helping to maintain the temple buildings and prepare for traditional festivals and community events.
Since a chance meeting at WYSTC Barcelona in 2011, Impact Explorers and Stay Africa have helped strengthen responsible volunteering in South Africa by offering ethically managed, quality-assured programmes in a sector often challenged by inconsistent standards.
The partnership is built on a locally led model, with South African coordinators identifying community priorities, managing projects and delivering participant experiences. This approach keeps decision-making, employment and value within local communities while ensuring programmes remain relevant, sustainable and responsive to local needs. The partnership has welcomed more than 1,500 participants since 2011 across four programme categories.
-END-
Media enquiries
WYSE Travel Confederation
+31 (0)20 421 2800
communications@wysetc.org
About the Global Youth Travel Awards
The Global Youth Travel Awards (GYTAs) formally recognise outstanding performers in fourteen fields of international youth travel and reward WYSE Travel Confederation members and other stakeholders in the youth, student and educational travel industry who make an outstanding contribution to our industry. The GYTAs began at the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) 2011 in Barcelona with a focus on bringing to light the great experiences being provided by members of the community. The Awards ceremony has subsequently been held annually at WYSTC, bar the 2020 and 2021 editions which took place virtually.
About WYSE Travel Confederation
The World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation is a global not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to promoting and developing opportunities for the youth, student and educational travel industry. Founded in 2006 and created from the merger of the Federation of International Youth Travel organisations (FIYTO) and the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) – both formed after World War II to inspire young people through international travel and to help remove cultural barriers – the confederation brings together 60 years of youth travel expertise. From adventure tour operators to au pair agencies, cultural exchange programmes to language schools, hop-on-hop-off buses to student insurance and youth hostels to volunteer programmes, WYSE Travel Confederation is the world’s most powerful network of youth and student travel professionals, connecting key industry players with decision makers and government officials.
The Confederation is committed to understanding the ever-changing characteristics, motivations and needs of young travellers. By gathering, analysing and sharing important market intelligence with members, academics and government decision-makers, the unique fast-changing needs of the youth market is at the forefront of its activities as it seeks to accelerate the development of youth travel.
The post 2026 Global Youth Travel Awards highlight excellence across the industry appeared first on WYSE Travel Confederation.
WYSE Travel Confederation announced the winners of the 2026 Global Youth Travel Awards (GYTAs) on 17 September 2026, during the final evening of WYSTC in Bilbao, Spain.
The annual Awards celebrate organisations and individuals whose work has made meaningful contribution to the youth travel industry, recognising outstanding achievements, impactful initiatives, and those helping to shape the future of youth travel.
The 2026 Global Youth Travel Awards winners are:
Best Responsible Tourism Initiative
Malaysian youth travel operator Fuze Ecoteer created the Plastic Bags to Roads initiative, linking responsible travel, community employment and circular economy innovation. Students and volunteers assist in cleaning, shredding and preparing plastic bags for road construction, whilst members of the Lembah Subang B40 community facilitate workshops, operate recycling equipment and explain the process to visiting groups.
Outstanding Contribution to the SDGs
The Green Lion Philippines Eco Bricks Project is a flagship initiative of the Aborlan (Palawan) Environmental Conservation Programme, established to address one of the Philippines’ most pressing environmental challenges: plastic waste. By transforming non-recyclable plastic waste into durable eco bricks, the project creates practical community infrastructure while promoting responsible waste management, environmental education and community participation.
The initiative directly contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It advances SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by creating sustainable community infrastructure using recycled materials. It supports SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by giving non-recyclable plastic a second life through circular economy practices.
By preventing plastic waste from being openly burned or improperly discarded, the project also contributes to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water) by reducing pollution and helping protect local ecosystems and coastal environments.
Best Use of AI
Hanover Discovery makes a youth-travel provider’s programs discoverable and citable by AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity – then captures, qualifies, and routes the resulting student interest automatically so providers can reach the students who are now embracing the new-age of search through AI.
This is AI Engine Optimisation (AEO) applied to youth travel for the first time: the successor to SEO for a world where the search box is a conversation. Unlike chatbot-only AI plays, Discovery closes the loop, connecting the AI discovery moment to capture, qualification, and routing in one continuous, measurable flow.
Best Marketing Campaign
MEININGER Hotels launched the Lonely Hearts Hotline, a Valentine’s Day campaign built to reject clichéd discount messaging in favour of a cheeky, retro-styled three-chapter short film starring Berlin-based drag queen Rachel Intervention as a self-lovepromoting “cupid.” The campaign celebrated all forms of love, including the love of travel, and ran across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, a dedicated landing page, newsletter, PR, and paid media from late January through February.
The campaign delivered against both core objectives: visibility for the Valentine’s promo code and broader brand awareness during the low season. Results included over 2 million TikTok views, a 182% increase in video views, an 89% increase in Instagram reach and 1 million paid YouTube views.
Best Work Experience Provider
Teacher Lounge is an international education organisation dedicated to preparing, supporting, and developing globally-mobile educators. The Pathways Teacher Training Program, originally developed for Filipino teachers entering US classrooms, has evolved into a global learning platform serving educators from around the world. Delivered synchronously and asynchronously (through the recent implementation of a robust Learning Management System), the programme combines self-paced online learning, live instructor-led workshops, collaborative discussion, assessments, and resource libraries to provide a consistent, high quality learning experience regardless of where participants are located.
By redefining international teacher exchange as an educational journey rather than a placement process, Teacher Lounge is creating a new model for global work experience.
Best Education Abroad Provider
For nearly 80 years, CIEE has advanced peace by building bridges of mutual understanding through high-quality international exchange and study abroad programmes. CIEE offers 590+ college study abroad programmes in 49 cities worldwide with 9,500+ internship opportunities, allowing students to complement their experience with professional development. CIEE has 45+ high school study abroad programmes in more than 40 cities.
Across all programmes, CIEE delivers high-quality academics, gold-standard health and safety support, and robust cultural immersion through locally embedded CIEE Centers, optional home stays, and meaningful experiential learning and cultural activities.
Extraordinary Experience
The Greenheart Global Leaders Conference brings together young emerging leaders from over 20 countries to experience workshops on issues such as social justice, environmental sustainability and intercultural communication. For one week in Washington, D.C., young people participated in workshops on social justice, environmental sustainability and intercultural communication, confronting complex challenges, exchanging perspectives, and building friendships across cultures, languages, and lived experiences.
The impact was immediate and profound. After the conference, 87% felt very comfortable promoting cultural exchange, and 84% felt very empowered to engage with their communities.
However, the true impact of the programme lies in the stories behind those numbers; participants arrived as strangers and left as global citizens. A participant from Papua New Guinea realised they were no longer isolated, but part of a worldwide network of friends and changemakers, whilst a participant from Ukraine described feeling genuinely seen, supported, and connected by a global community during a time of immense challenge.
Best Hostel
Drifter Christchurch combines the affordability and social energy of a traditional backpacker hostel with the design and facilities of a lifestyle hotel. During the past 12 months, Drifter Christchurch has seen double digit growth driven by international visitors and an uptick of female guests and its ‘likelihood to recommend’ response rate and NPS score are exceptionally high.
However, what truly distinguishes Drifter is its ability to build community. In the past year, over 40% of guests stated they met someone new. This is not a passive outcome; it is something Drifter deliberately designs, programs and measures because human connection sits at the heart of everything it does.
Best Sustainable Tour Operator
CAS Trips operates educational travel across 47 destinations worldwide, and treats sustainability as a responsibility integral to decisions made by its team, who are committed to bringing long-term benefits to the communities and environments in which they operate.
CAS Trips is the first tour operator in the Czech Republic to achieve the Travelife Certified status, validating its compliance with 200 independently audited criteria. Rather than offering rigid, top-down tours, it designs a wide range of youth-specific programming, including Global Student Exchanges across four destinations (Prague, Peru, Berlin, and Lisbon), Curriculum-Specific Trips, and Community-Led Service trips – all allowing young people to safely step out of their comfort zones while ensuring their presence directly benefits the host community.
Best Local Community Engagement
Mother Nature Sado Island by World Unite! is a community-based environmental conservation and cultural heritage programme that connects young travellers with local residents, farmers, conservationists, and Chokokuji Temple on Sado Island, Japan.
The initiative addresses declining biodiversity resulting from industrial farming and the gradual loss of cultural heritage caused by an ageing population. Participants contribute to environmental conservation by supporting biodiversity-friendly agriculture, whilst staying at Chokokuji Buddhist Temple and helping to maintain the temple buildings and prepare for traditional festivals and community events.
WYSTC Partnership Award
Since a chance meeting at WYSTC Barcelona in 2011, Impact Explorers and Stay Africa have helped strengthen responsible volunteering in South Africa by offering ethically managed, quality-assured programmes in a sector often challenged by inconsistent standards.
The partnership is built on a locally led model, with South African coordinators identifying community priorities, managing projects and delivering participant experiences. This approach keeps decision-making, employment and value within local communities while ensuring programmes remain relevant, sustainable and responsive to local needs. The partnership has welcomed more than 1,500 participants since 2011 across four programme categories.
-END-
Media enquiries
WYSE Travel Confederation
+31 (0)20 421 2800
communications@wysetc.org
About the Global Youth Travel Awards
The Global Youth Travel Awards (GYTAs) formally recognise outstanding performers in fourteen fields of international youth travel and reward WYSE Travel Confederation members and other stakeholders in the youth, student and educational travel industry who make an outstanding contribution to our industry. The GYTAs began at the World Youth and Student Travel Conference (WYSTC) 2011 in Barcelona with a focus on bringing to light the great experiences being provided by members of the community. The Awards ceremony has subsequently been held annually at WYSTC, bar the 2020 and 2021 editions which took place virtually.
About WYSE Travel Confederation
The World Youth Student and Educational (WYSE) Travel Confederation is a global not-for-profit membership organisation dedicated to promoting and developing opportunities for the youth, student and educational travel industry. Founded in 2006 and created from the merger of the Federation of International Youth Travel organisations (FIYTO) and the International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC) – both formed after World War II to inspire young people through international travel and to help remove cultural barriers – the confederation brings together 60 years of youth travel expertise. From adventure tour operators to au pair agencies, cultural exchange programmes to language schools, hop-on-hop-off buses to student insurance and youth hostels to volunteer programmes, WYSE Travel Confederation is the world’s most powerful network of youth and student travel professionals, connecting key industry players with decision makers and government officials.
The Confederation is committed to understanding the ever-changing characteristics, motivations and needs of young travellers. By gathering, analysing and sharing important market intelligence with members, academics and government decision-makers, the unique fast-changing needs of the youth market is at the forefront of its activities as it seeks to accelerate the development of youth travel.
The post 2026 Global Youth Travel Awards highlight excellence across the industry appeared first on WYSE Travel Confederation.