Youth hostels as a concept evolved from excursions organised by a German school teacher Richard Schirrmann and his pupils in 1909. The inauguration of the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF) was an outcome of the First International Youth Hostel Conference held at Amsterdam in 1932. Indian hosts the 42nd IYHF Conference from 23rd to 27th August, 1998 at New Delhi.
Youth hostels promote fellowship and community interaction and a better understanding, bringing together youth from different parts of the world. They stimulate youth to think about their role in preservation of the environment, plant and animal life.
Youth Hostelling International or Hostelling International logo with the blue triangle, hut and tree is registered as a trademark in many countries. Youth Hostels are run by the national Youth Hostel Association in each individual country under the auspices of the International Youth Hostel Federation which is an international non-government, non-profit making organisation recognized by UNESCO. IYHF offers computerised International Booking Network (IBN) to meet the needs of this mobile and aware clientele while maintaining the unique qualities and mission that have made Youth hostels such a global success.
The Youth Hostels Association of India (YHAI) was established on 14th July, 1949 when a group of educationists from Maharaja College, Mysore formed a committee to promote Youth Hostel Movement. YHAI, through its more than 305 unites and 22 state branches, offers inexpensive, neat, hygienic and secure accommodation at a nominal cost in youth hostels located throughout India. It organises a number of activities such as long and short distance cycle trails, expeditions and adventure sports, trekking in mountains, in deserts and along the beaches. The organization also conducts camps and workshops on national integration, control of environment and pollution and training courses in youth leadership for inculcating self-discipline and self-initiative in the youth. Special camps have been organized for tribal and border area youth. The First Day Cover design depict some of these activities. The stamp design is an imaginative depiction of a youth hostel, in idyllic surroundings.
The Department of Posts is happy to issue a commemorative postage stamp to mark the Golden Jubilee Year of YHAI and the 42nd IYHF Conference.
Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India