

HI-Q&S: A sustainable quality system for our hostels



HI Norway is committed to play an active role in Hostelling International’s comprehensive approach to sustainability. This multidimensional approach, consisting of social, ecological and economical aspects of sustainability, is visible for our guests through a great range of measures that has been implemented in our hostels.


«To promote the education of all young people of all nations, but especially young people of limited means, by encouraging them a greater knowledge, love and care of the countryside and an appreciation of the cultural values of towns and cities around the world, and as ancillary thereto provide hostels or other accommodation in which there shall be no distinction of race, nationality, color, religion, sex, class, or political opinions and thereby develop a better understanding of their fellow men, both home and abroad.»


This is our HI mission, which was defined in 1932, represents one of the earliest examples of sustainable tourism. The mission paves the ground for HI’s sustainability work, where we are aiming to become a worldwide network of sustainable organizations and hostels. Rethinking, adapting and changing are keywords for our work towards sustainable tourism, in which we are striving to develop practices that enables tourism without limiting the possibilities of future generations.



We recognize that clear and measurable objectives are crucial in order to achieve sustainability throughout our network. We have therefore embraced HI’s worldwide Quality Management system, named HI-Q&S (Hostelling International Quality & Sustainability), which is awarded to individual hostels that have achieved specified measures within the three fields of social, ecological and economical sustainability as they are defined in the HI sustainability charter.


Examples of the HI-Q&S criteria include a hostel’s ability to:

- maintain sustainable management, to maximize social and economic benefits to the local community and minimize negative impacts

- maximize benefits to cultural heritage and minimize its negative impacts

- maximize its benefits to the environment and minimize negative impacts

- conserve biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes.


The social aspect of the accreditation includes measures designed to spread awareness to hostellers about the sustainable practices. The HI-Q&S criteria is recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).