Slight Decline in School Trips at NRW Youth Hostels - North Rhine-Westphalia's youth hostels face sharp decline in 2025 bookings
Youth hostels in North Rhine-Westphalia saw fewer visitors in 2025, with overnight stays dropping by 5.4%. The region recorded around 1.54 million stays, reflecting broader challenges across different guest groups. Schools, families, and hiking enthusiasts all experienced shifts in their travel patterns.
The decline was most noticeable among school groups, traditionally the largest segment. In the Rhineland, their overnight stays fell slightly to just under 374,800, making up 40.2% of all visits. Westphalia-Lippe also saw a 4% drop in school bookings, totaling roughly 605,000 stays—partly due to a hostel closing for renovations.
Group bookings for young travellers struggled even more. Westphalia-Lippe reported an 11% decrease in this segment, with hostels citing higher prices and a shortage of young volunteers as key reasons. Family trips, however, stayed steady in the same region, holding at around 119,000 overnight stays and keeping their 20% share of guest groups.
Not all trends were negative. Hiking groups in the Rhineland grew by 2.2%, reaching 226,000 overnight stays. This increase stood out against the general decline in other categories.
The overall pattern mirrors trends seen in other German states since the pandemic. While North Rhine-Westphalia's larger population and tourism infrastructure helped maintain higher visitor numbers, the 2025 figures still fell short of pre-pandemic levels in many areas.
The 2025 figures highlight ongoing challenges for youth hostels in North Rhine-Westphalia. School groups, once the backbone of bookings, continue to shrink, while rising costs and volunteer shortages affect younger travellers. Only hiking groups showed growth, suggesting shifting preferences among visitors.
