YHA’s long-standing commitment to supporting communities and reducing environmental impact is independently validated by achieving B Corp status and 100% of its national network now certified by Ecotourism Australia.
YHA Australia has become Australia’s first owned and operated accommodation network to achieve Certified B Corporation status, meeting rising traveller expectations for sustainable travel and accommodation options, while setting a new benchmark for how accommodation providers measure and deliver impact.
The B Corp certification also comes as YHA Australia confirms that all 18 properties across its national network are now independently certified through Ecotourism Australia. This places the organisation among a small group of tourism operators globally to combine both certifications, illustrating accountability with verified environmental standards at every location.
YHA Australia is seeing growing demand for more responsible travel, consistent with Tourism Australia’s Consumer Demand Project, which shows 70% of international travellers value sustainability when making their travel decisions.
B Corp certification is awarded by global non-profit B Lab to businesses that meet rigorous standards across governance, workers, community impact, environmental performance and customer responsibility. Companies are independently assessed, scores are publicly listed, and businesses must be reassessed to retain certification, in turn requiring businesses to track progress, improve performance and meet evolving standards over time.
The “B” in B Corp stands for “benefit for all,” aiming to shift the economic system from focusing solely on shareholder profit to prioritising people, communities, and the planet.
Since its founding in 1939, YHA Australia has been driven by a clear purpose – to create a positive impact through travel for people, communities and the environment that is accessible to all. This long-standing legacy has encouraged travellers to explore, connect with and care for the natural world for 87 years which has been enabled by its member-owned structure reinvesting profits back into the organisation.
YHA Australia, CEO Paul McGrath: “As the travel industry continues to evolve and examine its impact on the environment and communities it operates in, YHA Australia is helping lead the shift toward more responsible, purpose-driven travel. We’ve long believed travel should be accessible to all, but not at the expense of the planet and that continues to guide how we operate.’
“From the very beginning, we set out to get young people and families out into nature to build a connection with it, and in turn, a sense of responsibility to be mindful of protecting it. Achieving Certified B Corporation status allows us to properly measure and track the impact that has long been part of.”
For YHA Australia, the certification process required the organisation to formalise and measure aspects of its operations that had historically been embedded in its culture but not always documented.
Paul McGrath continued: “In some areas we were already ahead. In others we had to tighten standards, formalise commitments and measure outputs we hadn’t tracked before.’
“At YHA we are committed to being a leading employer, a trusted community partner, and a responsible place to stay, as well as an organisation that truly cares about the planet.’
“B Corp gives us a rigorous, independent framework to measure that commitment and hold ourselves accountable at every level of the organisation. We did not peruse just another certification but to keep asking ourselves how the organisation could be a force for good and what more could we doing to hold ourselves to account. We really are considering what impact we want to have, and the certification is all about accountability, because good intentions alone are not enough.”
The milestone sits alongside a series of governance and sustainability frameworks already embedded within the organisation workplace culture accreditation through Great Place to Work™ and quality standards through the global Hostelling International network.
In a move designed to protect its legacy, YHA has enshrined its commitment to B Corp principles into its constitution through a member vote, ensuring its purpose remains central to the organisation for generations to come.
YHA Australia’s commitment to becoming a social-impact organisation extends across a range of initiatives including, its Reconciliation Action Plan developed with First Nations communities, the Travel to Learn Foundation which supports young Australians who may not otherwise have access to educational travel experiences, and a Sustainable Properties Fund focused on improving environmental efficiencies at each property.
Elissa Keenan, CEO Ecotourism Australia: “For travellers, trusted certification gives confidence that their choices make a real difference, and when a well-recognised network like YHA adopts rigorous, independently assessed standards, it sends a clear message that sustainable tourism can be both meaningful and accessible, while supporting nature and local communities. Paul and the team’s diligence shows that meaningful action on sustainability doesn’t require vast resources, even across a national network, but a clear commitment and accountability.”
YHA has also released its fourth Integrated Report, providing a transparent, whole-of-organisation view of its environmental, social and governance performance. The report outlines progress across the national network, including over 24,000 participants in regenerative activity attendance.
For more information view 2025 Integrated Report.
