Hostelling International (HI) has received two nominations for the WYSE Travel Confederation's Global Youth Travel Awards. The innovative and inspirational nature of both schemes ensures that HI is an ideal candidate to be recognised.

HI's unique 'Big Blog Exchange' has been nominated for the Marketing Innovation award, which celebrates innovative and successful marketing campaigns. This was the largest Blog contest in history and over a thousand bloggers applied to exchange lives, traditions and blogs with another blogger. Sixteen finalists earned a place in the exchange and had the trip of a lifetime, travelling around the world to immerse themselves is a partner bloggers life and culture.

This venture engaged young people from all over the world, helping to communicate the HI Mission which is to enable travel and encourage global interaction.

The second nomination is for the Hostelling International Sustainability Fund which has been shortlisted for the Stay WYSE Green Initiative award. The HI Sustainability Fund will donate up to £60,000 to 3 individual projects that will reduce the carbon footpint of their hostel. Applications for the donations have been received from hostels globally and the shortlisted projects include a scheme to reduce the use of plastic bags in Bolivia, geothermal energy in New Zealand or the use of solar panels in Brazil. There have been over 16,300 votes so far, and the competition will close on the 30th September. The winning project is being selected by backpackers worldwide who are voting from their preferred project online at http://www.hihostels.com/hostel/2013/07/your-vote-matters-help-us-to-select-the-project-to-win-hi-2013-sustainability-fund/

Winners will be announced at the World Youth and Student Travel Conference being held in Australia this month.

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For further information please contact:
Rebecca O'Connor
Tel: 01707324170
Email: roconnor@hihostels.com