Last Updated: February 19, 2026

Privacy Policy

This document outlines Hostelling International USA’s (HI USA) online privacy policy, which governs personal information gathered on the national Web site www.hiusa.org, its subdomains, booking engines and its aliases that link to this privacy policy.

Personal Information that HI USA May Collect Online

When an individual makes a purchase, a donation, or places a reservation with HI USA online, HI USA may collect personal information like name, age, postal and e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and billing information. HI USA may also collect other personal information when individuals otherwise interact with HI USA or its sites and services, including information like approximate location information or demographic information like gender, such as through:

  • Contact forms
  • Donation forms
  • Membership forms
  • Email and newsletter sign-ups
  • Applications for scholarships
  • Applications for employment
  • Submitting user-generated content
  • Registering for events, programs and activities
  • Survey and program participation; and
  • Social media interactions
  • Other correspondence you send to us, such as through emails, SMS, or other messaging platforms.

As discussed further in the Web Browser Tracking and Cookies section below, HI USA also uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect personal information from website visitors, such as for online advertising purposes.

How HI USA Uses Personal Information Collected Online

We use personal information for purposes including to reply to inquiries, manage and send communications, serve online advertisements (including those targeted to individuals based on their activity across other sites and services or “targeted advertising”), complete transactions, manage complaints provide operational notices, and for program record-keeping purposes.

Further, HI USA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, not-for-profit, member organization that also uses personal information to solicit and accept donations and individual contributions, such as through soliciting membership. HI USA provides its members with the opportunity to opt out of receiving various membership benefits, communications, and solicitations. At any time, you can add or remove your name from a HI USA mailing list by contacting us at [email protected].

How Your Information May Be Shared

In order to process an inquiry, transaction, program registration or complaint, HI USA may send information to Hostelling International (also known as International Youth Hostel Federation), national association network affiliates, hostels, or other relevant third-party service or program suppliers.

HI USA may also otherwise share personal information with authorized third-party vendors and service providers that provide services to us for a variety of business purposes, including analytics and advertising vendors that help us serve individuals targeted advertising, such as through cookies and similar technologies placed on our site. For more information on how HI USA uses these technologies, please see the Web Browser Tracking and Cookies section below. HI USA will not sell or rent your personal information to any other third party.

HI USA may also disclose personal information for legal purposes. We may disclose personal information to respond to subpoenas, court orders, legal process, law enforcement requests, legal claims or government inquiries, and to protect and defend the rights, interests, safety, and security of HI USA, our affiliates, users, or the public. For example, we may disclose personal information to appropriate governmental authorities under the following circumstances:

  • Where release is required by law (for example, a subpoena) or regulation, or is requested by a government agency conducting investigations or proceedings;
  • Where our records indicate a guest, member or participant may be engaged in fraudulent activity or other deceptive practices that a governmental agency should be made aware of.
  • Where your communication suggests possible harm to others.

HI USA may also share personal information with our corporate affiliates or in connection with a substantial corporate transaction, such as the sale of a website, a merger, consolidation, asset sale, initial public offering, or in the unlikely event of bankruptcy. HI USA may also share your personal information for any other purposes disclosed to you at the time we collect the information or pursuant to your consent.

Help Us Keep Your Personal Information Accurate

If your personal information changes or you would like to review the personal information we may have on file, please e-mail us with the new information or your review request at [email protected]. Let us also know the HI USA hostel, program or service that led to your submission of personal information so we may efficiently locate your data.

Web Browser Tracking and Cookies

We and our partners use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies on our sites and services for purposes including enhancing site functionality and for analytics and targeted advertising purposes. A cookie, for example, is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a Web server and stored on your computer’s hard drive. . These technologies may collect personal information like number of visits, date and time of visits, IP address, time on site, source of traffic, and approximate geolocation information as well as device-related information such as the device type, device language, and browser.

HI USA utilizes Google Analytics. You can learn about Google’s data collection practices at www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/ and opt out by downloading the Google Analytics opt out browser add-on, available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

You may be able to reject cookies and similar technologies through your browser settings. If you do so, you may still use our sites and services, but your ability to use certain features may be limited.

Data Security

We maintain reasonable security measures to safeguard the security and integrity of personal information and to protect personal information from loss, theft, misuse, or other unauthorized access. You should understand that no data storage system or transmission of data over the Internet or any other public network can be guaranteed to be 100 percent secure, accurate, complete, or current.

Data Transfer Policy and GDPR

By using the Services and providing us with information, you understand and agree that we may transfer and store your information on servers located outside your resident jurisdiction. To the extent you are a resident of a country other than the United States, you consent to the transfer of such data to the United States for processing by us in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

If you have a question or complaint about HI USA’s compliance with this privacy policy, you may contact us at [email protected].