Hostels have become increasingly popular over the past 5-10 years as more people have become interested in travel but often have to make it happen on a budget.
And this is good news for you as an affiliate because by promoting hostels to those who are interested in booking, you can stand to earn handsome commissions in return.
So to help you do exactly that, we’ve sought the 7 best hostel affiliate programs & listed them below.
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Best Hostel Affiliate Programs
The affiliate programs on this page are listed in the following order:
- Hostelworld
- Agoda
- Hostelling Scotland
- YHA
- Expedia Group
- Plum Guide
- Hostel Traveler
1. Hostelworld
One of the most credible Online Travel Agents, Hostelworld was established in 1999 as an online booking website for travellers. The company has come a long way since then and has become the go-to platform for over 13.7 million travellers worldwide.
Hostelworld primarily serves customers with affordable hostel accommodations in more than 180 countries. They also have Roamies – a popular group adventure tour product.
Hostelworld is also focusing on making the hosteling industry more sustainable and is actively involved UN-ledUN-lead Global Tourism Plastic Initiative (GTPI) program. The company is also a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Organization (GSTC).
Highlights of the Hostelworld Affiliate Program
- Pay Per Sale (PPS) commission structure (Variable %)
- 30 days referral window (cookie duration)
- Credible brand with millions of loyal customers
- Dashboard for detailed performance tracking, timely insights, real-time trends, and transparent reporting
- Dedicated affiliate support team
- Monthly payouts credited to your bank account – choose from 60 currencies | just £20/US$30/€30 minimum threshold
- Integrated with Partnerize
- Creatives available in multiple languages and different designs and sizes to fit your website or App
- Deep linking, regular product feed and updates, and access to API for real-time information about any property
URL: Hosteworld Affiliate Program
Commission: Variable Pay Per Sale (PPS) Commission
Cookie Duration: 30 Days
Payment Term: Monthly Payouts Managed by Partnerize | £20/US$30/€30 Minimum Threshold
2. Agoda
Agoda is on a mission to make travelling affordable and enjoyable for everyone through hassle-free planning and trip services. It was established in 2005 as a travel agency in Thailand. Agoda now has its headquarters in Singapore, and its website and mobile Aperally make bookings, location searches, and accommodation confirmation stress-free and fast.
Today, thanks to millions of loyal customers, and a team of more than 4,000 professionals in 25 destinations, Agoda is a global name. They have partnered with private property owners, airlines, and hotels. With over 2.9 million hostel and hotel facilities registered with Agoda, you can select what suits your budget. These facilities include 5-star and luxury accommodations as well.
Agoda Affiliate Program Commission Tiers
| Commission % Per Sale | Number of Monthly Referred Bookings |
| 4% | Up to 49 Bookings |
| 4.5% | From 50 to 99 Bookings |
| 5% | From 100 to 199 Bookings |
| 6% | From 200 to 999 Bookings |
| 7% | Over 999 Bookings |
Highlights of the Agoda Affiliate Program
- 4% to 7% sales commission on each referred booking
- Performance-based commission tiers (based on the number of bookings per month)
- Easy-to-integrate promotional tools
- Promotional content in 38 languages – Integrate with your website or app
- Dedicated affiliate support team
- Real-time performance tracking, detailed reporting, and transparent insights
- Access to banners, text linksfilesta file, and search box
Please note that Agoda is currently updating its affiliate programme, and new affiliates might not get approval straightaway. You might have to wait until their service is fully upgraded.
Cookie Duration: Not Mentioned
Payment Term: Monthly Payouts
3. Hostelling Scotland
Hostelling Scotland is a charity (non-profit) initiative collaborating with more than 60 hostels. It has been welcoming visitors since 1931. Hostelling Scotland offers affordable accommodation to visitors in prime Scottish destinations.
The charity supports youth in the communities through different programmes for families of young people.
Highlights of the Hostelling Scotland Affiliate Program
- Access to the central reservation team of Hostelling Scotland to help with the convenient booking process
- Newsletter with important updates
- Chance to feature on the official Hostelling Scotland website and social media pages
URL: Hostelling Scotland Affiliate Program
Commission: Not Disclosed
Cookie Duration: Not Disclosed
Payment Term: Not Disclosed
4. YHA
YHA is a UK-based company that facilitates hostelling in more than 150 locations across Wales and England. They follow the popular concept of shared space which benefits both travellers as well as hosts. YHA started as a movement 90 years ago and is not a leading social enterprise in the UK.
As a charity, YHA envisions young individuals with enriched lives, and they aim to achieve their vision by offering satisfying hostelling stays which encourage the young community to enjoy life, seek adventurous activities, and stay healthy.
Features
- Over 150 affordable hostels and 25 camping sites for young travellers across Wales and England
- Variety of accommodations, including tipis, cabins, bell tents, hostels, and camping pods
- High average order value and conversion rates
Highlights of the YHA Affiliate Program
- 1% to 4% commission on each accommodation booking
- 30 days referral window (cookie life)
- Banners, marketing creatives, and promotional tools
- Images and pre-written copies available on request
- Integrated with Affiliate Future
- Credible performance tracking, transparent reporting, and timely insights
URL: YHA Affiliate Program | Signup Link: YHA Affiliate Program on Affiliate Future
Commission: 1% to 4% (On Accommodation Bookings)
Cookie Duration: 30 Days
Payment Term: Monthly Payouts Managed via Affiliate Future
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5. Expedia Group
Expedia Group runs multiple hosteling, hoteling, and online-booking websites including Expeida, Hotels.com, Stayz, Vrbo, FeWo-direkt, and Abritel. However, Expedia is their flagship platform famous for online booking of hotels, adventure activities, and flights.
Talking specifically of hostelling, Vrbo.com specialises in offering affordable hostelling with an impressive inventory of more than 2 million listings.
Expedia Group runs an integrated affiliate program for all of its platforms. However, commission percentages and cookie duration vary with countries and brands.
Highlights of the Expedia Group Affiliate Program
- 2% to 8% commission on each booking (depending on booking type, country, and brand you are promoting)
- 7 days to 30 days referral window depending on brand and country (cookie duration)
- Over 3 million properties to promote
- More than 500 airlines, 220,000 activities, and scores of cruise lines to promote through this single affiliate program
- Early access to new product details
- Easy-to-embed links, marketing creatives, search widgets, and promotional assets
- Integrated with Partnerize
- Real-time performance tracking, timely insights, and transparent reporting
URL: Expedia Group Affiliate Program
Commission: 2% to 8%
Cookie Duration: 7 Days to 30 Days
Payment Term: Monthly Payouts
6. Plum Guide
They call themselves the “benchmark for quality” in the hostel booking industry. Plum Guide hosts more than 15 million vacation rentals you can choose from depending on your preferences and budget. They also shortlist the best homes every year to award them the Plum Guidetorder to encourage quality hostelling.
Each Plum Guide listing has to pass the Plum Test for quality assurance before approval. The test has a checklist of 150 factors covering everything from WiFi speed to shower pressure. This is why just 3% of the applicants manage to get their accommodation listed on the Plum Guide.
Highlights of the Plum Guide Affiliate Program
- 7% commission on each referred booking
- 90 days referral window (cookie attribution period)
- Dedicated affiliate support team
- Integrated with Partnerize
- Real-time performance tracking, timely insights, and transparent reporting
- Access to engaging creatives and marketing assets
- Monthly payouts
URL: Plum Guide Affiliate Program
Commission: 7%
Cookie Duration: 90 Days
Payment Term: Monthly Payouts
7. Hostel Traveler
Hostel Traveler partners with various hospitality companies around the world. However, its primary activity is to list affordable hostels and rental properties so that travellers can easily book the most suitable accommodation in the location of their choice.
You can easily register your property on Hostel Traveler to enjoy a better Return On Investment. You only pay 8% for the reservation service, whereas most online booking services take a cut of around 15% to 20%.
On the other hand, as a traveller, you can book the hostel or hotel of your choice in minutes. In addition, Hostel Traveler serves its clients with Channel Management and Property Management Software.
Highlights of the Hostel Traveler Affiliate Program
- 25% sales commission
- 30 days referral window (cookie life)
- Quick, easy, and seamless linking
- Timely tracking reports
- Text links, creatives, and engaging banners
URL: Hostel Traveler Affiliate Program
Commission: 25%
Cookie Duration: 30 Days
Payment Term: Monthly Payouts
Earning Big As An Affiliate In The Hostels Niche
As mentioned at the beginning of this page, hostels have become an increasingly popular way to stay whilst travelling over the past 5-10 years.
This is because of the growth in popularity of travel in general & the enhanced cleanliness & safety of modern hostels.
So as an affiliate, there is a great opportunity for you to earn big in the hostels niche by promoting the affiliate programs that we’ve listed above.
And as you have likely seen, some of the programs have epic commission rates & cookie durations.
But finding the best affiliate program isn’t the only step to making money. You also need to know how to generate consistent, targeted traffic.
And that’s where our free training comes into play.
In our free affiliate marketing training, you’ll learn not only how to find the best affiliate programs but also how you can generate unlimited amounts of traffic to send through to any offer.
So if you haven’t yet done so, we recommend signing up for our free training course before you leave.
But overall, we hope that our list of hostel affiliate programs on this page has helped you out & we hope that you managed to find a program to suit your requirements.
Of course, if you have any additional questions or comments, don’t hesitate to leave them below.
