Colliding Continents

Friday, January 04, 2008

Hostles Hustle for Boozing All Day & All Night

Ever wake up in the middle of the night needing a stiff drink? Well the UK’s Youth Hostel Association is here to help. The YHA has just been able to secure a 24 hour liquor license allowing up to 118 of its hostels to sell alcohol all day and all night. The rationale behind the YHA’s push for such a liquor license is to attract less of the low-budget sort and more of the young professional types to rent out hostels as venues for their events.

Does this mean more memorable experiences or just drunken stupidity? Having lived in Thailand and seen a lot of the stupidity that goes on there, chances are that things will get a touch wilder. Although, given the expensive nature of the UK it is doubtful that things will get out of hand. Does this mean your average traveler not looking to be kept up in the middle of the night by drunk American college students under 21 but over 18, is out of luck? Not necessarily.

Given the nature of business there will always be another hostel that will remain true to form and will not necessarily cater to the 24 hour party types. Also, on the brighter side of things, given the eventuality of other hostels not taking part in the use of the liquor license, different types of travelers can avoid each other.

A definite trend in the world of tourism is that, creating accessibility to certain places or things be it a popular beach, 24 hour drinking or any other gimmick to attract mainstream tourism, the real adventurers have a better idea of where not to go and what hostel not to stay in. So to my party-oriented friends; the YHA has opened its arms to you, go ahead and embrace it! As for my fellow adventurers, fear not there are always alternatives to these types of places, but remember that even if you do get stuck with a rowdy bunch, it is all a part of the adventure.

Written at 10:50 PM by Sebastien.

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