PORT ELLIOT - It's been a little over two months since Port Elliot's new YHA Beach House welcomed its first guests and the feedback so far is "fantastic". 

"I've just got the data from the first three months of the year and this is the highest rated hostel in Australia," said the CEO of YHA Australia SA, Richard Mussell. "Our approval rating from guests is 99 per cent."
Mr Mussell said the Beach House, had just experienced a "fantastic Easter" and was seeing "good weekend traffic", especially with families staying in the area.
"People think of backpackers' as, well, being for people carrying huge packs on their backs but the key thing is that we are accommodation for independent travellers.
"We've had just over 1000 overnights (bed occupancies) since opening," Mr Mussell said. He said the Beach House would need to sustain an occupancy rate of 50 per cent across the whole year and that things were "tracking that way". He said the YHA really appreciated all the assistance they had been given from both the Goolwa and Victor Harbor Visitors' Centres. 
To draw international guests to the area YHA SA is offering backpackers a package deal of a bus fare from Adelaide, two nights accommodation and a breakfast pack for $85.
Mr Mussell said that so far 50 per cent of the visitors at the hostel came from overseas, with 30 per cent from South Australia and the remaining 20 per cent from interstate.
The largest percentage of overseas visitors (20 per cent) were German, with British backpackers the next largest group.
"We're not-for-profit, so we're not just out for the dollar," said Mr Mussell. "So we don't have things like minimum night stays over Easter."
The YHA SA extensively renovated the old Arcadia Hotel on the Strand in Port Elliot, using local businesses where ever possible and the results are impressive.Mr Mussell said the local community had really got behind the Hostel, with many offering backpackers discounts in local shops.
"It takes a good year or two to build up a Hostel," said Mr Mussell, "and a lot of word-of-mouth."

ATEC Backpacker & Youth Industry Conference

Make sure you are not left behind! Registrations are still available for the ATEC Backpacker & Youth Industry Conference, to register click here. SABIA members receive a 10% discount.

We are moving forward and putting the past twelve months behind us and planning how to prosper as the global economy recovers. Industry representatives from all over Australia will gather to hear about topics including business diversification, global youth and backpacker insights and social media.  You will also have the opportunity to participate in interactive break-out sessions where we will discuss sector-specific issues, challenges and solutions that will help shape a sustainable future for our industry.  Click here for the full Conference Program.

Backpacker Conference Dinner
Tuesday 20th April, Henry Jones Art Hotel, 7.00pm
Register online

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The event will be opened by Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson and speakers include Australian Tourism Export Council Managing Director Matt Hingerty, Recreational Tourism Group CEO Nick Thomas, TNS Director, Travel & Leisure Carolyn Childs and Oodles.com founder Steve Sherlock.