Testimonials

“You did a fantastic job organizing this event! I was able to join some wonderful speeches (very much enjoyed the one on Trends in Travel), meet existing partners and new potential partners, both to be featured by our authors in the books, as well as for our marketplace. Overall, very much of a successful show for us.”

Franziska Wirth
Rough Guides / Insight Guides

“Attending WYSTC has truly reminded me how inspiring the community we work in is. Over three days, I’ve had the privilege of engaging in meaningful conversations, discovering fresh ideas, and building invaluable connections. A huge thank you to all our clients I had the pleasure of meeting in person, and to all the new connections I made along the way – I’ve left feeling energised and grateful to be part of this community.”

Becky Edwards
Hanover CRM

“I enjoyed the conference and will be going home having set up new partnerships with 7 different companies which is very exciting.”

Brendan Charlton
Epic Exchange

“What an energizing week at WYSTC. From insightful sessions to productive one-to-one meetings, I left Lisbon with new partnerships, fresh ideas, and a renewed sense of purpose in this community. Grateful to the organizers and to everyone I had the chance to connect with and looking forward to building on the momentum.”

Monica Ferchi
Talent Connect

“After 20+ years in the travel industry, I’ve never been to a more well-organized, put-together, productive and positive conference in my career. I am moved by the effort that went into this massive production.”

Lauren A.Koenig
CELITECH

“It was an amazing opportunity to connect with global partners, exchange ideas, and explore new possibilities for the future of youth mobility. Excited for what’s next as we continue building opportunities for young travelers!”

International Rural Exchange Canada

“It’s crucial to keep up with emerging industry trends – especially nowadays – and WYSTC provides a platform to learn from experts and discuss best practices.”

Casey Slamin
Senior Vice President of Programs
InterExchange

“Better than many others. Well organised, attended and great return on investment.”

Kerry Sullivan
tourhub

“Thanks for a great week! It was a fantastic conference.”

Ashley McGough
Intrepid Travel

“I believe the conference is very important for us as an agency to better understand what is going on in the rest of the world, the trends and what young people are doing. Also we find it very useful to strengthen the links with our existing program providers, find new ones and learn about what other colleagues are doing. The world is in constant change and is challenging us to adapt to new circumstances and provide meaningful and unforgettable experiences to our clients.”

Veronica Ferreyra
InterLatina Cultural Exchange

“This is where the youth travel industry meets.”

Enrique León
Managing Director
Aston Herencia

“WYSTC never fails to impress: the quality of the buyers, opportunities for networking and great atmosphere make for three very worthwhile days.”

Amit Sondhi
Founder & Managing Director
AASHA

“I had a great time at the conference – I can’t wait to see what partnerships come out of it.”

Claire Sturzaker
Influencer

“WYSTC consistently delivers for us: sales, connections and market knowledge.”

Russ Hedge
President & CEO
HI USA

“What a pleasure to be back in Lisbon for a face-to-face conference after 1,5 years of Zoom! WYSTC is always a great place to make new contacts and find exciting programmes and products you cannot find elsewhere.”

Guillaume Avond
Managing Director
Gama Study

“Best networking event of the year for youth and student travel! The combination of educational sessions, keynotes + business meetings makes it rewarding and highly inspirational.”

Pernille Vaupel
Concept Manager
KILROY International A/S

“In our industry, WYSTC provides the only opportunity for us to meet dozens of existing partners and key relationships in one space. You can get a months worth of partner visits done in three days, whilst surrounding yourself in an environment with people from all over the world who share the same vision around the power of Cultural Exchange.”

Robert Burchell
Business Development Director
Smaller Earth

“This event provides the exact caliber of decision makers needed to grow your business. There are no other events in our conference schedule that is more important to attend, sponsor and participate in.”

John Ricci
Managing Director
J1 SIMcards

“I wanted to thank you for a great congress. I am already in touch with a lot of partners and setting up a lot of exciting new projects. Looking forward to next year!”

Yuri Jacobs
Yes-trips

“Thank you to WYSE Travel Confederation for putting together a first-class conference this year in Lisbon. The in-person part of the conference went flawlessly, and it was an easy transition from in-person to online for those who couldn’t make it. It couldn’t have been easy setting up a hybrid event.

 This year’s conference attracted people from countries that normally don’t attend annually. It was great to see them and in fact, we saw new business come from some of those places. We’re looking forward to WETM-IAC in Malta and to continue on the successes that came from such a great conference in Lisbon.“

Randy LeGrant
President
Academic Language Solutions

“Professional and effective.”

Stephanie Shi
Deputy Director of Investment Dept.
Jin Jiang Education Training Tour

“We found the WYSTC event tremendously well organised, and an invaluable opportunity to meet fellow industry professionals and gain new business links. We would recommend this event to any player in the corporate travel industry.”

Joseph Parton
Partner Relationship Manager
Oxford Royale Academy

“Thank you for hosting me. It was personally my first WYSTC and it was very valuable for me. I hope I will be able to join you next year in Lisbon.”

Julie Graham
Programs Director
Kaya Responsible Travel

“Loved the whole thing and look forward to next year! Well done to everyone involved in organising, fantastic event!”

Sonia Oke
Manager, Communications
Conservation Volunteers

“Love you guys. Is that unprofessional? Whatever. I do anyway ;-)”

Stephanie Taylor-Carrillo
PR and Communications Director
SANDEMANs NEW Europe

“Targeted to youth travel and very easy to navigate.”

Jonathan Gilben
GoEco

“Excellent conference and experience.”

Terri Hamilton
Travel Coordinator
BYU London Centre

“WYSTC have provided the perfect stage for buyers and sellers in the Youth Travel industry to network professionally and at the same time shine a spotlight onto an emerging travel destination. The event is run very smoothly with friendly volunteers on hand to help you work out where you are meant to be next. Its a jam packed week and it goes by so fast.”

Dave O’Malley
Business Development Manager – EMEA
World Nomads

“For a start-up, WYSTC is a real opportunity to establish yourself and meet worldwide potential partners. For mature businesses it’s great to catch up with everyone all in one place, and see what’s new in the market.”

David Stitt
Managing Director
Gap 360

“Had an amazing time at WYSTC! Great to reconnect with industry peers, meet new faces, and have insightful conversations on the future of youth travel.”

Laura Sampedro Casals
Klook

“Another WYSTC in the books! And this was a very special one as it was the TeacherLounge debut. After three days of hearing non-stop excitement about what we are doing, I’m coming home feeling incredible about what we’ve built. I’m grateful to everyone who took time to meet, share ideas and explore collaborations. WYSTC’s value lies as much in the hallway (and bar!) conversations as in the official programme, and I left Lisbon energized and with my cup full. See all of you next year!”

Jimmy Brazelton
Geovisions / TeacherLounge

“Fantastic time in Lisbon for WYSTC. Really enjoyed meeting old friends and new, with some great discussions had on youth travel. Already looking forward to next years conference in Bilbao!”

Dean Hallworth
Mango Tiger DMC

“It was a fantastic event, I had a great time and I’m looking forward to catching up with all of my new contacts, I think there’s some great opportunities there.”

Lucy Ruthnum
Absolutely Lucy / Influencer

“WYSTC in Lisbon was amazing; I experienced so many wonderful business opportunities and hopefully some long-lasting partnerships.”

Adrian Sharp
President
Sharp Interchange Co

“Another wonderful WYSTC in Lisbon. International Experience Canada (IEC) was so pleased to continue being part of such a valuable week filled with incredible opportunities to reconnect with existing stakeholders, meet new leaders and share information on the most recent trends in the youth travel sector! Thank you, WYSE Travel Confederation team, for organizing another great event!”

Liz Hong-Farrell
International Experience Canada

“The conference was absolutely incredible and I made so many amazing business connections for the future.”

Ben Herskowitz
Influencer

“A no-brainer! The Conference covers all our needs; from meeting new partners to cementing relationships with existing contacts, all whilst experiencing a key European destination.”

Marcie Schneider
President
Intrax Cultural Exchange

“I thoroughly enjoyed the conference, made lots of great connections and plenty of inspiration too!”

James Catterall
Gapforce

“It’s our “go-to” event. With WETM as an excellent follow-up. I don’t see how we could miss either one.”

Randy LeGrant
Academic Language Solutions – iTEP

“It was a great conference with many interesting meetings!”

Nele Norden
Kulturlife

“Quality buyers, quality sessions and quality social. A no-brainer.”

Roi Porat
Managing Director
Authentic Israel

“Thank you for your wonderful organisation and very welcoming participants. ”

Fredrick Young
GEM Placement

“I enjoyed attending this event with all these wonderful people, united by being from the same industry and making attempts to make the world a better place by supporting sustainable tourism and environmentally responsible actions..”

Fakhri Karimov
Liberty International Azerbaijan

“The conference was fantastic – many good connections, and ongoing conversations regarding partnerships with quite a number of providers.”

Kim Callender
Solotrvlr

“It was an exceptional conference – my thanks to all for putting it together.”

Alastair Connolly
Tournkey

“WYSTC is the best conference for us to connect with hundreds of industry stakeholders from all over the globe.”

Liesbeth ten Donkelaar
Manager Marketing & Sales
Stayokay

“We are coming out of the last two years with a rebrand, a refocussing and a huge growth plan. I am really excited about bringing our innovative approaches to selling travel to the youth market to our partners and catching up with friends I have known for many years. At the same time, I look forward to getting to know new products in the industry and coming away with a bunch of new friends and partners.”

Dan Roberts
U.

“It was a great pleasure to be part of WYSTC 2023, and I look forward to your upcoming events.”

Adam Shardob
Erasmus Student Network

“It has been a great and interesting opportunity. I am still organising all of my meeting notes and following-up with the sellers!”

Luca Marra
WeRoad

“So much has changed throughout the pandemic and as an insurance vender, we are excited to educate our partners. In addition, to understand their future needs. No better way of accomplishing the task with the face-to-face interaction at WYSTC.”

Ted Cenatiempo
Senior Account Executive
CareMed

“I am extremely grateful for this very interesting and rejuvenated conference, rich in vision, know-how and people. The benefits of being present were truly of great value for us, as at Connections, we believe that “one of the most important things in life is to connect with people we meet along the way.”

Ronny Bayens
Connections

“We had a great time at the conference and hope to come back next year.”

Jonathan Gilben
GoEco

“Thanks for the opportunity to participate in WYSTC! It was incredible and very productive (I´m already quoting groups with people I met there).”

Fabian Comanzo
Grupo 3 de Turismo

“What I am looking forward to at WYSTC is that as a newcomer to the market, I’ll be able to meet professionals and service providers from all around the world. I can’t wait to learn about their products, services, and the latest market trends. And on top of that, I’m sure my visit to Lisbon will be an absolute delight!”

Andy Ou
Gostudy Education Group (Taiwan)

“I have been attending WYSTC for a few years and I believe it’s a very well-organised conference and Lisbon is a great destination. I always make very good connections during WSTC and can meet face-to-face with all my existing business partners and providers at one location over a few days.”

Patrick Guimaraes
IE Intercambio

“I had a great experience and met a ton of great people with whom I’m already starting to work and plan upcoming trips.”

Ryan Neeven
Influencer

“Participating in WYSTC 2023 is a must for anyone looking to build their career in the youth travel industry, make meaningful connections with industry experts from around the world, learn about the latest industry trends, have fun, and gain exposure for their brand. ”

Alex Mitroi
American Experience

“It was really great to meet so many new potential partners and catch up with old colleagues at WYSTC Lisbon 2023.”

Maria Consuelo Lopez
Trotamundos

“We’ve been a member since 2004 and have benefited enormously from attending WYSTC every year. From our early days as a startup to an established market leader, WYSTC has been instrumental in helping us achieve significant milestones within the industry.”

Nick Pound
Director of Partnerships
World Nomads

“WYSTC provided an outstanding platform to meet new clients, network with both old and new clients and to discover new innovations in our industry.”

Kevin McCormick
Sales and Quality Manager
University of Bath

“It was great to attend WYSCT! Very good meetings and great business opportunities ahead after the conference!”

Eduardo Heidemann
Travelmate

“WYSTC is the best conference you can attend in order to grow your business, meet new people and oportunities, learn awesome things in the youth market and discover new places around the world. If you are involved in any kind of activites related to young people you should consider attending the next WYSTC Conference!”

Alex Mitroi
American Experience

“We are very excited and looking forward to attending WYSTC. We are most looking forward to catching up with existing partners and connecting with new partners and organisations. Also keen to keep in the know of the latest in the youth travel industry!”

Ritesh Saraf
Alliance Visas

“WYSTC 2018, Edinburgh was a fantastic conference! Earthstompers Adventures made plenty new business connections, received information about the ever changing youth travel market and exploring this magical city was just amazing! Looking forward to Lisbon, next year!”

Cindy Schalkwyk
Marketing Manager
Earthstompers Adventures

“The WYSTC team have done a fantastic job in creating WYSTC 2018 and ensuring everything went smoothly. Can only imagine what a mammoth task it is to create such an event.”

Scarlett Kdowsett
Regional Manager
STA Travel ISIC UK

“It is imperative and fantastic to have WYSE organisation representing youth tourism.”

Anne Dolan
Founder
Clink Hostels

“Couldn’t have built my business without WYSTC.”

Joanna Burnet
Director
VisitOz / Australian Working Adventures

“I really enjoyed how WYSTC brings together the decision makers at youth travel companies from all over the world, meaning a new opportunity is just a few minutes’ chat away. The philosophy of youth travel also means the conference is fun as well, with lots of social events built into the calendar of appointments and seminars.”

Philip Cabra Netherton
Managing Director
Euroventure Travel Ltd

“WYSTC never disappoints when it comes to networking opportunities or relevant seminars. Great to be able to get updates by leading industry people – from surveys to talks about a potential crisis or emerging trends. Keep up the good work!”

Joan Lott Carlsen
Director/owner
ALOTT

“I found the conference to be a good format to network due to limited size and convenient location.”

Stefania Bresquar
Director
GEO International

“Congratulations to all staff, your hard work was worth it!”

Maura De Araujo Leão
CEO, President
Yázigi Travel

“I have in general, found WYSTC to be a wonderful opportunity to meet with industry members from around the world. It fosters potential business relationships and increases ones awareness of trends and opportunities for growing our business on a global stage.”

Ron Jeffery
Business Development Manager
Merit Travel

“I rate WYSTC highly and it’s the only youth travel conference I attend each year.”

Amit Sondhi
AASHA

“WYSTC is fantastic. I wish i could have another opportunity to attend in the next one. Thanks a lot!”

Jie Li
President
Chengdu Infinity Cultural Exchange Co., Ltd

“Attending [WYSTC] continues to open my eyes to the endless possibilities for growth and, most importantly, showed me that I’m part of a community of individuals who feel the same passion about the importance of student & youth travel.”

Fredrick Elliott
Head Of Business Development
StudentUniverse

“I appreciate all the hard work that your team puts forward. It is always a pleasure seeing you all!”

Michelle Hirschfeld
National Sales Director
Hostelling International USA

“WYSTC sets the benchmark for international B2B networking and collaboration. Simply a must for your conference diary.”

Nick Pound
Head of Partnerships
World Nomads

“WYSTC is the place to be in order to connect you and your business with opportunities from all over the world. The business meetings are great and the educational seminars are giving you a new perspective of things. The people you meet are leaders in what they do and overall the conference is awesome!”

Alex Mitroi
Operations Director
American Experience