The Youth Hostel Occupancy Survey provides information on the supply and demand of youth hostel services, defined as such in the different legal regulations of each Autonomous Community and belonging to the Spanish Youth Hostel Network. Hostels are generally considered to be establishments that mainly offer the public accommodation in multiple rooms, with or without complementary services, and usually with the possibility of doing an activity related to the environment.

From the point view of demand, information is offered on travellers, overnight and average stays, distributed by country of residence of travellers and category of the establishments that are occupied or by Autonomous Community of origin in the case of Spanish travellers; from the supply point of view information on the estimated number of establishments open, estimated vacancies, occupancy rate, as well as information on employment in the sector is provided. This information is provided monthly, at the following levels: national, Autonomous Community, provincial, tourist area and tourist spot.