THERE are many countries in the world that are blessed with a unique heritage of their own. There are very few countries, however, that are preserving their heritage with a sense of conviction and conscientiousness. These countries have also learnt the art of preserving their heritage with meticulous perfection. Besides they have ensured that the coming generations respond to this heritage with a sense of pride, respect as well as enthusiasm. The aforesaid observations apply exclusively to the West. Whether it is a country in Europe, or America and Canada, they all fall into this category.

Visit any country in the West, and you will be simply taken aback by the way they have preserved their heritage without burdening the state. Whether it is a centuries-old museum, an ancient building, old architectural structure, antique crafts, paintings, famous personalities’ homes or even ancient trees, everything is preserved painstakingly for posterity. The beauty lies in the way the policy-makers of these nations are successfully using these monuments and other historically important buildings for deriving commercial gains as well as for generating employment.

Take the example of England. Contrary to the impression that visiting England is extremely expensive, the reality is that less expensive options are also available. The air ticket expenses have come down because of the fierce competition among the innumerable airline companies. A return ticket in economy class, depending upon the airline, direct flight or hopping flight, will cost anything from Rs 18,000 to Rs 30,000. Once in England, go in for advance booking and long duration travel passes. The tourism industry in this country offers genuine and alluring multiple reductions. For instance, a one-month/15-day/8-day/3-day underground railway pass to travel within London entitles the traveller to hop on to any train and even bus service in any direction. Further, the longer the duration of the travel pass, the higher the concession — sometimes the concession is even more than 50 per cent of the cost. To travel outside London, you can opt for the fast tubes, which offer similar concessions. Interestingly, a traveller can book these services from wherever he may be stationed. Booking counters have been opened at short distances. One can even book tickets on the Internet, provided one has a credit card. Once the traveller has reserved the tickets, the second requirement is to get information about the country, its heritage, places of tourist interest, routes, modes of travel, cost of entry tickets, etc. This information can be procured from the innumerable information offices spread all over the country for the convenience of tourists. These information offices literally operate with the motto, "At your service." The staff cheerfully and patiently guide you with the help of detailed maps and colourful brochures. In England, a traveller need not enquire about locations of famous buildings or directions to the information offices. Directions have been appropriately marked. Just turn around, look around and you will enjoy the thrill of having discovered what you are looking for.

I always worried over the accommodation arrangements in my previous trips. It was only during this trip that I discovered that the West offers you a "place to stay" that can suit your pocket. Although, in England, all famous towns and cities have hotels, private guesthouses, etc, this particular "place of stay" that I mention is offered by the Youth Hostels Association (YHA). For all these years I was under the impression that the word "youth" meant only college students. And that only they were entitled to stay at places run by the YHAs. It was a matter of discovery that the word "youth" at YHAs covers all age groups, right from small children to grandparents. The YHA is like a chain spread all over the world. To be entitled to stay at YHA-run lodging, each traveller has to be enrolled as its member. If a traveller was to enrol as a member of the YHA in India, the membership fee will cost only Rs 100 for one year. However, in England the annual membership costs 12.50 pounds (about Rs 850). Those who are often on the move, can opt for life-membership too. The YHA offers cheapest accommodation all over the world as compared to market prices of the area. For instance, if an independent room, often called "bed-and-breakfast", is available for 50 pounds for a day, the YHA will offer you the same for anything between 12 and 16 pounds.The other alluring offers are rooms that can be shared by two/three/five persons or you could even have the cheapest bed available in a dormitory.

A traveller can book YHA accommodation from anywhere in the world on phone as well as on the Internet. The quality of accommodation at YHAs in the West is admirable. The rooms as well as the dormitories are extremely well maintained and sparkling clean. Every famous tourist location and destination for sure has a YHA hostel. Most of the YHA accommodations also run restaurants where the food is reasonably priced as compared to the market. Some of the accommodations are also provided with a kitchen to cook food of one’s own choice. In some places, the YHAs not only run their own economical shuttle-service (bus) but also make printed material available with detailed information and offers of YHAs at other places. The residents of YHAs are also entitled to certain discounts in rides and shopping. The staff of each YHA are not only extremely warm but also well trained to guide tourists about the nearby tourist spots. Scotland’s first youth hostel was opened at Broadmeadows in the Yarrow Valley near Selkirk on May 2, 1931. Today, Scotland has a chain of YHA-run hostels and the association also brings out a newsletter called The Scottish Hosteller. This year, the Scottish YHA celebrated its 70th anniversary. It is now a major player in the Scottish tourist industry and contributes over 20 million pounds, annually, to its economy. To visit the City of Wordsworth, "Lake District," you can stay in one of the most fascinating buildings of the YHA overlooking the Windermere river. The building was constructed in the 13th century.

The YHA has modernised it in such a manner that you not only enjoy a comfortable stay but also get a breathtaking view of the river from each room. In England, right from London to Scotland, all important tourist locations have YHA accommodation available. The tourist only has to book everything in advance to enjoy the visit at most economical rates. The telephone numbers of all the YHAs are easily available. "Safe stay" for single women, young boys and girls or senior citizens is yet another motto of the YHAs.