By Amber Murray Backpacking Brits looking for cheap stays in Asia and Central America helped online travel agency Hostelworld achieve a record performance in the first half of its financial year. The Irish company, which is listed in London, reported record bookings in Asia and Central America in the six months to June 30. Net booking rose by nine per cent year on year to 3.7m, although the average booking value at the company was pulled down by 10 per cent thanks to an increase in solo travellers and high demand for Asian destinations. Hostels in Asia – particularly South-east Asia – tend to …