View source for Hospitality exchange service

{{short description|Social networking services where hosts do not receive payments}}
{{Homestay service}}
{{Utopia}}
'''Hospitality exchange services''' ('''hospitality exchange platforms''', '''hospitality exchange networks''' or '''HospEx''') are social networking services used for accommodation of travellers, where hosts do not receive payments.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ikkala |first1=Tapio |last2=Lampinen |first2=Airi |title=Proceedings of the companion publication of the 17th ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work & social computing |chapter=Defining the price of hospitality |series=CSCW Companion '14 |date=15 February 2014 |pages=173–176 |doi=10.1145/2556420.2556506 |chapter-url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2556420.2556506 |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery| isbn=9781450325417 |s2cid=39491376 }}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |degree=Graduate |last1=Spitz |first1=Tara |title=The commodification of hospitality An analysis of tourism encounters between interculturality and difference in regard to Turkish couchsurfing experiences |url=http://academicrepository.khas.edu.tr/xmlui/handle/20.500.12469/2473 |publisher=Kadir Has University |date=2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |degree=Masters |last1=Håvardsholm |first1=Angelica Kolstad |title=How does gender influence couchsurfers behaviour intentions based on trust and perceived risk? |date=June 2016 |url=https://uis.brage.unit.no/uis-xmlui/handle/11250/2413810 |hdl=11250/2413810 |hdl-access=free |publisher=Universitetet i Stavanger}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ronzhyn |first1=Alexander |title=Online identity: constructing interpersonal trust and openness through participating in hospitality social networks |journal=The Journal of Education, Culture, and Society |year=2020 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=47–56 |doi=10.15503/jecs20131.47.56 |s2cid=213038501 |url=https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=130794 |issn=2081-1640|doi-access=free }}</ref> The relationships on [[homestay|hospitality]] exchange services are shaped by [[altruism]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rosen |first1=Devan |last2=Lafontaine |first2=Pascale Roy |last3=Hendrickson |first3=Blake |title=CouchSurfing: Belonging and trust in a globally cooperative online social network |journal=New Media & Society |date=1 September 2011 |volume=13 |issue=6 |pages=981–998 |doi=10.1177/1461444810390341 |s2cid=14552636 |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1461444810390341 |issn=1461-4448|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Value co-creation in Couchsurfing - the Indonesian host perspective |website=www.cabdirect.org |date=2020 |url=https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20203531291 }}</ref> and are related to the [[cyber-utopianism]] on the Web in its beginnings and to utopia in general.<ref name=cscommodification/><ref>{{cite thesis |degree=Masters |last1=Latja |first1=Piia |title=Creative Travel - Study of Tourism from a socio-cultural point of view - The Case of CouchSurfing  |url=https://trepo.tuni.fi/handle/10024/81953 |publisher=University of Tampere |date=2010}}</ref> 

On HospEx, members typically create public profiles that describe themselves and their travel plans, and then searching for potential hosts or guests based on various criteria such as location, interests, and availability.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lampinen |first1=Airi M I |title=Proceedings of the 17th ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work & social computing |chapter=Account sharing in the context of networked hospitality exchange |date=15 February 2014 |pages=499–504 |doi=10.1145/2531602.2531665 |chapter-url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2531602.2531665 |publisher=Association for Computing Machinery|isbn=9781450325400 |s2cid=20255816 }}</ref> Travelers connect with local hosts who are willing to offer free accommodation, meals, and/or other forms of hospitality during their trip. The concept of hospitality exchange has been around for a long time, with informal networks of travelers and hosts existing for decades. However, the advent of the internet and social media has made it much easier to connect with people from all over the world, and hospitality exchange networks have become increasingly popular as a way for people to avoid commercial tourism and experience local cultures in a more authentic way.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Molz |first1=Jennie Germann |title=CouchSurfing and network hospitality: 'It's not just about the furniture' |journal=Hospitality & Society |date=16 February 2012 |volume=1 |issue=3 |pages=215–225 |doi=10.1386/hosp.1.3.215_2 |url=https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/hosp.1.3.215_2 |language=en |issn=2042-7913|url-access=subscription }}</ref> These networks are usually non-profit, registered under [[.org]]-domains, built up by volunteers and use open-source software.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Schöpf |first1=Simon |title=The Commodification of the Couch: A Dialectical Analysis of Hospitality Exchange Platforms |journal=TripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique. Open Access Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society |date=25 January 2015 |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=11–34 |doi=10.31269/triplec.v13i1.480 |url=https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/triplec/article/view/480 |language=en |issn=1726-670X|doi-access=free }}</ref>
{|style="margin: 0 auto;"
| [[File:Hospitalityclub Usercount log latest.png|thumb|The number of users on [[Hospitality Club]] in the years 2000 to 2006.|200px]]
| [[File:Brussels118.jpg|thumb|Hospex members in [[Brussels]] in 2008|200px]]
| [[File:A berlin1.jpg|thumb|The picture was taken in front of the [[Berlin Wall]] during the Berlin Beach Camp (an annual gathering of all the Hospex communities) in 2008.|200px]]
| [[File:Couch Surfing meet.jpg|thumb|[[Couchsurfing]] meeting in 2009|200px]]
|}
==Uniqueness==
The biggest HospEx platform in 2012, ''"CouchSurfing appears to fulfil the original utopian promise of the Internet to unite strangers across geographical and cultural divides and to form a global community"''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Molz |first1=Jennie Germann |title=Travel Connections: Tourism, Technology, and Togetherness in a Mobile World |date=2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-68285-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AR3KsP7V8SgC |access-date=26 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref> 
CouchSurfing used utopian rhetoric of "better world," "sharing cultures," and of much better access to global flows and networks of all sorts.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Picard |first1=David |last2=Buchberger |first2=Sonja |title=Couchsurfing Cosmopolitanisms: Can Tourism Make a Better World? |date=2014-03-31 |publisher=transcript Verlag |isbn=978-3-8394-2255-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ob_JBAAAQBAJ |access-date=26 June 2021 |language=en}}</ref> It was featured as a means to achieve a cosmopolitan utopia.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=De-Jung |title=Couchsurfing: Performing the travel style through hospitality exchange |journal=Tourist Studies |date=March 2018 |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=105–122 |doi=10.1177/1468797617710597 |pmid=30595668 |language=en |issn=1468-7976|pmc=6294175 }}</ref> [[Commodification]] of CouchSurfing terminated ''"the existence of a project run as a flourishing commons, a cyber-utopian dream come true; an example of genuine exchange outside and free from the dominant logic of capital, a space highlighting cultural instead of monetary values, understanding instead of commerce. This space still exists, but  instead of outside, now within the market."''<ref name=cscommodification/> After CouchSurfing became a for-profit corporation in 2011, some members urged others to join BeWelcome.<ref>{{cite news |title=A rough ride to profit for CouchSurfing |url=https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/A-rough-ride-to-profit-for-CouchSurfing-5920089.php |work=sfgate.com |date=26 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= Money causes schism in sharing economy |url=https://euobserver.com/business/137557  |work=sgpress.ru |date=22 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Paradise lost: The rise and ruin of Couchsurfing.com |url=https://www.inputmag.com/features/rise-and-ruin-of-couchsurfing |work=nputmag.com |date=15 November 2021}}</ref> Many volunteers, who had become [[brand ambassador]]s of CouchSurfing, left to BeWelcome and other non-profit platforms because of the change in legal status and insufficient management transparency.<ref>{{cite news |title=Managing a non-profit hospitality platform conversion: The case of Couchsurfing.com |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211973619300297 |work=Tourism Management Perspectives. 30: 138–146. 2019-04-01. |date=2019|doi=10.1016/j.tmp.2019.02.018 }}</ref>

Non-profit hospitality exchange services have offered scientists access to their [[Data anonymization|anonymized data]] for publication of research on [[Trust (social science)|trust]] and [[cooperation]]. Before becoming for-profit, CouchSurfing offered four research teams access to its [[social network]]ing data.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Victor |first1=Patricia |last2=Cornelis |first2=Chris |last3=De Cock |first3=Martine |last4=Herrera-Viedma |first4=Enrique |title=Bilattice-based aggregation operators for gradual trust and distrust |journal=World Scientific Proceedings Series on Computer Engineering and Information Science |date=2010 |pages=505–510 |doi=10.1142/9789814324700_0075 |url=https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/1108551 |publisher=World Scientific|isbn=978-981-4324-69-4 |s2cid=5748283 }}</ref><ref>{{cite report |last1=Dandekar |first1=Pranav |title=Analysis & Generative Model for Trust Networks |url=https://snap.stanford.edu/class/cs224w-2010/proj2009/final_report_Dandekar.pdf |work=Stanford Network Analysis Project |publisher=Stanford University}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Overgoor |first1=Jan |last2=Wulczyn |first2=Ellery |last3=Potts |first3=Christopher |title=Trust Propagation with Mixed-Effects Models |journal=Sixth International AAAI Conference on Weblogs and Social Media |url=https://www.aaai.org/ocs/index.php/ICWSM/ICWSM12/paper/viewPaper/4627  |date=20 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Lauterbach |first1=Debra |last2=Truong |first2=Hung |last3=Shah |first3=Tanuj |last4=Adamic |first4=Lada |title=2009 International Conference on Computational Science and Engineering |chapter=Surfing a Web of Trust: Reputation and Reciprocity on CouchSurfing.com |date=August 2009 |volume=4 |pages=346–353 |doi=10.1109/CSE.2009.345 |isbn=978-1-4244-5334-4 |s2cid=12869279 }}</ref> In 2015, non-profit hospitality exchange services Bewelcome and [[Warm Showers]] also provided their data for public research.<ref name=delhi>{{cite book |last1=Tagiew |first1=Rustam |last2=Ignatov |first2=Dmitry. I |last3=Delhibabu |first3=Radhakrishnan |title=2015 IEEE International Conference on Data Mining Workshop (ICDMW) |chapter=Hospitality Exchange Services as a Source of Spatial and Social Data? |date=2015 |pages=1125–1130 |doi=10.1109/ICDMW.2015.239 |arxiv=1412.8700 |isbn=978-1-4673-8493-3 |s2cid=8196598}}</ref>

==Notable hospitality exchange services==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col" |Name
!scope="col" |Non-profit?
!scope="col" |Year founded
!scope="col" |Notes

|-
| '''{{vanchor|BeWelcome}}''' 
| Yes
| 2007
| BeWelcome (BW) is a non-profit, open-source hospitality exchange service accessible via the BeWelcome website or Android app. BeWelcome is operated by BeVolunteer, a [[nonprofit organization]] organized as a [[voluntary association]] registered in [[Rennes]], [[Brittany]], [[France]], which is composed solely of volunteers. Membership in BeWelcome is motivated by the absence of for-profit pressure, democratic decision making, and a strict privacy policy.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ossewaarde |first1=Marinus |last2=Reijers | first2=Wessel |title=The illusion of the digital commons: 'False consciousness' in online alternative economies |journal=Organization |date=21 August 2017 |volume=24 |issue=5 |pages=609–628 |doi=10.1177/1350508417713217 |s2cid=149344352 | url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1350508417713217 | issn=1350-5084}}</ref><ref name=delhi/> The site had 234,000 users as of March 2023, across 216 countries.<ref>{{cite news |title=Alternativen zu Hotels und welche Vorzüge sie haben | url=https://www.derwesten.de/reise/diese-vorzuege-haben-alternativen-zum-hotel-id219233523.html |work=www.derwesten.de |date=21 May 2019 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ditch The Hotels: Stay In Someone's Home On Your Next Vacay |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/travelnews/story/70032/5-couchsurfing-apps-and-websites-for-your-solo-travel |work=outlooktraveller.com |date=28 January 2020}}</ref> BeWelcome was formed by members of Hospitality Club who had had a disagreement with its founder.<ref>{{cite news | first=Vicky | last=Baker | url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/apr/19/caracas.adventure?page=all | title=Going local in Caracas, Venezuela | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=18 April 2008}}</ref><ref name=conscience>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2011/aug/26/couchsurfing-investment-budget-travel | title=Budget Travel: Not-for-profit Couchsurfing becomes a company (with a conscience) | first=Vicky | last=Baker | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=26 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Tips for Travel Savings in 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/12/travel/tips-for-travel-savings-in-2014.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=7 January 2014}}</ref>
|-
| '''{{vanchor|Couchers}}'''
|Yes
|2020
|Couchers was founded by Aapeli Vuorinen and Itsi Weinstock during [[COVID-19 lockdowns|Covid-19 lockdowns]] and in response to [[CouchSurfing]] introducing a paywall to its site.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Couchers.org Beta - Team |url=https://couchers.org/team |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=couchers.org |language=en}}</ref> Couchers, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the [[Florida|State of Florida]] in the [[United States]] and operates the Couchers.org service and project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Couchers - GuideStar Profile |url=https://www.guidestar.org/profile/87-1734577 |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=www.guidestar.org}}</ref> The platform is built and maintained completely by volunteers and includes a clause which prohibits ever turning into a for-profit corporation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Couchers.org Beta - FAQ |url=https://couchers.org/faq |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=couchers.org |language=en}}</ref> It attempts to tackle issues in [[CouchSurfing]] such as "super hosts", safety concerns and technical bloat.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Couchers.org Beta - Issues |url=https://couchers.org/issues |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=couchers.org |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[CouchSurfing]] 
| No
| 2004
| Casey Fenton founded [[CouchSurfing]], where free accommodation can be offered. In 2011, [[Couchsurfing]], previously a non-profit, was turned into a for-profit corporation.<ref name="inc">{{cite news |last=Lapowesky |first=Issie |date=29 May 2012 |title=Couchsurfing Dilemma: Going for Profit |work=[[Inc. (magazine)|Inc.]] |url=https://www.inc.com/magazine/201206/issie-lapowsky/couchsurfing-new-profit-model.html}}</ref><ref name="smallbusiness">{{cite book |last1=Longenecker |first1=Justin G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WyBTCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT684 |title=Small Business Management: Launching & Growing Entrepreneurial Ventures |last2=Petty |first2=J. William |last3=Palich |first3=Leslie E. |last4=Hoy |first4=Frank |date=15 January 2016 |publisher=[[Cengage]] |isbn=9781305405745}}</ref> Members in some developed countries pay a monthly subscription fee.<ref name=bug>{{cite news |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Tea-Leaves/Pandemic-hits-couchsurfing-travel-bug |title=Pandemic hits 'couchsurfing' travel bug |work=[[Nikkei Asian Review]] |first=Marco |last=Ferrarese |date=24 June 2020}}</ref> The conversion of the biggest of hospitality exchange service, [[Couchsurfing]], to a [[for-profit corporation]] in 2011 was objected to by many of its members.<ref name=conscience/> This was an instance of [[commodification]].<ref name=cscommodification>{{cite journal |last1=Schöpf |first1=Simon |title=The Commodification of the Couch: A Dialectical Analysis of Hospitality Exchange Platforms |journal=TripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique |date=2015-01-25 |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=11–34–11–34 |doi=10.31269/triplec.v13i1.480 |url=https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/triplec/article/view/480 |issn=1726-670X|doi-access=free }}</ref> CouchSurfing had previously been financed by donations and built using volunteer work.<ref name=conscience/><ref name=steps>{{cite news | title=CouchSurfing CEO steps down amid layoffs, uncertainty | url=https://www.phocuswire.com/CouchSurfing-CEO-steps-down-amid-layoffs-uncertainty | work=Phocuswire | first=Nick | last=Vivion | date=11 October 2013}}</ref>

|-
| [[Dachgeber]]
| Yes
| 1987
| Wolfgang Reiche founded a non-profit German hospitality exchange service for cyclists within [[Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrrad-Club|ADFC]]. 

|-
| [[Friendship Force International]]
| Yes
| 1977
| Presbyterian minister Wayne Smith and U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]] established [[Friendship Force International]], with the mission of improving [[intercultural relations]], [[cultural diplomacy]], [[friendship]], and [[intercultural competence]] via organized trips involving homestays.

|-
| [[Hospitality Club]] (defunct)
| Unknown
| 1992
| Hospex.org was launched online; it later was folded into [[Hospitality Club]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Koszewska |first1=Julia Maria |title=Gift, Exchange and Trust |date=2008 |url=https://issuu.com/julitxu/docs/ma_thesis}}</ref> which was created in 2000 by Veit Kühne.

|-
| [[Pasporta Servo]] 
| Yes
| 1974
| [[Pasporta Servo]] facilities free lodging for [[Esperanto]] speakers and was established from the work of psychologist [[Rubén Feldman González]] in [[Argentina]]. Access to the service and lodging are free; however, some hosts may request reimbursement of food costs.

|-
| [[Servas International]] 
| Yes
| 1949
| [[Servas International]] is a volunteer-run international [[nonprofit organization]] advocating interracial and international peace.<ref name=":0" >{{Cite thesis |degree=Masters |last=Koszewska |first=Julia Maria |date=2008 |title=Gift, Exchange and Trust: Information (its role, management and access to information) in modern society on the example of free-hospitality networks |url=https://www.academia.edu/175528 | publisher=[[University of Warsaw]] |id=175528 |via=Academia.edu}}</ref> People wishing to join SERVAS must supply letters of recommendation and be interviewed to ensure that they understand the purpose and protocol of being a Servas member, whether as a traveller or host. Members pay an annual fee to the organization, which is determined locally by country.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/travel/1996/07/14/servas-with-a-smile/7b7de4fc-f813-461a-b5b3-3317ef6330ae/ | title=SERVAS WITH A SMILE | first=Dana | last=Hull | newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] | date=July 14, 1996}}</ref>

|-
| [[SportsHosts]] (defunct)
| Unknown
| 2016
| SportsHosts was a community platform that connected traveling sports fans with local hosts to attend live sporting events.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.startupdaily.net/advice/sportshosts-wants-power-authentic-local-sports-experiences-travellers/|title=SportsHosts wants to power authentic local sports experiences for travellers|first=Clint|last=Vojdinoski|date=December 20, 2018}}</ref>

|-
| '''Traveler's Directory''' (defunct)
| Yes
| 1965
| John Wilcock set up the Traveler's Directory as a listing of his friends willing to host each other when traveling.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/youcantravelfree00kirk | url-access=registration | page=[https://archive.org/details/youcantravelfree00kirk/page/100 100] | title=You Can Travel Free | year=1985 | first=Robert William | last=Kirk | publisher=[[Pelican Publishing Company]]| isbn=9780882894379 }}</ref> In 1988, Joy Lily rescued the organization from imminent shutdown, forming Hospitality Exchange.
|-
|Travel Ladies
|No
|2021
|Travel Ladies is a free, women-only hospitality exchange.
|-
| '''{{vanchor|Trustroots}}'''
| Yes
| 2014
| In 2014, Trustroots was founded by [[Kasper Souren]] and Mikael Korpela in [[Berlin, Germany]].<ref name=founded>{{cite web |title=Trustroots |url=https://tracxn.com/d/companies/trustroots.org |website=tracxn.com |access-date=2022-08-08 |archive-date=2021-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624200500/https://tracxn.com/d/companies/trustroots.org |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=February 2022}} Trustroots.org is a non-profit hospitality exchange service featuring “circles” for [[hitchhiker]]s, cyclists, [[busker]]s, [[train hopper]]s, [[vegans]] and [[vegetarian]]s, climbers and others.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}<ref>{{cite news |title=The Best Websites For Finding Free Lodging During Your Next Vacation |url=https://www.travelawaits.com/2560251/best-websites-for-finding-free-lodging/ |work=TravelAwaits |date=January 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ryals |first1=Mitch |title=Derailed | url=https://www.inlander.com/spokane/derailed/Content?oid=2457742 |work=Inlander | date=May 13, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Suicidal teen learns world isn't a 'big bad place' through travel |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3127916/fearful-teenager-who-found-her-freedom-through-travel |work=[[South China Morning Post]] |date=April 2, 2021}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=February 2022}} In 2020, Trustroots had 44,000 members, from 220 countries.<ref name="membernumber">{{cite news |title=Pandemic hits 'couchsurfing' travel bug |url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Tea-Leaves/Pandemic-hits-couchsurfing-travel-bug |work=Nikkei Asia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=ПРОСКУРЯКОВ |first1=Евгений |title=Пять вещей, которые вы покупаете, а могли бы получить бесплатно |url=https://www.kp.ru/daily/27254.5/4384983/ |work=kp.ru |date=2021-03-20 |language=ru}}</ref> In May 2022, the non-profit Trustroots Foundation was dissolved.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/09489825|title=TRUSTROOTS FOUNDATION overview|publisher=Companies House|access-date=2023-09-17}}</ref> In September 2023, Trustroots reached 100,000 members.

|-
| [[Warm Showers]] 
| Yes
| 1993
| [[Warm Showers]] is a non-profit homestay platform for traveling [[cyclists]]. It has over 173,000 members, including 114,000 hosts.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://rs.warmshowers.org/country_count | title=Member Statistics | publisher=Warm Showers}}</ref> Registration requires payment of a one-time $30 registration fee.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.warmshowers.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=3 | title=User Account | publisher=[[Warm Showers]]}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Sharing economy}}
{{Tourism}}
{{Online social networking}}
[[Category:Hospitality exchange services| ]]