hospitality exchange

Is hospitality exchange just free accommodation, or does it really create cultural understanding?

Introduction

Hospitality Exchange, also known as "hospitality services", "accommodation sharing", and "home stay networks" often refers to centrally organized social networks of individuals who trade accommodation without monetary exchange. While the concept of free accommodation could also include house swapping or even time share plans, it is associated mostly with travellers and tourists staying with one another free of charge. The polish sociologist Paula Bialski even calls it "emotional tourism", because meeting locals indeed involves a lot of emotions and maybe this is exactly how it differs from the classical mainstream package tour.

Since the 1990s, these services have increasingly moved away from using printed catalogues and telephone lines, but members often use Internet websites. These have grown exponentially since 2000 and as of March, 2007 over 650,000 people are registered users of these networks, which vary in operational structure, layout and geographic focus.

However, Hospitality Exchange is far more than just accommodation. Some members do not offer a place to stay, but also provide dinner, a guided tour, tourist information or will help find a cheap hostel or alternative means of accommodation. Also those travellers who face most difficulties - like handicaped people - find great opportunity and help in networks like BeWelcome, where members can both invite travellers with wheelchairs (according to the accessibility of their place) and use the search function to find the very same hosts.

Motivation and quality of social networking

Basic Motivation

Why do people join social travel networks? The basic motivating factors for membership - and they very much influence the quality of later social exchange - include:

to meet locals and to gain an insider view
to meet interesting people
to save money through the offer of free accommodation
to get contacts, pursue effective networking
the wish for flexibility and freedom of choice when travelling
to improve language skills

Opportunity, risk and limitations

But what are the opportunities, risks and limitations of how Hospitality Exchange Networks can influence the quality of social exchange between host-guest relationships?

The opportunities include

to discover culture and traditions through the eyes of a local
promoting peace
an understanding of cultures which can remove stereotypes and misunderstandings
broadening of education
make people care about situations and conflicts in other cultures
make them realize differences and help overcome them

The risks include:

incomprehension, misunderstanding and stereotype thinking based on individual experiences with members
generalization of culture according to experience
failure to cope with confrontation of different habits and customs
Â�Black sheepÂ� abusing the network (burglary, spam or dating)

The limitations include that:

these networks mainly address open-minded and curious people
a high level of tolerance is needed
members are not representative for entire culture
access may be excluded to some part of the community : lack of technical equipment, old people, financial resources, social prejudices

Factors influencing the quality of exchange within hospitality and culture exchange networks

Based upon those motivations the main factors which influence the quality of exchange have been identified to be:

the need to be ready and willing for interaction with other members
time availability
an open and positive atmosphere within the network
a friendly approach of members resulting in interest and curiosity
the mutual seriousness and effort put into the process of establishing contact between two members
an un-judgmental approach towards other cultures
A common ground facilitating successful communication

BeWelcome: one project, many target groups

BeWelcome is a project open to many different interest groups and backgrounds. Leisure travellers, business and expats travellers, scientists, local communities and the tourism industry as a whole - all take advantage of BeWelcome.

You want to know more?

List of active Hospitality Networks Communities

Read additional information on the BeWelcome Web site languages

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This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.

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