Advantages and disadvantages:
– Exposure to everyday life in another location
– Experience local culture and traditions
– Opportunities for cultural diplomacy
– Friendship, intercultural competence, and foreign language practice
– Lower carbon footprint compared to other lodging types
Notable social networking services and online marketplaces for homestay arrangement:
– Hospitality exchange services (Hospitality for free): BeWelcome, CouchSurfing, Dachgeber, Hospitality Club (defunct), Pasporta Servo, Servas International, Trustroots, Warm Showers
– Hospitality for work (farm stays): HelpX, Workaway, WWOOF, Woldpackers
– Hospitality for money: 9flats, Airbnb, Booking.com, GuestReady, misterb&b, Vrbo
– Home exchange and others: Friendship Force International, HomeExchange.com, Intervac International, ThirdHome
See also:
– Hotels portal
– Backpacking
References:
– Koszewska, Julia Maria (2008)
– Clarke, Alan (June 2014)
– Prasher, Kalyani (January 7, 2016)
– Green, Molly (January 30, 2016)
– Rivers, William P. (1998)
Social networking services:
– Yandex.Taxi
– Are.na
– Ask.fm
– Badoo
– BeReal
Homestay (also home stay and home-stay) is a form of hospitality and lodging whereby visitors share a residence with a local of the area (host) to which they are traveling. The length of stay can vary from one night to over a year and can be provided for free (gift economy), in exchange for monetary compensation, in exchange for a stay at the guest's property either simultaneously or at another time (home exchange), or in exchange for housekeeping or work on the host's property (barter economy). Homestays are examples of collaborative consumption and the sharing economy. Homestays are used by travelers; students who study abroad or participate in student exchange programs; and au pairs, who provide child care assistance and light household duties. They can be arranged via certain social networking services, online marketplaces, or academic institutions. Social networking services where hosts offer homestays for free are called hospitality exchange services.