Frequently asked questions

General questions & registration

What is BeWelcome?

BeWelcome is a hospitality exchange network.
Every member of the network has a profile. Members can search for other members at their travel destination, check out their profiles and send them a message or accommodation request.

Most members of BeWelcome offer hospitality to travellers and/or can show them around. If that sounds good to you, just sign up.

What is hospitality exchange?

Hospitality exchange, also known as accommodation sharing, hospitality services, and homestay networks, often refers to centrally organised 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. 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 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 500,000 people are registered users of these networks, which vary in operational structure, layout and geographic focus.

However, hospitality exchange offers much more than just free accommodation. Some members do not offer a place to stay, but instead 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 people with disabilities – 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

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

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

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
  • 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 open and positive atmosphere within the network
  • a non-judgmental approach towards other cultures
  • a common ground facilitating successful communication

Opportunities, risks 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
  • an understanding of cultures which can remove stereotypes and misunderstandings
  • broadening of education
  • promoting peace
  • make people care about situations and conflicts in other cultures
  • make them realise 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
  • ‘black sheep’ abusing the network (burglary, spam or dating)
  • failure to cope with confrontation of different habits and customs

The limitations include that:

  • hospitality exchange 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 difficult to some part of the community: due to lack of technical equipment, financial resources or social prejudices

(Taken from a bachelors dissertation written by BeWelcome member kiwiflave.)

BeWelcome: one project, many target groups

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

You want to know more?

List of significant hospitality exchange communities:

  • BeWelcome
  • Couchsurfing
  • Hospitalityclub
  • GlobalFreeloaders
  • Warm Showers
  • Servas
How did BeWelcome develop? Why was it founded and by whom?

BeWelcome is a project of the French non-profit association “BeVolunteer”. You can read up on the history of BeVolunteer on the BeVolunteer website.

How is this project financed?

The project financially relies on donations only.

Everything is based on volunteer work. Thanks to that we have very few expenses, such as server rent, domains, administrative fees, and security certificates. Unfortunately, those need to be paid. Our volunteers (including the members of the Board of Directors) always pay their expenses themselves, so no donation money is used for accommodation or travel costs for volunteer meetings or conferences.

If you have some good ideas about financing the project, you are welcome to post them in the forum or contact us directly.

We believe in transparency. Our accounts are published once a year to be checked/agreed on by the General Assembly of BeVolunteer. During the year, the Board of Directors – and the treasurer as the responsible delegate – take care of financial matters and are also your contact persons for related questions. More information about BeVolunteer finances and accounts are available on the BeVolunteer website.

How can I help BeWelcome?

Being an active member is the first way to keep BeWelcome running.

Then, to help further, you have two possibilities: