Name
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Non-profit?
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Year founded
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Notes
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BeWelcome
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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. The site had 234,000 users as of March 2023, across 216 countries. BeWelcome was formed by members of Hospitality Club who had had a disagreement with its founder.
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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. Members in some developed countries pay a monthly subscription fee. 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. This was an instance of commodification. CouchSurfing had previously been financed by donations and built using volunteer work.
|
Dachgeber
|
Yes
|
1987
|
Wolfgang Reiche founded a non-profit German hospitality exchange service for cyclists within 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.
|
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. 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.
|
Trustroots
|
Yes
|
2014
|
In 2014, Trustroots was founded by Kasper Souren and Mikael Korpela in Berlin, Germany. Trustroots.org is a non-profit hospitality exchange service featuring “circles” for hitchhikers, cyclists, buskers, train hoppers, vegans and vegetarians, climbers and others. In 2020, Trustroots had 44,000 members, from 220 countries. In May 2022, the non-profit Trustroots Foundation was dissolved. 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. Registration requires payment of a one-time $30 registration fee.
|
Hospitality Club (defunct)
|
Unknown
|
1992
|
Hospex.org was launched online; it later was folded into Hospitality Club, which was created in 2000 by Veit Kühne.
|
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. 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.
|
Couchers
|
Yes
|
2020
|
Couchers was founded by Aapeli Vuorinen and Itsi Weinstock during Covid-19 lockdowns and in response to CouchSurfing introducing a paywall to its site. Couchers, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Florida in the United States and operates the Couchers.org service and project. The project is also supported by the Couchers.org Foundation, a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee for charitable purposes based in New South Wales, Australia. The Couchers.org Foundation supports the project financially and operationally. The platform is built and maintained completely by volunteers and includes a clause which prohibits ever turning into a for-profit corporation. It attempts to tackle issues in CouchSurfing such as "super hosts", safety concerns and technical bloat.
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