Hospitality service

Hospitality networks ( partly also called host services) are (often international ) networks of individuals who agree to take charge travelers for a limited time with him.

History

The first hospitality network, Servas Open Doors, founded in 1949 by Bob Luitweiler as a transnational, non-commercial, run by volunteer organization. It strives for peace between peoples. The beginnings of the second oldest service are in the Traveler's Directory, which was built in 1965 by John Wilcock. This only his own friends were originally listed that were willing to undertake each other on the road. 1988 originated from the network Hospitality Exchange. The first Internet-based service was Hospex who operated from Poland since 1992.

Since the 1990s, the trend of hospitality networks is increasingly away from host lists in printed form to databases on the Internet that are available to users to contact each other. These websites have experienced a huge increase since 2000. Examples are CouchSurfing and Hospitality Club ( direct successor of Hospex ). The individual services vary in their organization, functions that are available to the users, to a lesser extent also in the Terms of Service and the typical target group.

Operation

Through hospitality networks, the journey is more affordable and a more direct contact with the inhabitants of the land and their way of life possible. Join the hosts in host lists that are available in digital or printed form. The traveler looks for his own accommodation places by contacting potential hosts using the list.

Staying with a host is typically only a few days. In principle there are as opposed to a hotel stay is neither a fee nor a claim for benefits on the night out. Common meals, use of kitchen, telephone or Internet, and participation in the costs incurred will be agreed individually. In many hosts also lists persons are registered, who are willing to perform around tourists in the city.

Staying in private households means a great saving of money that they would normally spend nights in a hotel, hostel or a hostel for travelers. On the longer seen (about a period of two to four weeks), this strategy can reduce the travel budget by half. This trip is not only financially possible in the first, and long stays in the country are affordable, which is often equated with a much more authentic experience of the country.

Examples of popular hospitality networks

• ADFC Dachgeber (only in Germany, Requirements: Travelling by bicycle, buying the host list)
• BeWelcome ( Requires free registration on the internet platform )
• CouchSurfing ( Requires free registration on the internet platform )
• Hospitality Club ( Requires free registration on the internet platform )
• Servas International ( Prerequisites: Information conversation with an interviewer, rental host list)
• Pasporta Servo ( Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of Esperanto, buying the host list)
• WWOOF ( " Worldwide opportunities on organic farms", board and lodging to work on the farm; Requires purchase of the host list)
• Staydu ( "Stay with locals for help, money or free "; Requires free registration on the internet platform )
• Global Freeloaders ( Requires free registration on the internet platform )