Why it pays to be a host in a hospitality exchange
In this series:
- Introduction to Hospitality Exchanges
- Comparison of Online Hospitality Exchanges
- Pros and Cons of Hospitality Exchanges
- Why it pays to be a host in a Hospitality Exchange
- Personal Experiences and other Hospitality Exchange Resources
Okay, so the benefits of a hospitality exchange for travelers are obvious. You get to travel to exotic new locations where you will have someone waiting to show you around, give you tips and advice, and you won’t have to spend a dime on hotel bills.
But why would I want to be a host to travelers in my hometown? Afterall, I don’t want some stranger from another country snoring on my living room couch!
Well there are actually two big benefits to hosting travelers in your home through a hospitality exchange.
The first is the obvious cross-cultural exchange that you will share in by hosting a foreign traveler in your home. It should be an interesting and fulfilling experience, that at the very least will make interesting conversation at your next dinner party. However, if cultural exchange and personal fulfillment are not enough for you, the next reason is also quite a doozy!
The second, less obvious, and more selfish reason to host travelers in a hospitality exchange, is that it is a fantastic way to build a network of “travel buddies” around the world. Every guest that you host in your home, becomes a possible contact for the next time you are traveling through their country. If you host a young fellow from Sydney named Henry on your living room couch, odds are that when you email Henry a year later about your trip to Australia, he will offer to show you around Sydney and even let you stay in his home.
In this example you also have the advantage of already knowing Henry. You had already met in your home country, and know that you and Henry get along great together.
However, if you had never decided to host travelers in your home, you would never have met Henry. Instead you may have just made plans to visit Sydney, and setup a hospitality exchange with Emily, a women you have only spoken to through email. In this example you arrive in Sydney, and realize that you and Emily just don’t have any of the same interests. So, instead of going out and living it up with Henry, you end up spending 2 days listening to Emily droll on about her equestrian club.
Still, not everyone is comfortable with the idea of hosting a bunch of foreign travelers in their home. But if you give it a shot, you might just really enjoy it, as well as find it advantageous for future travels.
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