Vicky Baker of www.GoingLocalTravel.com, wrote an interesting post about the emergence of online accommodation networks.
Online accomodation networks are websites that enable you to bypass hotels and rent a place to sleep from locals, swap your own for it, or just get it for free in return for being a pleasant guest.
A number of them have been set up in the last few years. Among many others: AirBnB.com, Crashpadder.com, iStopover.com, Homelidays (renting), Geenee.com (swapping) and Couchsurfing.com (“free”).
It’s been such a success, Bed & Breakfast and Hotel owners are starting to get worried about them… check this forum discussion Vicky links to.
The market for online accommodation networks is still small, so at this moment there is not reason to panick for the hotel industry. But I do think this will change rapidly, as people are getting increasingly comfortable meeting other people over the internet.
Continue reading this article on the Spotted by Locals main blog
Local travel networks supported by some form of global accreditation is the way to go.
Posted by Darron Raw | March 10, 2010, 6:50 amHi folks…can someone enlighten me how couchsurfing, living cheaply off the locals is good for the locals?? My country is a friendly people and is and i can see them being taken advantage of by travellers who are not interested in learning anything about our culture and people but more about how a free holiday can be had. Most of the hotels we have are locally owned and operated. they employ locals and pay taxes. So how the heck is couch surfing going to help the locals who run these operations. I can see advantages only for those wishing to live cheaply on the locals and bugger all for the locals.
rgds from Samoa
Posted by Nynette Sass | March 14, 2010, 8:21 amCouchsurfing has been really helpful for me in meeting locals, and experiencing the local culture. Staying at someone’s home is a great way to experience a local culture I think. I’m sure there are freeloaders around though (there’s even a website “freeloaders” for those), who don’t care about that. But haven’t met them myself!
Posted by Bart van Poll | March 14, 2010, 8:45 am@Samoa On Vicky’s website, there is an interesting posting about your concern. http://goinglocaltravel.com/?p=457
Posted by Bart van Poll | March 15, 2010, 5:29 am.. and then there’s the living in a hut, for example. Picture a small, remote village and a family who opens its doors to a perfect stranger from abroad.
Although this looks great on first sight, here – I think – good forward thinking about the benefits AND the drawbacks of organizing this, is needed.
.. as the villager I referred to is generally internet illiterate, to say the least ..
Camille/CEO AMAIDI Volunteering in India
Posted by Camille | March 20, 2010, 7:48 pm