BeWelcome
 | |
| Founded | February 2007[1] |
|---|---|
| Focus | Hospitality exchange, international understanding, networking |
| Location | |
Area served | Global |
| Method | Hospitality service |
Members | > 90,000[2] |
Official languages | 41 language versions |
| Owner | BeVolunteer |
| Website | www.bewelcome.org |
BeWelcome (often abbreviated as BW) is a hospitality exchange service that is run by a non-profit organization. The website was founded in February 2007. As of July 2016, the network has more than 90,000 members in more than 150 countries all around the world, who offer free accommodation and help during travel.[2] Joining is free and the software behind the site, the BW-rox platform, is free and open-source software.[3][4]
Organisation
BeWelcome is a free service, but requires registration. It is run by volunteers, and it is organized as a voluntary association registered in Rennes, France.
Members can contact each other for information about the offered accommodation or to request to stay. The service requires that the exchange be non-commercial.[5] Members can also leave feedback on their experiences.
History
BeWelcome is the result of a project created in October 2006 by dissatisfied volunteers of the Hospitality Club network. They founded the official non-profit association, BeVolunteer, which manages the BeWelcome.org website which is registered in Rennes, France.[6][1][7]
Sharing economy
BeWelcome is considered to be part of the sharing economy. "the platform does not use the word "customers". Rather, it divides its users between "members," and "volunteers." The difference between the two is that the latter group is more involved in the daily operations of the platform by having signed up as a volunteer and donating their time by for example welcoming new members. Anyone can take part in the decision - making process and all active volunteers can vote and run for the Board of Directors" [8]
Notes
- 1 2 Baker, Vicky (26 August 2011). "Budget Travel: Not-for-profit Couchsurfing becomes a company (with a conscience)". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- 1 2 Statistics at BeWelcome
- ↑ BeWelcome Rox Archived October 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. at Gitorious.org
- ↑ Countries, BeWelcome.org. accessed 2 January 2015.
- ↑ Baker, Vicky (18 April 2008). "Going local in Caracas, Venezuela". The Guardian.
- ↑ Bokėj, Romuald (2008). "Apsikeitimas svetingumu" (PDF). Žalioji Lietuva (in Lithuanian). ISSN 1392-7167. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
- ↑ Kugel, Seth (7 January 2014). "Tips for Travel Savings in 2014". The New York Times.
- ↑ Zvolska, Lucie (September 2015). "Sustainability Potentials of the Sharing Economy, Malmö, page 44". Thesis.