Founded February 2007 Area served Global Members 100,000 | Location Rennes Method Hospitality service | |
Focus Hospitality service, intercultural competence, social network | ||
BeWelcome (often abbreviated as BW) is a hospitality service that is run by a nonprofit organization. The website, bewelcome.org, provides a platform for members to homestay as a guest at someone's home, host travelers, meet other members, or join an event. Unlike many hospitality services, BeWelcome is an example of the gift economy; there is no monetary exchange between members and there is no expectation by hosts for future rewards. Like all hospitality services, BeWelcome is a form of collaborative consumption and sharing.
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Since it is operated as a non-profit organization, the site has been described as a "less-capitalist alternative" to CouchSurfing, another hospitality service.
Organization and website development
BeWelcome is run by volunteers, and it is organized as a voluntary association registered in Rennes, France.
The software behind the site, the BW-rox platform, is free and open-source software.
How it works
Joining BeWelcome is free, but requires registration.
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. 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.
After Couchsurfing International Inc., which operates Couchsurfing.com, became a for-profit organization in 2011, some members urged others to join BeWelcome.