Along with changing our lives, the Internet is altering the way people travel. The emerging phenomenon of Hospitality networks helps diminish borders between people, cultures and countries.
The post-World War II phenomenon of people’s diplomacy was based on the idea that direct people-to-people communication could bring nations closer in mutual understanding, thus preventing future wars. Many exchange programs were initiated by non-governmental organizations around the world. Thus common people became messengers and ambassadors of a new type.
Hospitality networks.
The idea of people’s diplomacy has been evolving since the Internet era began. New media tools and Web 2.0 particularly created a new space for intercultural communications stimulating cultural exchanges. On-line Hospitality networks became a new engine of such exchanges. At the verge of the new millennium a variety of free travelers’ websites emerged to help travelers from around the world and local people to meet.
This BBC report shows how hospitality networks work.
There is a variety of hospitality networks. CouchSurf is the biggest on-line community of free travelers , having 832,729 members, who represent 230 countries/ territories and speak 1226 languages (as of November 25, 2008).
Here's a quick graphical representation of where current Surfers are located.
The Hospitality Club is the oldest on-line community with more than 437 thousand members in 221 countries and territories around the world. The aim of the Club is “to bring people together - hosts and guests, travelers and locals”.
All these sites share the same spirit of hospitality, friendship and openness. “We truly believe in the idea that bringing people together and fostering international friendships will increase intercultural understanding and strengthen peace” (http://www.hospitalityclub.org).
“…It's about making connections worldwide. We make the world a better place by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!” (http://www.couchsurfing.com/mission.html).
One unique feature of on-line hospitality exchanges is that they allow people to meet not only virtually, but in real life as well. The direct experience with people from other cultures changes people’s world vision, impacting their views and actions in their home communities. Here are some CS members’ comments:
To me, the simple, powerful lesson I learned was that relationships with people across the borders is possible, and that there really are no borders! "Conventional wisdom" can easily scare us away from each other, but Couch-Surfing opens doors and says "Welcome." Thanks CS!!!!" Brian J Zralek (United States) "The Couchsurfing Project is the best way into a better understanding of other cultures, the thing which is getting more and more important these days." Haj Ali (Syria) "Couchsurfing is such a big fun. I've also noted that the experience is actually a step further in living a reasonable life as you get to exchange ideas with people from all over the world." Willys Mark Abiero (Kenya). "As much as CouchSurf lets me experience the cities if visit through the eyes of a local, I also get a chance to look at my own city trough a new set of eyes every time I host someone. It's so much fun to get a double view of a place..." Nicolas De Belder (Belgium).
. CouchSurf tracks the records of its members’ experience: 2048351 positive experiences, which is a remarkably high 99.794 percent of all member experiences.
On-line Cooperation for Development.
From the very beginning, these sites became communication hubs for international communities. Later they turned into a center for a variety of activities using the Web 2.0 model of collaboration and co-creation. For example the Hospitality Club (HC) members created the World HC tour guide, composed of information and travel advice by locals and visitors. Most of these sites are multilingual – up to 20 languages – the result of users’ collaboration.
CouchSurf alone has more than 5300 discussion groups. Most of them are different interest groups or travel destination-related groups (Predictably, Paris is the most popular: 45 groups with 11913 members and 34 thousands posts). However, a number of groups are thematic, concentrating on such topics as: “Alternative ways of living and consuming”, “Change the World,” “Peace in the Middle East” and “Protecting the Environment for a healthier tomorrow”. There are also groups like “I want to go to Cuba before Castro dies”.
Hospitality Club promotes the idea of creating actual local communities of like-minded people. There are hundreds such groups around the world, which organize meet-ups, forums, inter-community exchanges and many other activities.
In some cases, travel experiences bring people to the idea of contributing to the communities they visit by volunteering at a variety of local development projects. There are on-line groups where people share their volunteer experience or ask related questions: “I would love to work as a Volunteer around the world, to combine travel with helping others… I’ve travelled a lot just for the sake of travel, would love nothing more than to help at the same time! Let me know”…Posted by Lean Monnerup Toft from Jystrup, Denmark on 10/5/2008.
For people who are interested specifically in volunteering, there is another category of sites that help travelers find local communities’ development projects that would appreciate their skills, energy and time.
The Global Volunteer Networkconnects communities in need of help from volunteers from around the world. Today GVN sends around 2000 volunteers each year to over 29 projects teaching English at primary school, working on building projects for the benefit of local communities, assisting medical doctors at rural clinics, working at child care program and participating in conservation projects. HelpX organizes cultural exchanges for working holiday makers who would like to stay with local people while traveling, and to gain practical experience. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms – WWOOF is an international network that links people who want to volunteer at organic farms or smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help.
"Teaching in Ghana was such a worthwhile experience, not only for me but for the kids I taught as well. The impact you make on the school is something that benefits the children massively, allowing them to experience fun and a different method of teaching." Richard McMahon,Bath, United Kingdom. "My stay in a rural Maasai village working as a nurse in their clinic was a once of a lifetime experience. I saw the overall needs of a population while at the same time experiencing the tremendous sense of community so lacking in my country." Kathy Schaefer, Georgia, United States.
Thus the idea of cultural exchange is changing the world. It helps people to understand our unity. We learn to recognize our interdependence and to see the whole world as a community. Every encounter, every open door and open heart brings us closer to the global community.
