Monday, July 8, 2019

Website Spotlight: HomeExchange

Did you know that in 2018, US domestic leisure trips increased by 2% to 1.8 billion[1] peron-trips[2] and US and International leisure travelers spent $762 billion on these trips[3]? The majority of this travel budget goes towards Accommodation costs (21%) and Food services (25%)[4], which through the years continue to represent a significant percentage of the average traveler’s vacation budget.
It is no surprise that Home exchanging is rapidly becoming a more popular method of travel amongst American families. The concept allows visitors to enjoy the comfort and authenticity of a local’s house or apartment while eliminating the exorbitant costs of a hotel or rental.
The model is simple: lend your home to another family/individual for any specified period of time and in return, go stay at their home (simultaneously, or not), or simply accrue GuestPoints for hosting other members. You can then use those GuestPoints to travel somewhere else or save them and use these GuestPoints on your next vacation. 
Becoming part of the community and organizing an exchange is very simple, safe and easy on the wallet with our two options:
  • The Optimal annual membership costs $150 for the entire year and allows unlimited exchanges and full coverage by the HomeExchange services, guaranteeing complete support before, during and after your exchange.
  • Or pay-as-you-go for $15 per night.
Keep in mind that because organizing a home exchange doesn’t involve financial compensation, it is not considered as a sublet for tenants and there is no taxable income for owners!
In the USA, around 60% of the HomeExchange community is represented by families. For many, the cost of airfare for four or five people takes a significant toll on the travel budget, thus any further savings becomes vital to the rest of the trip. The savings afforded through an exchange keeps your family on-track to enjoy more of the activities and experiences that make travel memorable. Money otherwise spent on hotels for the family gets reallocated to making memories at museums, parks, sporting events, wine & food tours and gifts to return home with.
HomeExchange not only offers the opportunity to save money, but also allows your family to experience a comfortable setting with something for everyone. Whether it’s a lush garden, a fully-equipped kitchen, a cozy living room, bikes to ride, or toys and games for the kids, the mundane sameness of hotels is replaced with the underlying feeling of something authentic and more suitable for a family! With 400,000 homes in 187 countries, HomeExchange makes nearly any destination a possibility with variety to boot!
When we asked HomeExchange members what they do with the money they save on accommodations, nearly everyone tells us that they travel for longer periods of time, more frequently and to more distant destinations.
Here are a few member testimonials about their experience with HomeExchange: 
Sophie: "We now travel for every school holiday, and often to more distant destinations. We recently spent five weeks in Quebec with our three kids and we found that we were able to do more activities and dine-out more often.
Claudine: "As guests, we really enjoy going to restaurants during our exchanges to help drive the local economy of wherever we’re staying"
Traveling with HomeExchange is very economical and authentic, removing many of the expenses and tourist traps that too often bog down a family getaway. Come make beautiful connections and unique memories with your family, anywhere in the world!
About HomeExchange 
As the global leader and most trusted home exchange community in the world, HomeExchange offers authentic, sustainable, and affordable vacation opportunities for everyone to enjoy, by exchanging their homes for the vacations. After having successfully grown their first company, GuesttoGuest, CEO Emmanuel Arnaud and President Charles-Edouard Girard raised a total of $43 million USD and acquired Trampolinn, Itamos, HomeForHome and Knok. In 2017, they added to their portfolio the American pioneer HomeExchange, then the Canadian EchangedeMaison, and at the beginning of 2019, NightSwapping. January of 2019 marked a turning point, when these communities were united under their flagship brand, HomeExchange. The company has 100 team members and headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Paris, France. 

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