Our experience with couchsurfing is still somewhat limited but so far we have found that sometimes the places available are difficult to get to or very far out of the way for the touristy stuff. Some hosts seem to have methods of requesting hosting as a defense against being used for just a room. Most hosts seem to have a strong desire to have some interaction with their guests. Initially we had concerns that hosts would be using the service for selling you something or looking for sexual shit. The other major concerns we had were around security, privacy and what is appropriate to give to the host for their hospitality.
In the overall I think couchsurfing is a great program especially for the younger footloose and fancy free crowd and it has given me an idea I want to work on when we get home.
Going to look into the complexity and feasibility of starting something similar but with a focus on the over 40 crowd.
Looking at the service as exists the main 2 strengths of it is the desire of people wanting to meet with other people from other countries and to cut costs when travelling.
I think for the over 40 traveler these same things apply. Older travelers, at least like us put a little more value to considerations such as security, privacy, their obligation and show of appreciation to the host.
What I want to design is a service aimed at addressing these items for the over 40 traveler.
First you must be over 40. The over 40 crowd is a little more well heeled so a small fee, and I am thinking $10/room/night,would be charged with 3/4 going to the host. This helps to remove the obligation aspect for the guest and gets a commitment from both. Once booked if you don't show up you loose your deposit and if you show up and the host isn't home you get a refund. Hosts that "no show" more than once will be removed from the service. Of course there would also need to be a cancellation policy.
Second the room provided must be a private room with a locking mechanism. A private bathroom would attract more traffic to your casa but you can't charge more because of it. The same principal would apply to allowing kitchen or laundry access. I think it would be acceptable to offer and charge for meals like breakfast but they would have to be clearly identified as to what the price was and what was included.
Thirdly an insurance would be in place for thief and breakage. This would be a part of the $10/night fee. I have not fully investigated this issue and I am not sure whether your homeowners insurance would cover you. I know that there are some concerns and issues around this with Airbnb and other companies of this nature. Having strangers in your house can expose you to these risk as well as for the guest.
So basically if you were going to Toronto for 3 days then on to Kingston for 2 days and then Montreal for 3 days, you would send your travel plans to the website. We would send back our lists of hosts that are available and willing to host you in those cities for your selected dates with some picture, amenities, reviews and general location. Your hosts would also receive your information page. You would choose your hosts and send the required fees. We would then provide you with host contact information. After the completion of the trip the hosts would be paid their fees. Both parties would be able to write a review on their experience which would be available to other host and guest members. Any extensions to a stay would require the fee in order to provide insurance coverage.
All website members would be required to pay a one time fee of $30 via credit card. This would establish to some degree that they are who they say they are and live where they say they live. They must be over 40 years of age. People could join to become members and not have to offer to host to be guests.
So that in a nutshell is the idea,. the name I like at the moment is "Mi Casa Su Casa" Home away from Home with new friends for the adventurous over 40 traveler.
Would appreciate your comments or thoughts.
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