We Fight Against Mass Tourism
Now that it has become a consumable product, travel is losing its very essence: the feeling of escape. HomeExchange fights against mass tourism by giving meaning back to vacations, helping its members to travel like locals, and promoting a more circular tourism, all while minimizing the environmental impact.
We tackle the foundations of mass tourism
In order to cope with the ever-increasing number of tourists, excessive construction of new accommodations and infrastructure is generating biodiversity loss and ecosystem destruction. According to the IUCN, nearly 1,761 plant and animal species are threatened by tourist developments.
We value what already exists
Home exchange enhances what already exists; your empty houses and apartments when you go on vacation. Moreover, when you feel at home, it is easier to keep your good habits and not to consume resources excessively, especially in countries where they are already limited.
Our initiatives
We try to educate our already travel conscious members by sharing with them the keys to responsible travel. To learn more, please take a look at our guide to travel responsibly.
We also seek to engage the community in a dialogue about possible solutions to move forward together and to encourage them to share their own actions and initiatives.
"We also know that Sicily is an island, so its water and energy supplies are limited. We took care to turn off the heating every time we were away, to stay only 10 minutes under the shower, and to air the house well. Finally, as in France, we sorted and threw away our waste throughout our stay. These are small gestures that guarantee good air quality and appropriate consumption."
Magalie, HomeExchange member since 2015
We fight against deterioration into ghost towns
Standardized tourism creates housing stress, including rising real estate prices. This real estate overhang is driving away residents who can no longer afford to live in their own city. The historic districts, which are losing their inhabitants, are also losing some of their soul.
We participate in a more egalitarian tourism
Without any financial transaction between members, home exchange allows you to welcome guests into your home as friends or family. We open the doors to responsible tourism, not disturbing the local ecosystem of a city with short term rental accommodations.
The Little Extra of HomeExchange
Thanks to the savings made on accommodations, home exchange also allows travelers to invest their budget in local activities and businesses or restaurants, thus promoting a more equal economic distribution of tourism.
We reject the stereotyping of cultures
As a vice of mass tourism, the phenomenon of staging cultures is emerging all over the world, to satisfy the greedy eyes of tourists. The desire for cultural exchange and the discovery of other traditions becomes cliched entertainment, a show of caricature and symbols. No, France is not just about baguettes and wine, and the United States is more than a burger and SUVs!
We applaud authentic encounters
Home exchange allows travelers to meet the people in the place they are visiting. By exchanging homes, our members also exchange their way of life. It is a true immersion among the locals that we are able to promote. Hosts provide their guests with detailed guides to their own favorite places in the region, and their favorite authentic restaurants to enjoy the local cuisine.
Among Our Initiatives
We have created The Local's Guide, a dedicated map of our members' favorite activities, shops and restaurants, for the HomeExchange community but also for anyone looking to get off the beaten track. Find the map on the Mapstr application for more authentic vacations like a local !
We refuse immediacy and impulse travel
We've all thought that a place was nice to visit but the crowds were hard to bear ... when we ourselves are hidden in the background.
According to the UNWTO, 95% of the world's tourists are concentrated in less than 5% of the world's land mass. There is no doubt that this unreasonable number of tourists wears down our heritage and our cultural sites.
Today, you can book your next touristy trip to the other side of the world in two clicks. Such an impulse purchase doesn’t give us time to take a step back and reflect on its impact.
Together, Let's make our vacations meaningful again!
HomeExchange favors a slower, more pleasant form of tourism that allows us to recharge our batteries in lesser known destinations.
According to the ADEME, transport linked to vacations is the source of 3/4 of greenhouse gas emissions. We act for a tourism that respects the environment by encouraging local travel, by promoting soft transport like train or bike.
Moreover, on HomeExchange, trips are not booked in three clicks. The planning of the trip is done in several steps during which a real host/guest relationship is established.
So let's think together
What if we rethink our way of traveling? What if we took the time to take our time on vacation? And if booking a trip wasn't so simple, wouldn't we be more aware of its impact?
Today, 47% of the exchanges finalized on HomeExchange in 2022 are national. This number is still not up to our goals, but with 7% more than in 2019, it represents an encouraging advance that motivates us in our actions. We will therefore continue to encourage local travel, which allows us to favor transportation with less impact on the environment.
Commit to becoming a responsible traveler by signing our charter!
Travel More and Better with HomeExchange
Freed from the obstacle that the price of accommodation often represents, home exchange allows you to travel more often, for longer and in a more responsible way. So what are you waiting for? Join us and become a responsible traveler!