If HomeExchange is the most beautiful, authentic, and humane way of traveling for us, these qualities are also what makes it the most responsible, when we do it while respecting its very own values. Why?
- Together, we fight against mass tourism: Because by exchanging your homes, you also exchange a way of life. You share your tips, you visit less touristy places, you’re off the beaten track, and you consume local products. Instead of concentrating travelers in overexploited tourist areas, HomeExchange values local tourism, using empty houses instead of just saturating touristy areas. Because even in big cities like Paris, London, Madrid, or Barcelona, your home exchanges are made while respecting the local area: the HomeExchanger really sees the city like a "local".
"Before HomeExchange, I visited cities, today I live them as a local, and I stop and smell the roses. I live in real houses, not in hotels, so I can cook and do my shopping in local markets."
- Rosario
- We do not contribute to overconstruction: Instead of building concrete and other infrastructure to accommodate mass tourism in already overpopulated areas, instead of destroying natural habitats, HomeExchange makes it possible to take advantage of homes and empty apartments during the holidays, and thus mitigates the negative impact on the environment. Exchanging homes is not financial, it does not promote real estate hikes that have emptied some cities of their inhabitants because they can no longer afford to live there.
- You create an economically circular and egalitarian tourism: this summer, you saved about 15 million € thanks to HomeExchange. These savings are invested in the local economy, in shops or nearby restaurants, thus favoring a more egalitarian economic distribution of tourist benefits instead of feeding a standardized and destructive tourism of no ethical value.
With my savings - "I bought a painting from an artist we met on the street, who was then a resident artist in Paris. He was painting the café we were eating at when we started chatting. He invited us to see his apartment which we visited with pleasure. We discovered his work, had a few drinks, and bought this pretty painting. What a wonderful experience."
- Anita
- HomeExchange makes responsible members travel. Today, tourists are often spectators that look at cultures without exploring them. HomeExchange puts the commitment, the will, the constraints of time at the center of your experiences. I’m sure you all had trouble before finding your first exchange. Quite often, you go to discover places you had never thought of visiting before, because you were offered an exchange. But that’s what makes it responsible traveling: not giving into the satisfaction of a desire with a click by buying a plane ticket or reserving a hotel, but rather accepting constraints and rational possibilities. You go on long journeys before arriving at your destination: you make special arrangements to discover a new region, and then you experience it like a local resident. Then, you welcome others into your home. You make efforts to understand and immerse yourself in the local culture. To travel responsibly is to respect a culture that you may not have necessarily known about beforehand.
"HomeExchange is a unique way for me to promote collaborative tourism. If today everything is paid for in tourism, many things are worth more than just commercial value. In our family we love discovering new places, but what especially makes the difference in our travels are the relationships we create with those we meet."
- Myriam
