- Origins and Definition
- Couchsurfing originated from friends sleeping on each other's sofas
- Term has evolved from semi-homeless people to global travel accommodation sharing
- CouchSurfing company launched in 2004 as a social networking service
- How It Works
- Hosts offer their couches to travelers for free accommodation
- Users can search by city and communicate before stays
- App provides safety features and lifetime verification option
- Financial Aspects
- App was free but started charging during pandemic
- Hosts cannot charge guests, only platform charges $2.39/month
- Casual couchsurfing tends to be completely free
- Safety and Safety
- Company offers safety measures and lifetime verification
- Common safety rules include sharing location and keeping contact
- Users can write references after 14 days of stay
- Popular Destinations
- New York has over 200,000 hosts
- India has almost 800,000 hosts
- Cambodia has almost 67,000 hosts