The pioneer startup in the exchange of houses through the internet, HomeExchangecelebrates 30 years since its creation, at a time of growing awareness of the need for a tourist activity more respectful with the environment and local populations. Exactly the same year in which HomeExchange records a home exchange every two minutes, twice as many as two years ago, and also reviews the main stages of its history.
From paper catalogs to a web page and mobile application
When home swapping was beginning to gain a foothold in the early 90sthe pioneers, mainly teachers, used paper catalogues, their advertisements were published once or twice a year and, in addition, they were sent by mail.
«Today, we no longer have a paper catalogue, but a website and a mobile application. Our members no longer communicate by mail, but through our online messaging system, WhatsApp or video calls. We have gone from being present in a few countries, now being in 159 countries, from a few organized exchanges a year to an exchange completed every two minutes“, He says Charles-Edouard Girardco-founder of HomeExchange.
1992 – 2022: a vision of tourism that does not change
Committed since its creation to the development of circular tourism and the fight against the bases of mass tourismthe company sees its 30th anniversary as an opportunity to reaffirm its mission: that more and more people can travel more often and for longer stays, in a humane and responsible way. «What has not changed in 30 years is our vision. We are committed to making travel more accessible to everyone, but not just any type of travel: we are committed to slower, more local and more authentic tourism, which demands respect and kindness. “, concludes Charles-Edouard Girard.
HomeExchange and The Holiday
In 2006, Nancy Meyers directed the film The Holiday, a romantic comedy in which Amanda, an American (played by Cameron Diaz) exchanges her Hollywood villa with Iris, an Englishwoman (played by Kate Winslet), through the HomeExchange website. This was a turning point in the history of home exchange and HomeExchange, which also appears several times in the film.
The invention of GuestPoints and the union with GuesttoGuest
In 2011, Emmanuel Arnaud invented the GuestPoints formula to facilitate exchanges, and founded GuesttoGuest with Charles-Edouard Girard. A few years later, in 2018, both companies merged under the name of HomeExchange, thus making GuestPoints known to already members of the home exchange platform and right now, 70% of exchanges are non-reciprocal.
“The “non-reciprocal exchange” proposal and the HomeExchange GuestPoints system absolutely won me over. For me, this is true freedom since I receive many guests from regions that, for one reason or another, I cannot go, but thanks to the GuestPoints I can stay in the high mountains in summer, for example, in apartments of second residence that their owners use for their ski holidays»explains Ely, a member of the community.
The solidarity of the HomeExchange community during the Covid-19 pandemic
Despite the limitations and restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the HomeExchange community demonstrated its ability to share, always respecting the restrictions. “Covid-19 caught up with us when we were on our world tour. Newly arrived in Chile from Argentina, we were imminently looking for accommodation as the upcoming confinement was announced and our first instinct was to find a place to live on the island of Chiloé using the HomeExchange app. In this way, we were able to stay a month in a beautiful house”says Solen, who has been using the platform for several years.
2.9 million exchange nights in 2022 worldwide
HomeExchange currently has more than 100,000 members in 159 countries, and an exchange is completed on its platform every two minutes. In addition, since the beginning of this year, there have been 2.9 million home exchange nights worldwide (including 569,365 in Spain), 27.6% more than in the same period of 2019. This shows that, year after year, home exchange continues to grow in popularity around the world, already forming a key part of the trend tour.
“Since the first trip to Australia I have done about 55 exchanges and I am always preparing the next ones or receiving people in my house. I would recommend it to everyone and especially I would tell them not to be afraid because there are a lot of wonderful people around the world who want to meet them and share with them.”, says Javier, a member of HomeExchange since 2009.
