How to make Couchsurfing more attractive for hosts

Meatless breakfast on Good Friday



The current host-traveler ratio on Couchsurfing
Most of the Couchsurfing introduction events such as Couchsurfing Orientation Day as well as several books on Backpacking around the World have been extremely inspiring. Unfortunately the focus of the media as well as private events is too much on the travelling and surfing part. People are rather interested in finding a host in their travel destination than being a host themselves. I think our common sense and the original idea of Couchsurfing is paying forward and this means we take and give a couch.

It will add a lot more balanced information to the Couchsurfing idea if we also present the aspects and advantages of hosting. As a New Member Welcome greeter I have to scroll down very deeply past the travelling or non-hosting member until I can find a host. Then I'm disappointed again because even these people are preparing for their next big trip. What actions can we take to improve this imbalance between hosts and couch seeker?


How can we improve host-surfer ratio?
Many new signups have empty profiles, do not host or are still on travels; very few new hosts are in sight. This can be very discouraging for hosts and travellers alike.
One of the reasons why the host/surfer ratio on Couchsurfing is so imbalanced is: Couchsurfing Inc as well as the media emphasises a lot more on the travelling than the hosting part.

Every TV show, media article, TV documentary, Couchsurfing's own advertisement only presents how much fun it is for a traveller to surf a couch for free. If the media could emphasise more on the hosting part, a lot of hosts will be more inclined to join Couchsurfing for a longer period. Articles in magazines and newspapers, TV programs and even talkshows about the hosting aspect of couchsurfing will make the Couchsurfing idea much more attractive for those people who would like to enjoy hosting.



The many advantages of hosting over surfing

1. You can stay in the comfort of your own home and social environment while the world comes to you and open your eyes
2. Cultural exchange in your own four walls and possible friendships
3. Language practice with native speakers without leaving your friendly environment
4. Teach, learn and share without the hardships of travelling. We may think of parents with kids or very busy people who cannot always afford to travel
5. Valuable help with housework or repairs. These services are very costly nowadays
6. Nice gifts, invitation to a restaurant or home-made food from a foreign culture
7. Hosting is still a lot cheaper and less stressful than traveling

Many people think that hosting is a burden and the host gives, the surfer takes. In real life it is always a two-way communication, a surfer can treat the host to meals and drinks, buy groceries, help in the household, enjoy their company, give them an inspiring experience, you can travel the world without leaving your house and many things more. Hosting is still a lot less expensive than travelling, even in cases where guests don't give too much of a material contribution. Beyond all the presents, good manners, help in the household there is something even more precious: People open up themselves towards a person they will never have a chance to meet on other occasions.


How to minimise unpleasant surprises with guests
It is never pleasant to hear less than positive comments, especially if we would like to promote hosting. There are some surfers who are rude, disrespectful towards the host and their property, abusive, sponging or even dangerous. A new host may want to contact other hosts in their cities regarding reading profiles(interests,teach, learn, share, types of people they enjoy etc), reading into references, how to evaluate positive and negative references alike, photos etc. Last but not least, the best reference is always prior correspondence, skype and phone calls as well as posts in groups

Point nr. 2 of this page is part of CS FAQ and very often used by less reciprocal surfers to pressure their hosts. In fact, this is only one page of the FAQ which is written by ambassadors based on the TOU. Several threads in groups(Ambassador archives) suggest that the Terms of Use is a commercial contract with grey areas to work around. I have never charged for the couch itself, but asking for donations or an act of thanks such as help in the household, groceries or invitation to dinner has never posed any problems. When in doubt, there is always a way to contact the Membership Dispute and Safety Team.


Conclusion
It is very unfortunate that Couchsurfing Terms of Use are totally in favour of surfers and travelers. New Welcome Greeters have a great potential to motivate the joys of hosting travelers. Official and inofficial events like Teach, Learn and Share Day have a great impact on how to make Couchsurfing more attractive for hosts. Let us educate future surfers and new members to be considerate to their host, so their visit will remain a lasting positive experience in their memories.

UPDATE 5 July 2014:  In late November 2011, Couchsurfing has become a for-profit B-Corporation Basically I have nothing against it except that they continue to extend their services to surfers only. Customer service is poor and the website poorly maintained, many documents written by ambassadors have been removed by the new management. CS has grown considerably in numbers and this also results in new members who are only looking for a free place to stay and no strings attached. People still make friends on CS but there are other channels than the CS website to communicate with each other. Asking for an act of thanks from surfers is still possible but CouchSurfing of today has a tougher stance on asking presents or labour from surfers. The New Member Welcome Team which consisted of volunteers is now non-existent and this has taken away a good opportunity for the community to assist new members.

Update November 2014
The already brittle website has been downgraded by the new management and the whole situation has worsened considerably. Many groups and events are transferred to FB, many members communicate through other media like Whatsapp, BBM, Skype and last but not least the ol' phone and email! Some groups on Couchsurfing still provide great information about what and why things happened! I still maintain my hospitality subnetwork and use the above-mentioned media....

Jeffrey, my host from Singapore

Jeffrey!!!! He has become one of my closest friends on CS and we are still in contact until today. I was posting to the Singapore group and saw his subgroup: The Singapore EAT EAT EAT group. He answered positively to my post on his group and offered to meet up and share food together. Singaporean food is famous and I thought this would be the chance to experience food in the company of a local friend. We have been mailing a few times and I got to know his need for clean surfers very well. I'm a clean person but I don't shower 3 times per day and don't wash my hair every day. My hair and skin is rather dry and it would become brittle if I wash it everyday. It is a matter of fact that even in a tropical country, fresh sweat doesn't smell and is by no means dirty. What we normally smell is old sweat starting to decay after a few days exactly like rotten food. Indeed a few backpackers smell horribly because some of them find it cool not to shower and change their clothing for a whole year. Would Jeffrey find me clean enough to surf his couch?

I arrived in Singapore with a sore stomach and diarrhoea. Jeffrey and his family already waited for me at the airport. He looked exactly like on the photo, so does his lovely family. We went to some place in Singapore that I didn't remember and ate congee(rice porridge with condiments). It was so delicious and my diarrhoea stopped immediately. The next days were unforgettable as I joined the family shopping in Johor Bahru Malaysia, buying gold paper money for the rituals in Singapore and helped them preparing for the feast. The family was so hospitable and never let their guest contribute to anything.

Jeffrey prepared for the Feast of the Hungry Ghosts, something I had heard of as I lived in Malaysia and Indonesia for some time. However, I never experienced it from a close-corner viewpoint. I enjoyed the private preparation much more than the real function with CS because I felt like being a good friend or member of the family. Everyday we went out eating while preparing for the big feast. After the food offering ceremony we could eat all the delicious food Jeffrey cooked himself.

Apart from being a generous and kind person, Jeffrey was a skilled driver and perfect organiser. We travelled together to Penang and Hat Yai and I met his friends Anthony and Joe who joined us in the car. They remained great friends on CS and I hoped I could meet them again soon. The weather in Penang was horrible and we had to wade through shit water to get to the gourmet restaurant. But nevertheless, the experience was so special, the food excellent and Georgetown a beautiful old city with a background of durian plantation and the sea.

We drove the whole night where I discovered that Jeffrey was a good driver too. At the border between Thailand and Malaysia we stopped at a small restaurant next to fruit plantations. The fruit was very cheap but the cempilak was finished and so was the durian. I saw real Malays eating grilled chicken and melinjo vegetables with their hands. Not a single tourist and backpacker, exactly the kind of rural life I would expect in SE Asia. After this we crossed the Thai border and Jeffrey started to teach me a bit of Thai. It was just later that I found out that it was crucial.

"Couchsurfing" in a Thai nunnery, a special experience
We stopped at a nunnery and I always wanted to experience the spirituality in a Thai temple. I decided to "couchsurf" in the temple. The nunnery was located in the middle of the forest and has impressive traditional architecture. Their meditation was very simple but deep, similar to Taijiquan without the martial arts component. Instead, they related the meditation to daily tasks such as household, sewing, cleaning etc. I had the best durian I could imagine with thick flesh and small stone, dry and sweat taste with a colour as yellow as butter. We could have this for breakfast and lunch because lunch at noon would be the last meal before the next morning. The nuns realised that I was not accustomed to this kind of lifestyle and gave me a chance to adjust slowly and allowed me to have a light dinner. Jeffrey, I spent most time surfing and travelling with you and I still would like your family to stay with me whereever I am, in Sydney or in Germany.

From Bourail to Noumea

Olive's house was in the middle of the Caledonian bush or brousse and we had no neighbours except of wild cows, dogs and horses. Zita his dog couldn't stop playing with me because she was young and strong. Every time she brought a piece of stone and deliberately dropped it on somebody's foot(ouch) to invite them to play with her. She never got tired no matter how often and how far you would throw the stone. Bourail and the bushland is said to be the residence of many "Caldoches", the French white people who have been living in New Caledonia for more than 5 generations. As a tourist and foreigner, I tried to be very careful about saying something with a double sense like Caldoche or Kanak(indigenous person). The safest for a foreigner is to always use neutral words and expressions.

The Bourail market was really interesting with the many exotic fruits which remind me a bit of Malaysia or Indonesia. Indigenous women in very colourful traditional dresses sitting around chatting or selling their products was typical for the Bourail market. In my opinion they were more interested, educated and curious than the Australian indigenous people back home. I bought an indigenous vegetable called chou Kanak or indigenous cabbage which looked more like spinach to me. The Caledonian indigenous people were curious and wanted to know much about the indigenous people in Australia. I always had hangups talking about the indigenous people in Australia and was happy as Pierre came to pick me up. The woman was surprised that my friends were white because as I told her that I stayed with friends she probably expected anything else than a "Caldoche". As a foreigner I often prefer not to voice my opinion too clearly because I was not always sure whether irony in that particular case would be suitable to express the double sense of matters.

The bus from Bourail to Noumea was late as usual. Jean Lugand, my third host, expected to pick me up near the cinema where the bus stop was. He was a handsome, kind and neat young man who worked as an engineer for Air Calin. HIs written English was excellent but as I asked him he preferred to speak French. This suited me very well because I liked to practice my French as much as I could while I was in NC. Indeed my French became very fluent and I started to use irony, humour or any type of slapsticks. Jean initially treated me as a couchsurfer and he clearly said that he wouldn't change his life for a couchsurfer. Of course I would never expect any host to change his life for a surfer or guest.

We went out Salsa dancing to the prettiest dancing I could ever imagine. Jean said it was an appealing place with friendly guests and staff. I couldn't agree more with him on that place. It was built in traditional Caledonian architecture in the middle of the sea, so we had to walk a small bridge to cross a small part of the water to be able to enter the disco. We had a salsa course where men and women were separated. Jean was tired and went home earlier. I still stayed and danced with many people then I slowly walked back to Jean's apartment in the noble suburb Anse Vata by the sea.

Anse Vata is a suburb with predominantly European or sometimes Asian residents where you hardly see any indigenous person. Sometimes I could observe a few indigenous people sleeping on the beach. The next day Jean didn't have time for me because he had a business dinner. He gave me the key of his apartment which he normally didn't give to surfers. I'm trustworthy but people who don't know me need some time to find out and I'm glad Jean trusted me. I walked a long way until Baie de Citron and further up but as I had sneekers and jeans on, they didn't admit me to the disco.

The last day of my stay in Noumea I went to the famous municipal market located just on the waterside of Noumea Harbour. It was another beautiful building with a blue roof and water views. Here they had the prawns NC was famous for and plenty of Vietnamese and Indonesian food. So I had quite a good value coffee, breakfast and hot lunch here. After breakfast I was looking for diving and surfing opportunities but it was not as easy as in Sydney. I needed to pay much for a boat which could bring me to the diving and surfing points. Because I was alone I needed to pay the fee for the whole boat because it was off season but school holiday time. All the flights were booked and everything was more expensive because of the school holidays and I couldn't find a flight to the Pine Islands. Finally I decided to just take a day cruise.

A must see in Noumea is the Centre Culturelle de Tjibaou or Cultural Centre. It is a a piece of land located by the sea, a beautiful spot with interesting indigenous shows, landscape gardening and the real indigenous houses. Just the bus ride along the coast provided a different side of coastal Noumea. I initially thought that Noumea was not worth a visit. But this city is multicultural and -ethnic, so even a cruise ship full of Australians will just be absorbed in the ethnic diversity of Noumea. I spent the last day with Jean and invited him to dinner at Baie de Citron. He was very caring and organised a shuttle bus to catch the very early flight. Public transportation was extremely unreliable in New Caledonia s I couldn't thank him moer for that. I was really prepared to catch an expensive taxi at the risk that they rip me off as a tourist. Thank you Jean for your hospitality and it was a great pity that I couldn't spend much time with you to get to know you better.

Garry Graham

I spent the next months attending many CS meetings and found a couple of new friends. On Australia Day I had some work-free days and decided to embark on just a short trip to Port MacQuairie. It was just by chance that I found GArry Graham through another friend who came to my NYE potluck in Sydney. He answered immediately and very positively to my request.

Garry already waited for me as I arrived late night in Port MacQuairie. He looked exactly like his picture, welcoming and hospitable. As I arrived at his house I was a bit disappointed because I couldn't have the guest room due to "friends" staying. For sure my first intention was to experience the area, looking for some opportunities to live there and spend time with Garry. But I can't deny the fact that I do have the need for my own room without the need to live out of the suitcase. On Couchsurfing I could get to know a person I wasn't really aware of....myself.......After a few sleepless nights I was not the nice person I used to be....

I enjoyed staying with Garry and we became really good friends. He had a neat organised household, loved tea and cooked lovely gourmet food. He showed me around the area, took long stretches into the Hinterland with me but the amount of freshwater didn't allow us to surf. He didn't seem to be happy with his friends Lynn and Phil whom I found ignorant and rude. Our dissatisfaction in Lynn and Phil's company created some bonding between us and we spent more quality time together. We discovered another interest that we share next to beaches and surfing - Martial Arts. We trained Hapkido together on our last night. Garry was quite a multitalented person and I regret that my stay was so much troubled by Lynn and Phil. He introduced me to his friends and I was invited to their birthday drinks. Lynn and Phil wore me out though and I had sleepless nights. My headaches became so bad that I needed to cancel my next host in Byron Bay.

Garry, you are a good friend and I look forward to hosting you in the future.

My first experiences with Couchsurfing

Not that I haven't met all kinds of people from all types of cultures and language backgrounds. On the contrary, due to my parents ethnic background and their job, I was travelling the world since my first baby crawl. I have hosted and been hosted far before hospitality exchange websites could facilitate our travels. Actually I was rather looking to meet new people and learn new perspectives of life as I joined. It is just the idea of freeloaders who have no interest in me as a person and just use me as a free hostel which gives me the goose bumps. Imagine a stranger who just wants to crash for one night and then leave early in the morning, barely gets the opportunity to get to know you, only leaves a dirty lump of washing and possibly cockroach eggs.

AS I visited a host from Hospitality Club with my daughter, I was surprised how open-minded and hospitable they were. I felt I needed some encounters with these extraordinary folks and attended my first Couchsurfing and Hospitality Club in Mainz. The people were so interesting and multicultural that I didn't hesitate to attend a private party at Dennis Emrich's place, the Mainz ambassador at that time. At this party I was also given my first meeting reference to make my journey around the world easier.

I was browsing around the website, read forums and profiles just for fun. Some people, especially those from foreign countries, really ignited my interest and I began my first correspondence with them. The day came as I surfed my first couch in Neuss near Düsseldorf. A colleague of mine offered me to watch a Lasik operation in Neuss on a very sort term and I needed a place to stay. It has never occured to me for one moment to write a copy pasted bulk mail. Of course it was a natural attitude that I personalise my request and write with strong attention-catching words. At least I did have some experience in writing marketing letters and let my skills flow into my first couch request.

Very quickly I received 3 offers from interesting people although I did not have a single reference. So I already thought that a request written from our hearts even if it is just one paragraph will beat any type of reference or profile. That was the very beginning of Couchsurfing because nowadays quantity seems to make up for quality among the new members.I decided for one girl close to the hospital and of course my good manners encouraged me to thank the other hosts for their offers.

This girl, my first host Michaela from Neuss and now city ambassador, exceeded all my expectations. The Couchsurfing wiki article suggested that to avoid disappointment one should barely expect more than a couch to crash on. I bought her a set of facetowels which is something I do often when visiting a person I don't really know. She was rather surprised and we cooked together like friends who know each other since years. Apart from this I had many interesting conversations about so many subjects and went out for salsa dancing. This was my last surfing experience in Germany before I left the country and heading for my second residence in Sydney, Australia.