Homogeneity, Trust, and Reciprocity: Three Keys to the Sustainable Hospitality Exchange of Couchsurfing

Abstract

Couchsurfing is an increasingly popular hospitality exchange community that is building bridges between travelers and locals. This article is an attempt to explore its critical success factors. On the basis of questionnaires and online statistics, Couchsurfers' demographics, preferences, and relations are discussed by applying statistical, linear regression and text model methods. Results show that (a) Couchsurfers are a group of people with strong homogeneous features, (b) the effective evaluation system builds mutual trust, and (c) the hospitality is passed on in a circular manner rather than point-to-point. In conclusion, the homogeneity of Couchsurfers, the trust evaluation system, and the generalized reciprocity principle prove to be main contributors to Couchsurfing's development.