Draft:BeWelcome

BeWelcome is a non-profit and open-source online hospitality exchange service by which users can request free short-term homestays or interact with other members who are interested in travel. Hosts are not allowed to charge for lodging and the use of the platform is free of charge. The platform focuses on direct interpersonal exchange in real life as well as online.

Core values are being free to use both for guests and hosts, being entirely run by volunteers, its code is open source and with a strict privacy policy. Full transparency extends to financial aspects, budgets and expenses are publicly accessible. The platform is run purely on donations.

In 2008 a verification process amongst members was started which was omitted in the meantime for creating a false sense of safety.

History
In 2005, a disagreement between some volunteers of the defunct Hospitality Club and its founder led to the foundation of BeWelcome.

Inspired by the legal structure behind Wikipedia, the platform BeWelcome is operated by the non-profit organization BeVolunteer which is registered in Rennes, Brittany, France. Its members decide on legal issues like its statutes and the Terms of Use of BeWelcome.

The BeVolunteer statutes can be modified only by an extraordinary General Assembly.

The platform BeWelcome.org went online in 2006. The number of members currently is 207,160 as of December 2023

The growth in membership was propelled by events in the biggest hospitality exchange network Couchsurfing.

Since 2012 BeWelcome is considered the most important alternative to Couchsurfing.

Organization
Any member of BeWelcome can start volunteering at any time. There is no obligation of joining BeVolunteer.

The yearly General Assembly is composed by the members of BeVolunteer. The participants elect the Board of Directors and approve the financial statement and the budget.

The Board of Directors is the main organ of BeWelcome. Every active volunteer for BeWelcome can become a member of BeVolunteer and is then entitled both to vote or being elected in a Board position.

The Board of Directors of BeVolunteer is elected on a yearly base. So far Board members have come from countries such as Argentina, Belgium, China, Croatia, France, Germany, New Zealand and Poland.