Couchsurfing is a hospitality exchange and social networking website that allows members to stay at other members' homes or host travelers for free. Members create profiles to connect with other members as either hosts offering their couch/space or surfers looking for places to stay. The website also facilitates social events and groups for members to connect. While Couchsurfing aims to be non-profit, it faces challenges in balancing this with business needs and maintaining trust within the community.

1. For my part, I travel not to go anywhere,
but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The
great affair is to move.
— Robert Louis Stevenson
Submitted BY: GROUP NO - 19

3. About Couchsurfing
 Hospitality exchange and social
networking website through
which the members gets a
chance to find out hosts who are
offering their place to stay for the
travellers and backpackers.
 Information on if the host is
hosting an event and the
travellers join in
 Founded in 2003 as a non-profit
organization, assets sold to
CouchSurfing International in 2011
 membership is free of charge,
with an annual subscription
members can have access to
special services

4. Challenges
No clear business model, stuck
between non-profit and for profit
organization
Doesn’t recognize the loyal surfers
Management is not trustworthy
Contradicting its own vision
Positioning conflicts

5. Competitors
airbnb
beWelcome

6. Couchsurfing Explained
Cost: Completely free!
Hosts should not charge their surfers for anything, and CS
mentions on its website that anyone who does would be
removed from the community.
Hosts: backbone of the community, offer spare room, air
mattress or couch for travellers to stay, often take guests
out for tours, cook them meals, and introduce them to
other local people.

7. Couchsurfing Explained
Surfers: people who travel and look to
make a connection
Ambassadors
 People that Couchsurfing.org
members that have both a great love
for the Couchsurfing project and a
deep desire to promote the wonderful
experiences that CS has to offer
 perform unpaid, voluntary
administrative work on the website, as
well as reaching out to new members

8. Couchsurfing Explained
Groups:
 groups formed by members with a general theme such as
music, sports, politics, etc.
 Members of groups sometimes meet up and create events for
members, as well as anyone who happens to be traveling to
the area during the event’s time
Events: created by group members and focus on a theme

9. How to Travel with CS
Create your profile
Connect
Start the Couch Search
Set your itinerary on CS
Keep Track of Your Hosts and Requests
Surf!
Follow Up

10. Brands and Couchsurfing
Brands have not yet been
able to devise a way to
make use of this platform.
individuals are using
Couchsurfing to earn money
by hosting individuals or
groups of people (even
though this is against
Couchsurfing norms)

11. Events

12. Advertisements
 Brands can use Ad Space on the CS website
to display ads
 Likely brands – Those with target customers :
young, global, urban lifestyle.
 Advantage: CouchSurfing has registered
and track able users

13. Best practices
Register and
maintain a
detailed profile
Send
personalized to
match up to the
host’s interests
Comment and
be active
Check
references
Check
verification
status and if the
person is
vouched for
Make Offers

14. How Not To Use CouchSurfing
Don’t
make
hushed up
or quick
decisions
Designed
for fast
moving
travelers
Don’t trust
all the
hosts, know
their profile
let family,
friends
know your
place of
stay

15. Video explaining CS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSakme86kTo

16. FAQ
 What is Couchsurfing all about?
 What do you mean by hosts?
 What do you mean by surfers?
 Why to use Couchsurfing?
 Who should use Couchsurfing?
 What are events in Couchsurfing?
 Why one makes events on Couchsurfing?
 How does Couchsurfing earn money?
 What are the brands/ corporates using Couchsurfing?
 Does Couchsurfing allow the hosts to charge money?
 Is Couchsurfing safe?
 Can we use Couchsurfing in India?
 Why would someone let a stranger in their house?
 How can a surfer search for the host?
 You mean to say that through Couchsurfing one could stay at a place for free?
 Couchsurfing could be a threat to the hotel business! What is your say on this?
 How can you know if you should trust the host?
 How can you know if you should trust the surfer?
 Who are ambassadors of Couchsurfing?
 Why do ambassadors perform unpaid administrative work on the website?