If you like hanging out on the couch and maybe drinking a couple of beers with some friends, without becoming a couch potato, Couch Surfing is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. Established in 2004, Couch Surfing is an international non-profit network that allows people to travel the world without having to worry about accommodation.
As a matter of fact the community members share hospitality with one another. While hosts offer a place to sleep to travelers, having the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and learn about their customs and cultures, without leaving home, “surfers” are able to participate in local life and to live the way the locals do, becoming, in this way, real travelers, not just tourists. Since couch surfing cuts down the travelling costs, it gives more people the chance to become travelers.
The organization , which was founded in the U.S. by Casey Fenton in 2003, is entirely financed by the donations of its members and, according to Fenton, “being a non-profit is essential to our mission”, which aims to create a world where “everyone can explore and create meaningful connections with the people and places they encounter.
“Since 2004, over 1.7 million successful CouchSurfing stays have been recorded, over 1.9 million new friendships have been formed through CS, and over 120 thousand of those are described as being close friendships.
