At the back of your closet, there's an old, tattered backpack with patched-up holes and a bandana tied around one strap. Tucked inside is a faded scrapbook, filled with photos, ticket stubs and postcards from your first travel experience — the one that changed your life and still motivates you to seek adventures years later.
No doubt you still have fond memories of your "host family," whether you studied abroad and were placed with a family, or you traveled after college and were offered a room by a gracious couple you happened to meet in a local cafe.
Nowadays, your approach to travel might have changed a bit, based on finances, activity level, health limitations or simply the desire for a comfier bed. There is also no need to maintain the frenetic pace of a young tourist; as a wiser traveler, you know the value of slowing down to appreciate the native flavor and discover off-the-beaten-path gems.
Sure, you have stayed at numerous hotels over the years, and overall you have enjoyed the accommodations — perhaps some more than others. But after a while, every hotel begins to look the same, and the experience feels flat, impersonal and removed. After all, most hotel staff members do not have time to chat with you for hours, nor is there someone to escort you about town, teaching you the language, participating in sightseeing and sharing meals.
As the travel industry embraces the "collaborative economy" with sites like Airbnb and Homeaway giving travelers local lodging options never before available, the homestay concept is also evolving. Once purely a study-abroad concept, homestays are becoming a mainstream travel option for anyone seeking a more immersive accommodation experience.
In its purest form, a true homestay requires the host to be present, and the host to add value. Value is defined by the traveler's desires: language immersion, a shared interest in Renaissance art, an interest in winemaking, a local guide.
As experiential and adventure travel grows — adventure travel is a nearly $300 billion market now according to the Adventure Travel Trade Association — travelers want to pair their sightseeing and activities with a comparably-exciting lodging experience. They are not just vacationing, but adventuring.
Ideally, choosing a homestay allows you to choose your hosts based on your accommodation preferences and requirements. Whether you prefer a simple one-bedroom, a more spacious guesthouse setting, or even something unique (yes, people even rent out their caves), booking a homestay allows you to stay in a place that makes sense for you. It also means you can select hosts with whom you share interests or are willing to share their stories and knowledge about local life.
Perhaps you have always meant to return to Italy to immerse yourself in the language and learn to make a perfect risotto. Or maybe you are intrigued by the canals of St. Petersburg and yearn to tour the city by boat at a leisurely pace with someone who knows the language and culture by your side.
Staying with a host instead of going it alone allows you the freedom to see and do as little or as much as you would like, knowing you have a comfortable "home base" to which to return. Knowing someone is waiting for you at the other end of a long flight makes traveling later in life both reassuring and thrilling.
