Don’t just visit a place, live it with locals!
In today’s society, we are feeling the need for a new way of consuming, moving and interacting. In response to that, many initiatives and start-ups are sprouting and collaborative economy is now gaining ground. There is no economic field that does not have its collaborative equivalent. Travel is a real playground for innovations and collaborative economy; it is the most affected by new trends. Many travellers are ditching hotels to experience a more genuine trip by staying with locals. Let’s see why travelling with locals is the best new trend:
- Meeting new people Travelling is no more about going to a country, taking pictures of famous monuments and then returning to a hotel room. Staying with locals enables you to meet new people, from different cultures, who quickly become new friends. It’s a great way to go out of your comfort zone. You are welcomed in a totally new environment and you have to make the most of it by being curious, staying with your host, taking part in their daily life. You can meet them, their friends or their family. It is the best way to learn more about a culture and what it is like to live in this country.
- Learning new languages One difficulty we face when learning a language in our own country is that we lack practise. You can learn every word and grammatical rule; you will still need to practise to become fluent. Worse still, when travelling, we often don’t dare do speak to local people and often expect them to speak our mother tongue. The best way to improve your skill is to practise and the best teacher is … a local! Staying with locals at their house forces you to practise and in no time at all, you will love speaking with them. By staying with locals, you immerse yourself in another language, you can hear it, learn the pronunciation and so on. Shortly, you will gain confidence and continually improve your second language.
- Sharing different cultures Of course, the key to staying with locals is sharing. Both you and your host are willing to learn from each other. You can share stories from your home countries, show them pictures of your life which will inspire them to travel. They can teach you how to cook a traditional dish, a traditional song or handicraft. These are the most genuine moments you can ever experience. You won’t be able to live them staying in a hotel!
- Having your own private guide/greeter Nobody knows a city better than someone who lives in it. Your host can be the best private guide to help you discover their city. Your host can show you the most unexpected places and tell you the best stories about them. If you are staying with someone who shares the same interests as you, he/she can show the city according to your interests: the best music venues, the best restaurant, a quiet hike or his/her favourite spot to see the sunset.
- Travelling even on a budget Staying at locals is a great solution for people travelling on a budget. Indeed, while hotels, hostels or flat renting are very expensive, often, staying with locals in their home is very cheap or totally free. They can offer you a place on their couch or even the comfort of a room in exchange for meeting and sharing a cross-cultural experience with you.
- Living an exclusive experience While we are ever more able to travel the world, more and more people are seeking unknown places. They don’t want to travel and follow the touristic path but want to discover genuine places, unknown spots. They want to experience travelling as an exclusive moment, something unique to them. Staying with locals can make this possible. By staying at someone’s place, you will make this happen. You will share unique moments, learn new unexpected things and visit a place or a city in an unconventional but authentic way. The memories you will be building will be yours and your host’s only. Travel is experiencing a gradual revolution. We are looking for new ways to travel and discover. One of these is staying with locals for many great reasons so … are you ready to put your backpack on and find someone to stay with?
TalkTalkBnb makes possible for you to live the 6 above points! This young start-up connects for free travellers with hosts who want to practise another language. In exchange for teaching their mother tongue to the host, travellers are provided free room and board in a foreign country.
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