Couchsurfing: a new form of sustainable tourism and an exploratory study of its motivations and its effect on satisfaction with the stay

Abstract

PurposeThis study seeks to explore the motivations behind couchsurfers’ decision to go couchsurfing, and also to explore the influence of the couchsurfing experience on the satisfaction with the stay.Design/methodology/approachThe exploratory research is based on a qualitative study using several methods: a netnography, two focus groups and the critical incident technique. Our exploratory research has enabled us to identify the main motivations behind the choice of the couchsurfing experience as a form of sustainable tourism.FindingsThe obtained results show six major motivations: Financial reasons, the cultural experience, the need for social interaction, professional reasons, the emotional entertainment and the social responsibility. Similarly, the influence of couchsurfing on the satisfaction with the stay manifests itself through the concept of love and family.Practical implicationsManagers would consider the social and friendly dimension of the touristic experience as a strategic decision. Once, this decision is taken, it is important to find out how the accommodation providers manage to deploy the values that couchsurfing promotes, which are sociability and the preoccupation with the environment and the society.Originality/valueThe research proved the importance of couchsurfing and its social aspect for the tourists. In fact, the obtained results show that the conviviality and the social relationship that is developed between couchsurfers and their hosts during their couchsurfing experience is what accounts for the tourist’s satisfaction.