Workaway
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Show screenshot Screenshot of Workaway's homepage. | |
| Available in | English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Owner | VEN ltd |
| Industry | Travel industry |
| URL | www |
| Registration | Optional, site can be browsed without registering. Signing-up as a host is free. Paid and unpaid subscriptions for volunteers. |
| Launched | 17 April 2002 |
| Current status | Online |
Workaway is a platform that allows members to arrange homestays and cultural exchange. Volunteers or "Workawayers", are expected to contribute a pre-agreed amount of time per day in exchange for lodging and food, which is provided by their host.[1][2]
How it works
[edit]Hosts register at workaway.info and are expected to provide information about themselves, the type of help they require to be performed, the accommodation they offer and the sort of person they are expecting.[3] Workawayers create an online profile including personal details and any specific skills they might have, after which they can contact hosts through the website and discuss a possible exchange.[4]
The opportunities on offer are varied and based in a wide range of countries around the world. Some types of volunteering available include gardening, animal-care, cooking and farming,[5][6] as well as more specialist and niche help requests.[7]
Workaway is aimed at budget travellers and language learners looking to become more immersed in the country and culture they are journeying through while allowing local hosts to meet like-minded people who can provide the help they require.[8][9] It has been described as a useful way to improve foreign language skills [10] as well as an opportunity to develop new talents and learn about local traditions.[11]
One of the benefits for potentially isolated communities or people is the chance to bring the world to them via travellers using the site. Travellers can then profit from their host's knowledge of regional places of interest and their local environment. The ability to share space with a variety of people has been shown to enable cultural exchange and the chance to learn more about how others see the world. [12]
Workaway charges the 'Workawayer' a yearly membership fee to connect to hosts but does not charge the host a fee to list. The duration of an exchange can range from as little as a few days to over a year.
History
[edit]The idea for Workaway came about through the founder's travelling experiences. After extending his stay in Hawaii in the early 1990s by working in the hostel in which he was staying, he realized many travelers wanted to be more than just tourists. On returning home, he started offering a room in his own house in exchange for help on the land and the Workaway concept began.
Controversy
[edit]As with any platform, both the host and the guest must reach agreements in terms of amount and quality of work. The platform itself is intended to provide connection between them. Volunteering may be regulated in some countries, so unexperienced in labour aspects host may face fines and guest work may be a subject to deportation and further entry ban. Labour trafficing is another legal concern here, as providing food and shelter for work is considered a modern form of slavery.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Bowes, Gemma. "Spain for free - a working holiday", The Guardian, London, 17 October 2009. Retrieved on 8 March 2012.
- ^ Frommer, Arthur. "Budget Travel: Website offers work-for-room-and-board abroad", Cape Cod Times, Cape Cod MA, 4 March 2012. Retrieved on 8 March 2012
- ^ "Workaway.info information for hosts"
- ^ "Workaway.info information for travellers"
- ^ Finn, Christine (15 January 2011). "Culture clubs: volunteering in creative communities". The Guardian.
- ^ Bowes, Gemma (17 October 2009). "Five great Workaway working holidays". The Guardian.
- ^ Dixon, Rachel (1 February 2016). "How to escape: tips and sites for working or volunteering abroad". The Guardian.
- ^ "Workaway.info"
- ^ Borns, Patricia. "Working your way", The Boston Globe, Boston, 23 August 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ^ Utton, Charley [1], The Independent, London, 28 January 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
- ^ Rainsford, Cat [2], The Guardian, London, 12 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
- ^ Roepert, Ekkehard (17 December 2018). "Hochstall 4 bietet Raum für Talente aus aller Welt". infranken.de (in German). Retrieved 3 January 2019.
External links
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| Homestays |
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| Hospitality exchange services |
| Hospitality for work |
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| Home exchange and others |