The Room Xchange: The New Way To Experience Travel

Couples shoes at the front door of a house. There is a welcome mat in the foreground, with a modern home interior in the background. Marriage - home ownership concept
By Kate Webster


Tourism is an integral part of Australian life. Aussies love nothing more than to welcome overseas guests to their beloved land down under. In fact, 7.99 million visitors landed on our shores in the year ending August 2016, which was an 18.9 per cent increase on the previous year (ABS Overseas Arrivals and Departures, Australia, August 2016.)

When it comes to the big spenders of overseas travel, surprisingly, the millennials trump the baby boomers and come top of the list. Interestingly, millennials tend to shy away from buying luxury goods, such as a car and a house, and are veering more towards a share economy in many aspects of their lives. (Goldman SCHS 2016).

For centuries, people have been happy to share their things with family, friends or even a neighbour in need to reduce costs. Not surprisingly, more and more are seeing the benefits of this living style in many aspects of their lives and choosing to adopt a share economy approach. The travel and tourism industry is seeing the benefits of this fast, expanding concept.

The Room Xchange is a perfect example of this. This innovative business is an online marketplace that connects busy people with a spare room in their house with guests who provide a couple of hours a day of help around the house each day in Xchange for food and accommodation.

It all started when French Canadian traveller, Guilliame met a Melbourne girl at a music festival. This girl happened to be Ludwina Dautiovic’s (The Room Xchange Founder and CEO) daughter. Guilliame was in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa and wanted to see more of what Melbourne had to offer. He was happy to sleep in his van during his stay.

Ludwina’s motherly instincts kicked in and she insisted that Guilliame stay in their guest room.

To make him feel more comfortable with this offer, they negotiated free food and accommodation in return for a couple of hours of help around the house each day. This sounded like the perfect set up for all of them and it proved to be successful.

In no time at all, Guilliame became a welcome addition to their family and intends to stay with them until he returns home. It was this amazing Xchange experience that was the impetus to the launch of The Room Xchange.

How does The Room Xchange work? Hosts utilise their empty bedroom and, in turn, gain their precious time back. Guests can exponentially cut their cost of living and travel experiences by providing help around the house in return for food and accommodation.

Ms Dautovic explains the reasoning behind why this concept will work. She says: “We all lead busy lives, so why not trade that empty room, which is a cost centre, for some time? Whether it’s cleaning, shopping, cooking or gardening, this Xchange is a win-win for everyone. The Room Xchange gives Hosts their precious time back and for guests they can exponentially minimise their cost of living. Who wouldn’t want that?!.”

Ms Dautovic truly believes that The Room Xchange will enable travellers to get the most out of their travel experience. The Room Xchange is a priceless experience for everyone.

For a limited time, The Room Xchange is inviting Guests and Hosts to join their exclusive BETA Group for FREE. With the holiday season just round the corner, The Room Xchange gives travellers a perfect way to enjoy a home away from home during the summer months. Be the first to experience an Xchange.

To find out more about becoming a Host or a Guest, visit www.theroomxchange.com.

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Room Xchange

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