Couchsurfing as an emerging tourism business and Marcel Mauss' Theory of Exchange

The research addresses a social practice mediated by a virtual social network called Couchsurfing.The objective was to identify the main interests and motivations for travel using the Couchsurfing network concerning Marcel Mauss' exchange theory.This cross-sectional descriptive research with a qualitative approach used a non-probabilistic sample, applying unstructured in-depth interviews focused on three segments of subjects: visiting travelers, hosts, and tourists.The results pointed out the close relationship between recognition and retribution, essential elements of the operation of Couchsurfing accommodation.Complementary aspects of multiculturalism and security, which emerged in the research as a fundamental part of the emerging model, were analyzed, concluding with the evidence of the existing relationship between the exchange theory and the operation of this type of accommodation.