Though it’s nearly two decades old, “The Holiday” starring Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz not only lives on in the hearts of romcom fans — but home swappers too.The movie plays like a 136-minute advertisement for HomeExchange, and it’s hard to tell what holds the bigger appeal: the romantic English cottage where Diaz’s character stays or the doting widowed father next door played by Jude Law. The movie was so good for business, the company continues to use it in a marketing campaigns, such as one last year that sent the woman who played one of Law’s little daughters in the movie on her own swap to a Tudor farmhouse.Yet not even Hollywood could top the moment home swapping is enjoying now. Last year alone, HomeExchange, the biggest of the home-swapping platforms, reported 51% growth in membership, increasing from roughly 100,000 members to more than 150,000.Part of that came from the company’s acquisition in March 2023 of United Kingdom-based competitor Love Home Swap. But those 10,000 new members don’t account for such an outsized growth rate for a company that started in 1992 with paper catalogs shared mostly by schoolteachers who corresponded by (snail) mail.HomeExchange isn’t alone in seeing rapid growth in home swapping.“We have definitely experienced a surge in interest,” said Justine Palefsky, the CEO and co-founder at Kindred, a members-only home exchange network founded in 2022 and a PhocusWire Hot 25 Travel Startup for 2024. “We frankly have been surprised at the rapid traction and growth that we've seen.”Home swapping is built on this mutual trust. Everyone is both host and guest

KindredHeadquarters: San FranciscoCo-founders: Justine Palefsky and Tasneem Amina Website: livekindredFounding date: 2022  . Kindred is a members-only home swapping network. By sharing their places with those they trust, Kindred members unlock a lifestyle richer with travel and human connection, staying in vetted, comfortable homes for a fraction of the cost of a rental.PhocusWire coverageKindred, Holiday Swap attract $15M investment roundsKindred taps dating app tech for home swapsMembers-only home-swap network Kindred lands $7.75MJustine Palefsky and Tasneem AminaStrategic goals for 2023At Kindred, trust and experience quality are absolutely everything. Our top priority for 2024 will be to continue investing in the product and operational infrastructure we'll need to maintain an extremely high standard for trust, quality, reliability and magic while scaling thoughtfully to serve more Kindred spirits from around the world. Lessons learned since foundingI was speaking with one member recently from Mexico City who booked 80 nights and hosted 89 nights on Kindred within about eight months. She never planned on spending that many nights away from home

Airbnbなどのバケーションレンタルとの大きな違いは「スワップ（交換）」のコンセプトにあります。Image credit: Kingred. 本稿は独立系ベンチャーキャピタル、グローバル・ブレインが運営するサイト「GB Universe」に掲載された記事からの転載. 今週の注目テックトレンド