Editing Hospitality Club (section)

== Functioning ==
Membership in the organization is free and is obtained simply by registering on the website. The core activity of the organization is exchange of accommodation. Acting as a host, a member offers the possibility of accommodation at his leisure. As a guest, a traveler may find possible hosts and contact them through the website. No money is involved &mdash; guests and hosts do not pay each other.
[[File:HC monnai 2005 banner.jpg|thumb|Entrance to the HC camp in [[Monnai]], [[France]]. Banner reads: ''hospitality throughout the world'']]
The duration of the stay, whether food is provided for free, for a fee or not at all, and all other conditions are agreed on beforehand to the convenience of both parties.

After meeting, the host and guest may comment about each other. This provides a means to establish [[Online reputation|reputation]] which is the main security measure. Users have to provide their real identity, which is screened by volunteers, and protected against changes.

Apart from accommodation, members exchange other forms of hospitality, such as guiding visitors or providing travel-related advice. There are also [[wiki]]-like ''Travel Guide'' sections and forums where members may seek partners for travels, hitchhiking etc.

Volunteers within the club often arrange meetings or camps which are events that last several days that bring people together.
[[File:Hospitalityclub Usercount log latest.png|thumb|User Growth, July 2000 - April 2006. Data since December 2004 sampled daily. Data prior to Dec 2004 based on approximations published by the Hospitality Club.]]