Peer-to-peer platforms have somehow become a go-to trend for avid travelers who want to live among locals, as well as for the locals who want to make some extra money. It is has become so famous that CNN even stated it might "follow in Airbnb's footsteps" pretty soon.
1. BoatBound
Tourists who want to rent their own boat can do so, for free, with BoatBound. It is a peer-to-peer website that allows boat owners to offset their ownership costs by putting it up for rent for potential qualified renters.
“Younger people are getting out on the water in incredible numbers and at significantly higher rates than the industry average,” founder Aaron Hall said. He even mentioned that as much as 34% of BoatBound’s renters are aged 25 to 34 years old.
2. EatWith
Peer-to-peer dining is slowly making its way across the world as one of today’s biggest travel trends. EatWith, despite having been open business for only two years, is considered to be one of the spear-headers in this particular type of travel.
“The idea is to bring people together – one meal at a time,” co-founder Guy Michlin said. “We also want to empower and elevate our chefs and allow them to make some extra money from hosting people.”
EatWith has gotten a lot of applicants since it launched, but it reportedly has a very strict vetting process for the selection of its hosts that only three to four percent of those who apply are accepted.
3. Spinlister
Spinlister is a peer-to-peer platform that focuses on bike rentals. Since the platform has its own mobile app, those who would like to rent their own bikes can easily apply filters to ensure that they get the bike that suits them right.
“You can easily filter by the type of bike, your height, price range, and something that includes a lock and a helmet,” said chief marketing officer Andrew Batey. “It will show you all the bikes that match your criteria plotted out on a map.”
4. RVshare
RVshare is an Ohio-based platform for families who want to rent out their RV, or recreational vehicle. It has only been open for business last January. The main goal of the company is to help RV owners transform a relatively expensive unit into a source of revenue.
“The RV rental industry was screaming for an overhaul, for something to bring it into the modern Internet age,” said co-founder Joel Clark. “Our goal is to take all that infrastructure management off their hands so they can focus on taking the best possible care of the people that depend on them for the quality of their trips.”
5. DogVacay
Avid tourists who cannot bring their beloved pets with them now have reliable caregivers to take care of their pets when they go on their trips. That way, they do not come home to a depressed pup after having been left all alone for some time.
“We perform a five-step vetting process that includes reference checks, a background screening, and a phone interview for all our hosts to ensure they are the right fit for our community,” said founder Aaron Hirschhorn.
