”Dive into the world of community-based travel with StayingBee! Discover how you can connect with locals, forge deep friendships, and experience cultures like never before. Whether you're an adventurous traveler or simply looking to make meaningful connections, our vibrant communities are waiting for you. Read on to see how you can be part of this transformative journey!”
Welcome to StayingBee. For those that are new to the platform, we wanted to put together a community showcase so you get a feel of what community-based travel and how you can get involved.
Community-based travel involves staying with actual members of your given community. You stay in their home, you spend time with them, and you get to know them on a deeper, more personal level. It involves a high level of trust, great communication, and feeling comfortable opening up to someone new.
Community-based travel is how StayingBee, an accommodation sharing platform, connects people from across the globe — people from opposite ends of the world can come together based on shared experiences, values, and interests and walk away learning something new, gaining a new perspective, and hopefully, a new friend.
Let’s take a look at all of our communities and get a feel for what community-based travel means to our users, and what it could mean to you.
AIESEC has deep roots in the story of StayingBee. The network helped spark the idea for how we got started — our founders are former members, as well as our interns and BeeKeepers.
That connection from the beginning has helped make AIESEC our most active community. Members have hosted and stayed with each other across conferences, exchanges, and everyday adventures. They're made up of seasoned travellers and newcomers who took a chance and gave StayingBee a shot — people who embody the StayingBee spirit: open and inclusive, sharing values and interests, and creating memories that last.
So what does it feel like when a community comes alive? Here's what our AIESEC members have experienced:
Ferenc
Jayani
Toma
Ferenc, a solo traveler from Copenhagen, came to StayingBee looking for something other paltforms couldn’t offer him. “I want to be less of a tourist and more of a visitor — someone who can really deep dive into the life of a city.”
Jayani, a Berlin-based host, grew up watching her family run a guest house in Sri Lanka. When her first guest arrived from Japan, that same spirit of hospitality came naturally. "It was like hosting a little sister."
Toma, a host based in Vienna, describes his first hosting experience as surreal. What started as a simple couch listing quickly evolved into friendship — “Within 2 hours of meeting each other, we became best friends.”
This is what we envision for all of our communities — not just leveraging an existing network, but meeting new people, experiencing new places and cultures with someone who has your back. Someone to guide you, share with you, and show you a place from the inside. It's about taking travel back to its humble roots — opening your mind, connecting with locals, and living within a culture rather than observing it from the outside.
👉 Want to hear more from our AIESEC community? Read their full stories on our blog.
These are our fully activated communities. Members can browse listings, book stays, and open their doors to fellow members from around the world. This is where the magic happens — let’s jump in.
AIESEC is a global youth-led organisation operating in over 100 countries, connecting young people through cross-cultural exchanges, international internships, and social impact projects. Join our founding community and the heartbeat of StayingBee.
CEMS is a global alliance of 34 leading business schools, connecting students and alumni through a shared masters programme built on international management and cultural exchange. If you're travelling for Career Forum, a Block Seminar, or simply exploring a new city, there's a fellow CEMSie ready to welcome you. Join StayingBee’s official CEMS community space to get started.
Erasmus is a community of university exchange alumni and students who know firsthand what it means to land somewhere new and find your footing. Whether you're revisiting an old exchange city or exploring somewhere new, a fellow Erasmus traveler is ready to welcome you when you join the community.
Global Shapers is a World Economic Forum initiative connecting young change-makers across 400+ Hubs worldwide. Whether you're heading to the Annual Shapers Summit or collaborating across Hubs, your next host could be a fellow Shaper — join the community to get started.
The Startup Community connects founders, investors, operators, and ecosystem builders around the world. Whether you're heading to SLUSH, Web Summit, or simply traveling for work, stay with someone who gets the grind — and the excitement — of building something from scratch. Join the community and start planning your next stay.
These are our “just getting started” communities. They’re live on the site and open for people to join, but haven't yet reached the activation threshold.
Want to learn more about what “activating” your community involves? Scroll down to find out how to activate yours.
Enactus is a global community of student entrepreneurs, alumni, and faculty advisors united by a belief in the power of entrepreneurial action to create positive change. Whether you're heading to the Enactus World Cup or simply exploring a new city, join the community and help bring it to life.
Junior Chamber International connects young active citizens, leaders, and entrepreneurs across 100+ countries. Whether you're travelling for a JCI conference or exploring a new market, there's a fellow member ready to open their door — join and help your community get there.
Lions Club International is one of the world's largest humanitarian service organisations, uniting Lions, Leos, and alumni across clubs worldwide under the spirit of 'We Serve.' Whether you're heading to the International Convention or simply exploring, join the community and help fellow Lions unlock stays around the world.
Rotary connects Rotarians, Rotaractors, and alumni worldwide through a shared commitment to service and fellowship. Whether you're travelling for a Rotary International Convention or visiting clubs through fellowship programs, join the community and help fellow Rotarians start hosting and exploring together
Scouts is a global movement of adventure, leadership, and service connecting Scouts, leaders, and alumni from National Scout Organizations worldwide. Whether you're heading to a Jamboree or a World Scout Conference, join the community and help fellow Scouts unlock stays around the world.
Toastmasters is a global organisation dedicated to communication and leadership, connecting club members and alumni worldwide. Whether you're working towards your Competent Communicator or you're a Distinguished Toastmaster, join the community and help fellow members start connecting over more than just public speaking.
While all of our communities are live and open to verified members, the work doesn't stop there. To fully activate a community — unlocking booking and hosting for everyone — each community needs 100 members and 10 listings.
The quickest way to get there is simple: share. Whether you reach out personally, post in online groups, or let your network know on LinkedIn, every new member brings your community one step closer to activation — and one step closer to affordable, safer, and deeply human travel experiences.
Use the Community Quick Links to share with your network easily. And as an extra incentive you can earn money for every friend you refer.
👉 Check out your community page for more details.
We have some exciting news for people who aren't part of any of our existing communities. We are soon launching BeeCommunity — a community for people who don't belong to an existing network, but still embody StayingBee's values and want to be part of the movement.
BeeCommunity is a global network of real people opening their homes, sharing experiences, and connecting through trust, values, and human connection. And it's open to everyone, existing StayingBee members included.
Excited? We are too. Stay tuned for the official announcement — we'll share all the details soon.
In the meantime, find your community and get started. 🌍
