As the cost of travel continues to climb, more Canadians are finding creative ways to spend less on their next vacation — with accommodations first on the chopping block.

Instead of booking hotels or short-term rentals, a growing number are swapping their own homes with other travellers, eliminating one of the biggest expenses of any trip.

Calgary teacher Kristy Moore tried her first exchange in Seattle in 2023. She has another booked for Victoria this summer and hopes to visit Japan next year. 

“The rising cost of airfare and accommodation have really put a damper and hindered where I can go. This really opens up the door to places all around the world,” Moore said. 

Unlike short-term rentals, members of a home exchange platform either swap homes directly or earn credits by hosting other travellers, which can be redeemed for another stay. Most charge an annual membership fee rather than a nightly rate. 

Moore said the savings have made longer trips realistic again.

“If you were travelling for two weeks, to save a few thousand dollars on accommodation, might open up some other opportunities that you wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.” 

Home swapping moves into the mainstream

Affordability is changing how Canadians travel.

A recent CIBC poll found four in 10 Canadians plan to travel this summer, but nearly one-third said rising costs means they’ll likely stay home.

Home exchange companies say financial pressures are helping drive demand.

According to Australia-based People Like Us, Canadian membership increased 20 per cent over the past year, outpacing the platform’s global growth.

“Canada used to be our fifth largest country in the world and now it’s our second largest,” said co-founder Drew Seitam, in Sydney.

“People are looking for value. They’re still wanting to travel, they’re curious, they want to see the world, but they want to do it in a way that’s sustainable for them and for the planet as well.”

HomeExchange — the very platform that first introduced mainstream audiences to the idea in the 2006 film The Holiday — reported similar growth. 

Canadian membership increased by more than 30 per cent over the past year, according to the company. More than 15,000 home exchanges were planned in Canada over June, July and August, up 29 per cent from the same time last year.

“It’s the most cost effective way for you to put a roof on top of your head during your travel,” said CEO Emmanuel Arnaud, in Paris. 

“Because of the rising travel costs, people are getting more comfortable with getting outside of their comfort zone and try things like home exchanging.”  

He says growth in Canada has outpaced the platform’s global average. Montreal is by far the top destination.

“Quebec is the region globally with the highest penetration rate of home exchanging, and I think that might be a link to the French culture over there,” said Arnaud, noting France has the most members on the platform. 

WATCH | What to expect from a home exchange platform:

How does a home exchange program work?

People Like Us co-founder Drew Seitam and HomeExchange CEO Emmanuel Arnaud describe how the platforms work and the appeal.

Another platform, Kindred, founded in the U.S., tells CBC News that summer 2026 is already tracking 40 per cent ahead of last year for trips booked to Canada.

Between 2024 to 2025, the number of Canadian homes listed grew by 70 per cent, the company says.

At Kindred, instead of paying a membership fee, users pay a nightly service fee and for cleaning. Stays are credit-based in a give-to-get model. Would-be members could be placed on a waitlist for several reasons, including too much inventory, or homes not meeting the platform’s guidelines.

The majority of homes listed are primary residences. Renters are accepted on all three platforms as long as it’s allowed within the lease. Homeowners should also check their insurance policies.

More than saving money 

For many members, lower costs are only part of the appeal. 

Calgarian Tatiana Giberson and her family have completed about a dozen exchanges since 2019 and are currently trading homes with a family in Medford, Ore.

“The primary appeal is immersion; it’s a very different way to travel,” she said.

“When you’re in somebody’s house and they leave you a little manual and say, this is our favourite bakery, this is our favourite roast chicken place, this is where we take our kids on the weekends, it feels like living somebody else’s life.” 

The secondary factor, she said, is cost savings.

“If you take the budget for your lodging and potentially a vehicle — because a lot of times when we’re doing a simultaneous swap, we’ll exchange cars as well — if you take out those costs, then all of your money goes towards food and entertainment, which makes it a much more fun way to see the country.”

Why experts say the trend is growing

Frédéric Dimanche, a hospitality and tourism management professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, said accommodation is often a significant vacation expense, making home exchanges an attractive way to save money.

“I only see opportunities for growth for this trend,” he said. 

Dimanche said travellers are also looking for something hotels don’t always provide.

“People are looking for what we call authentic experiences. They want to be within the community.”

Dimanche doesn’t expect home exchanges to replace hotels or vacation rentals, but provide another option.

He said home exchanges also offer more predictable pricing, even during peak periods. 

“We see, for example, with the World Cup in Vancouver and in Toronto that hotel prices have been hiked up so high. I don’t think you’re going to have that kind of inflation with home exchange.”

Trust remains a hurdle 

For first-time users, the biggest concern isn’t always cost — it’s trusting a stranger in their homes.

Moore said communication made all the difference.

“There’s definitely a level of trust you have to base everything on. I make sure that I connect with the people that I’ve reached out to right from the beginning and make sure that we set common expectations.”

Dimanche said trust is essential for platforms to succeed.

“Transparency is extremely important.”

He said companies need to ensure homes are safe and meet expectations because a bad experience can lead to poor reputation.

Platform operators rely on verified member profiles, reviews and secure messaging to build confidence among users. There are also built-in protections such as property damage insurance. 

Giberson believes the community itself operates on mutual goodwill. 

“The people that tend to do this, the personality types … we’re like Labrador retrievers. We’re friendly, we’re trusting, we want to do this. We think the best of the world and it just seems to work out like that.”