早稲田商2010 V

Dan Deluca and his wife are a retired couple living on a limited income, yet over the past several years they have travelled virtually around the world from the ancient European capitals to the mountains of South America. Their modest townhouse in the suburbs of Boston contains souvenirs of their trips: a mask from Bali, a beautiful Moroccan rug, a set of handcrafted bowls from Russia. Another interesting feature of their home is signs posted throughout the house: "Please do not forget to turn off the stove" in the kitchen, "Make sure the window is shut tight" taped to the living-room wall. The Delucas have versions of these signs in at least five or six different languages.

Mr. and Mrs. Deluca are among the growing number of home-exchange enthusiasts, people who make arrangements to stay at each other's residence when travelling instead of following the conventional practice of booking a room at a hotel. Over the past 12 years the Delucas exchanged homes with people nearly 100 times. Almost unheard of until recently, 'home-swapping' has been gaining in popularity, particularly among Europeans and North Americans. Home-exchange services are seeing increased numbers of people registering on websites to have their properties listed online.

With the economy in recession, the first thing people cut from their budgets is non-essential items, and leisure travel obviously falls into this category. As a result, hotels have seen their occupancy rates decline significantly. Yet, as we know, "necessity is the mother of invention" and budget-conscious travelers have begun to look at innovative ways to pursue their love of travel, while at the same time reducing their lodging costs. Home-exchange allows people to do exactly that and also lets them save in other ways as well. For example, many people exchange cars and museum passes as part of the deal.

While the main advantage is clearly economic, there are additional benefits. Staying in someone's home makes it easier for travelers to immerse themselves in the local culture. Owners can provide very useful tips on shopping, out-of-the-way scenic places, reasonable but excellent restaurants; in general, things you do not read about in guidebooks. You become much more familiar with the local lifestyle by staying at a private home than if you spend your entire vacation staying in a standard hotel room and mingling with other tourists.

Obviously, some people would be very ( イ ) to let complete strangers stay in their home,

unsupervised. The inevitable questions arise: "Will they break anything? Will they steal anything?" It is a legitimate concern. However, according to the survey conducted among home-exchange participants, theft has never been a major issue. Nor did people have to deal with any substantial property damage. If anything, many respondents praised the guests for their good behavior and willingness to (  ロ  ) the owners for whatever accidental damage they may have caused.

Some analysts ( ハ ) home-exchange as a very temporary phenomenon, a trend which will lose its appeal once the economy recovers and people feel more secure about their jobs. Others point to the cultural limitations ― people in Asia, even in developed countries, are far less willing to open their doors to strangers, let alone allow them to sleep in their beds. At this point it is anybody's guess how widespread this trend will be in the future. After all, 'swapping' is not for everyone. Staying in someone's home is a responsibility as well as a privilege. You end up watering plants, feeding pets and sometimes mowing the lawn. But for those with a strong desire to experience new cultures and see the world it can be an attractive alternative.