Affluent house-swapping trend

The concept of authenticity has received a significant amount of attention recently, as people search for more meaningful travel experiences. For some, it means “doing as the locals do.” With this in mind, the affluent have more choices if they prefer to stay or eat “in” while traveling abroad.

First, sorting out the local lodgings. Although the notion of home-swapping isn’t particularly new, the more affluent side of the business is expanding, especially as baby boomers travel for greater stretches of time and want to sample the local community. There a numerous services cropping up to meet demand such as TradetoTravel.com – a luxury vacation home exchange service with a portfolio of 400 vacation properties valued between $1 million and $20 million. Their services are unique because they fulfill members’ requests with pre-determined likes and preferences in a house, designs and themes, etc. If they don’t have a property in a particular destination, they’ll “die trying” to find one.

So you’ve settled into your luxe vacation lodgings, and looking for some bona fide, local cuisine? As reported in American Way’s July issue, “gourmet globalization” is making it increasingly difficult to find a memorable, authentic meal in many parts of the world. To the rescue, a new organization called Home Food – a network of local home chefs, who specialize in traditional home-cooked dishes and offer dinner in their homes. As of July, there were reportedly 250 home cooks in the network throughout Italy. A four course meal with wine runs between $55 and $70. It’s also a wonderful way for amateur cooks to pick up some new recipes that come with a story for their next dinner party. Membership is required to participate in the program, monthly or annually. Check out the menus and prepare to salivate.