House-Sitting Tourism Gains Momentum Among Budget Travelers and Digital Nomads
A growing number of globetrotters are bypassing hotels and short-term rentals in favor of a new travel trend: house-sitting tourism. This emerging phenomenon allows travelers to secure free accommodations by caring for someone else’s home—and often their pets—while the owners are away, creating win-win scenarios for both sides and reshaping how people experience destinations worldwide (USA Today, BBC, Business Insider).
The evolution of house-sitting tourism has been fueled by rising global travel costs and the proliferation of digital platforms connecting homeowners with would-be house sitters. With platforms like TrustedHousesitters reporting a 14% increase in membership between 2023 and 2024, now exceeding 240,000 global users, the model has shifted from a niche option for pet lovers or retirees to a mainstream choice embraced by solo travelers, remote workers, millennials, and baby boomers alike (USA Today).