What is a Couchsurfing Ambassador?
Simply put, Ambassadors are the most visible Couchsurfers in their local communities. They are living, breathing examples of our values and their generosity is instrumental in keeping the spirit of Couchsurfing alive. They have demonstrated that they are trustworthy and committed to helping grow and strengthen their local communities and have the upmost respect for Couchsurfing’s values, guidelines, and terms of use. They are truly the backbone of the Couchsurfing community.
What do they do?
What don’t they do! To be an ambassador you have to demonstrate that you are extremely active on Couchsurfing, both on the site and off! Off-site they are organizing weekly meetings and fun excursions. They are spreading Couchsurfing to new members and new people who attend their events or just see them out in the wild. Beyond creating these amazing spaces for people to discover and dive deeper into Couchsurfing, they attend other amazing events, joining hangouts and are examples of what a true Couchsurfer is. On-site you can find them in groups and discussions, offering advice and help to members as needed! You may have gotten a welcome message from an Ambassador when you first joined Couchsurfing as well!
Who are they?
If you go to a weekly meeting or search for events in a city, chances are you will find an ambassador (or two!) They are spread all over the world, from Canada to Ethiopia to China to Guyana and many places in between. We are always looking for new incredible Couchsurfers to join the Ambassador program and encourage current Ambassadors to tap incredible active members to join the program.
To meet a few of them, check out our series ‘10 Questions with a Couchsurfing Ambassador.‘ Here ambassadors share their Couchsurfing experiences with us and tell us a little bit about themselves. Take a look and get to know the members that keep our spirit strong!
How do I become an ambassador?
Well, the first and most important thing to do is to be extremely active in your community! When selecting ambassadors, we look at a variety of factors, but primarily they need to be active in creating local events that connect and expand Couchsurfing. Whether that is a weekly or monthly meeting, hiking trips, beach clean-ups, or movie nights – an Ambassador does what an Ambassador does, represent Couchsurfing to the world and spread our message. We also want to see them active in hosting, hangouts, groups, or discussions. We require that potential ambassadors have been active members for at least a year, have more than 40 references, have created events for the past 12 months or hosted multiple travelers every month for the past 12 months, have no safety or commercial violations, and have plenty of positive feedback from the community!
We also look for members who are interested in the future of Couchsurfing, and who can share their feedback in constructive, positive ways. Our ambassadors also must abide by our community guidelines and live our core values.
If you want to become an ambassador and fit the criteria listed above, then get in touch with a current Couchsurfing Ambassador by searching for hosts in a city or country on the website and using the ‘Ambassador’ filter. They will review your profile and the program with you and share their findings with the Ambassador team here at CSHQ.
If you don’t currently meet the event or safety requirements, take the next year to dive into Couchsurfing and then apply in 12 months!
Happy Couchsurfing!
