Host FAQ

If you are a new Host, simply fill out our Host Contact Form and a member of our team will get in touch to answer all of your questions

If you’re an existing Host with a pending or completed trip, please contact your TrovaTrip Account Manager. 

If you’re an existing Host with a trip <50 days out, please contact your Trip Coordinator.

If you’re an existing Host with a confirmed trip and have not yet been assigned a Trip Coordinator, please contact Host Support for confirmed trips. Please note that this inbox is staffed Monday - Friday from 9am - 5pm and is only for confirmed trips, all other inquiries will be re-routed.

Everything included on the itinerary for Travelers is also included for you at no cost.

You can choose an advancement of your earnings to cover flights. The advancement will be paid as soon as your trip reaches confirmed. Hello credit card and travel points!

In some instances, you may be able to add or remove meals, activities and days. If you'd like to add, remove or replace an activity please indicate this on your trip request and the Operator will confirm if it's possible. Once the trip is launched we will be unable to make any adjustments.

All meals included on the itinerary for Travelers are also included for you.

All trips include a certified Guide who speaks the language and is with you throughout the entire duration of your trip. Your Guide will be introduced to the group chat prior to the trip's start date.

Accommodations vary depending on the destination and itinerary. You have the option to request a preferred accommodation type when you submit the trip request. Please note: accommodations are subject to change depending on group size and for various reasons outside of our control.

You don't need to be a destination expert, that’s what the local Guide is for! Kick back, relax and let your Guide do the leading.

Yes! We offer amazing itineraries across the world that are open to both local Hosts and those from outside of the country.

Plus-ones are welcome. However, the more people you include on the trip, the higher the cost to operate because we have to factor in their free trip as well. Ultimately, it depends on what you’d like to achieve out of the experience and the price you feel confident selling your trip at.

It’s important to allow your audience enough time to make a purchasing decision which is why we plan 8+ months for international and 6+ months for domestic.

As Host of a trip, you can expect a room all to yourself. However, if you decide to bring a plus-one, you can request a room together with either a shared double bed or 2 twin beds.

Hotels will vary depending on the itinerary — the star level will be noted in the planning stage for your consideration. Then once the trip is launched, Travelers will see the star-level outlined on the trip page.

It's important to note that hotels and their star levels vary greatly by region. 

For instance, rooms in Europe will be smaller with twin beds, bidets and handheld showers, while rooms in Bali may be more spacious and feature more amenities (and perhaps a gecko or two climbing the wall). In some cases, those very different spaces will have the same star ranking. 

We work to set clear expectations for accommodations on every itinerary, and encourage Hosts and Travelers to have an open mind while exploring other cultures.

As we will be using shared transfers and spaces throughout our tour we recommend all Travelers pack as lightly as possible. All Travelers are allowed to bring one large piece of luggage (not exceeding 50lbs (23kg) in weight, with the dimensions 30” x 18” x 10”), one small carry-on (12”x11”x6), and a personal item.

Know someone who would be a good Host? Refer a friend to host a trip and we'll kick back $500 once their trip gets confirmed to say thanks! To be eligible for the referral cash, the referred Host must not be in the process of working with us (meaning they have not started surveying or planning their trip with us).

Click here to get your referral link and learn more about the program.

Activity Level Ratings let you know exactly what to expect before you sign up for a trip or request an itinerary. Each itinerary has a physical activity level rating clearly marked based on the amount of physical exertion it requires.

The rating process is simple—the higher the level (1-5), the more challenging the trip.

You set your earnings by choosing the trip price.

We’ll pay you 50% of your earnings for each paid-in-full customer prior to the trip starting and the other 50% at trip completion. Earnings are calculated 30 days before the trip and the first payment will be sent 5-10 business days following.

If you've never hosted group trips before, you'll need to survey your audience to get started. A minimum of 50+ qualified responses are required to begin planning. Survey responses need to be from adults 18+ with budgets that align with where you want to go.

The process is simple! All you have to do is Create Your Account, then you start surveying your audience. Once you have reached 50+ qualified survey responses, you get to pick your trip. Read our How It Works page for more info.

Primarily, Hosts share their survey link by promoting it across their social media platforms. We recommend creating engaging videos and linking out through your story and bios for maximum reach.

But you can also share your link with anyone you would want to travel with! Friends, family, clients, your professional network, sports/hobby groups, email lists or your broader social media audience.

Our past experience has shown that Hosts who get 50+ survey responses confirm their trip in 1-2 months. Even if you hit 50 responses, make sure to keep going and collect as many as possible! The more responses you’re able to get, the higher likelihood you have of confirming your trip even faster and selling out all the available spots!

For safety and security, all community members — Hosts, Travelers, and Trip Operators — should communicate in formal channels. We provide a monitored Telegram chat that should be used leading up to and on the trip. Telegram allows everyone to protect their personal data, while forming connections and sharing information with their fellow Travelers.

Trova is not responsible for any communication or in-person meet-ups that occur outside of our platform, the Telegram chat, or scheduled itineraries.

Travelers will pay for their TrovaTrip directly via the Trova platform, and will not be asked to make payments directly to any other Traveler, Host, or Trip Operator. We do not recommend exchanging money or personal information with other members of the community.

Host identities are verified prior to their trips to help ensure Traveler safety and certainty. We encourage all Hosts to do their own due diligence with their Travelers prior to confirming their bookings.

TrovaTrip handles all logistics leading up to the trip. This includes pre-trip payments, connecting you to your fellow Travelers, and collecting all important information. Once you are on the trip the logistics are handled by our Trip Operator — our local experts who handle all logistics on the ground.

Local Trip Operators and their Guide are the authority while you are traveling and can assist with any issues you have while on the ground. Please alert your Guide immediately if you need logistical support or feel unsafe.

Your Host is the one bringing the community of like-minded individuals together. They may provide work-shops, classes, or just hang out and get to know you. They are not responsible for leading activities or handling logistical issues while on the trip.

Our Operator are the experts on the ground. They handle any issue that may pop-up, get you where you need to go, and ensure you and your fellow travelers have a great time.

For safety reasons, we recommend all communication and interaction stays within our formal channels before you travel. If you do wish to meet up prior to travel, we recommend following basic safety guidelines — tell someone where you are going and who you are meeting, meet in a public place, and be careful when sharing personal information like your address or workplace.

Before the trip, Trova sends out a Trip Preparation document to Hosts and Travelers with guidance for your chosen destination. The Trip Preparation document will give you high-level insights into what to expect and guidance on local norms. We recommend you save the local urgent response and embassy numbers from that document into your phone. Additionally, we encourage all Hosts and Travelers to do their own research to ensure they feel safe while traveling.

All Hosts and Travelers should seek medical advice prior to departure to ensure they have adequate health and fitness for full participation, and consult with the embassy website for updates on safety in the destination.

In the event of a medical emergency, seek help immediately. Contact the local urgent response number (included in your Trip Preparation document), and your Guide. As appropriate, contact the closest embassy or consulate (included in your Trip Preparation document).

We recommend Travelers consider purchasing travel insurance prior to departure, with ample coverage for your specific itinerary for additional peace of mind.

Important numbers to have on hand can be found in your Trip Preparation document and include include:

• The local emergency response number- your destination's version of 911
• Local embassy or consulate phone number
• Your Guide's phone number

Most trips require a minimum of 8 bookings to reach confirmed. Successful trips typically reach confirmed within the first 3 months of launching.

All trips must collect the minimum number of bookings required to operate by 90 days prior to the trip start date.

If a trip does not confirm by 90 days before its start date, the trip will automatically be cancelled and all Travelers will receive a full refund.

You have until 90 days before the trip starts to hit the minimum number of Travelers needed for the trip to happen. If you do not reach the minimum, you'll have the option to reschedule or cancel your trip. Travelers will have the option to receive a full refund or credit.

If you cancel a confirmed trip at any time, unless granted an exemption due to a Covered Event or an act of Force Majeure, you will be subject to and agree to pay a Cancellation/No Show Fee of $1,500 USD for each such cancellation. You will also be required to pay back your earnings advance within 30 days of your cancellation. You can reference our full terms here.

Travelers are required to pay a 25% down payment to secure their spot. Down payments are refundable until the trip becomes confirmed. After the trip is confirmed, down payments become non-refundable. The remaining balance is due 90 days before the trip starts and is non-refundable after it is paid.

The Traveler payment deadline has shifted to improve both the Host and Traveler experiences. For Hosts, having a confirmed list of Travelers 90 days before the trip starts reduces uncertainty leading up to the trip, while still allowing Hosts another 40 days to fill additional spots. For Travelers, knowing with certainty whether their trip is confirmed 90 days prior allows more time to book flights and prepare.

“By far the most valuable experience I’ve had for building memories, sharing moments, and deepening relationships with my audience."

• Katie Duke, TrovaTrip Host

"This is our first trip hosting with TrovaTrip and we are blown away by how amazing it’s been so far. Feeling safe and comfortable as LGBTQIA+ couples in another country is a priority for us as Hosts, and Costa Rica has been so welcoming and loving to all of us."

- Luke Wesley Pearson, TrovaTrip Host

“These trips are changing my life. I think it’s doing something for the people on them too. We still show up for each other in ways no one knows about."

- Ally Coucke, TrovaTrip Host

So long as they don’t violate our community guidelines, we publish every Traveler review we get (yes, even the ones that are less than 5 stars) on our website — you can read all of the feedback we receive on the Reviews page here. If you’re keen to hear more from Hosts directly, we recommend checking out our Host Testimonials page.

We greatly value feedback — it helps us learn, grow, and provide a better experience for everyone. We are so proud to have consistently been rated above 4.5/5 stars for the last 3 years — and counting.