Visitor Information
Updated November 2016
We want you to have a life-changing experience when you participate in PTPI’s Homestay Program. The following guidelines are designed to make sure that your trip is a success. If any problems arise during the trip, a detailed report should be produced by the Homestay Coordinator, summarizing the circumstances and consequences of the situation. This report may be necessary for the purposes of insurance or administrative purposes.
Planning for your Trip
• Make sure that your local chapter, and you, are in contact with your coordinator at the Regional level. In Europe this is, Chalks Corriette, chalks@ptpi.eu, +32.478.482023.
• Ensure that you understand the language skills required for a successful exchange.
What to Expect from your Host Family
• Each guest shall have his/her own bed to sleep in.
• Visitors will be welcome to participate in family meals cooked in the home.
• Host families should provide companionship and be interested in getting to know their visitors’ interests, ideas, language, and culture.
• The host family should make every effort to know their own country and be ready to answer questions about government, customs, and cultures.
• The host family is not legally responsible for the visitors’ health and security.
Tips for Visitors
• Interaction and communication with the host family should be based on respect and tolerance.
• It is of the utmost importance to welcome differences and appreciate the diversity of customs and traditions.
• Both the hosts and visitors shall be able to adapt to a potential difference in habits and tastes.
• Remember that all hospitality efforts from your hosts are made out of goodwill and generosity.
• No phone calls should be made from the hosts home without obtaining permission.
• Your host should be reimbursed for any long-distance calls made using their phone.
• Visitors are encouraged to adapt to the lifestyle and habits of the host family. This means trying to wake up and go to bed when they do, arrive on time for meals, respect any curfews set by the hosts, etc.
• If your host family has arranged special day trips for you, be flexible and willing to participate.
• Make an effort to speak the language of your host family as much as possible.
• Smoking is not allowed in most host family’s homes. If you wish to smoke around your host family, please ask first.
• Familiarize yourself with the laws of your hosting country. For example, in the United States, people under the age of 21 are not allowed to buy or drink alcohol. In Europe, the age is 18.
The European chapters contact is the PTPI European Operations team, Chalks Corriette email@ptpi.eu, +32.478.482023.
