YumTravel is a brand new platform launched in March 2025, currently featuring most of its listings in metropolitan France, as well as on the island of Réunion, in the Netherlands, and in Belgium.
The principle is simple. You connect to the platform and register as a traveler or host, or both, for the cost of an annual subscription. As a host, you can offer meals at your home, but if that feels too committed, you can also suggest a picnic outdoors, in a park or at the beach.
The guest can be a passing backpacker or a newcomer to a region looking to make connections. Hosts are sometimes professionals from the restaurant industry, seasoned travelers themselves, or retirees seeking social interaction.
The essential part is to share a moment, feel comfortable, in a spirit of kindness, welcomed as you are, while discovering local specialties. “We have developed a charter that encourages hosts, as much as possible, to offer fresh products sourced from within 100 km of their home. This is the essence of the platform, which aims to be ethical but also inclusive,” emphasizes Annick Boisset. Indeed, you can specify whether the meals offered are vegetarian, gluten-free, adhere to specific dietary restrictions, if pets are welcome, if the accommodation is accessible to people with disabilities, and if the welcome is LGBTQIA+ friendly.
“In fact, the meal is really just the excuse for the meeting,” explains Annick Boisset. “I often say that YumTravel is a bit like the couchsurfing of meals. When you couchsurf, you stay at people's homes, but you don't just benefit from a couch. It's also about everything that happens during that evening that you will share. YumTravel allows you, through the meal, to understand who you are with and to grasp the culture.”
“We are in an authentic encounter, but without a monetized exchange that distorts the experience and generates expectations,” explains Annick Boisset. “As a result, it really creates social bonds.”
