PARSIPPANY, NJ—RCI, part of Wyndham Worldwide, has acquired London-based Love Home Swap, one of the world’s largest home exchange programs. Through the acquisition, RCI adds a company that complements its existing business, broadens its appeal to a new base of travelers and bolsters its position within the global alternative accommodation sector, according to the company.
Newly acquired Love Home Swap stands to benefit from RCI’s core competencies RCI, which includes inventory management, member marketing and analytics. Love Home Swap will continue to run as an independent brand and be marketed separately from RCI. However, the similarities among these exchange-oriented businesses will allow for greater collaboration between the companies to foster growth and provide future travel benefits to their respective members, according to the company.
RCI’s acquisition of Love Home Swap builds upon a previous investment in the company in 2015. Love Home Swap Founder Debbie Wosskow will remain on as an advisor to ensure a smooth transition. Ben Wosskow, formerly chief commercial officer, has been appointed to managing director of Love Home Swap and will oversee the daily operations of the business.
“I’d like to thank the team and everyone involved in driving Love Home Swap forward,” said Wosskow. “Dedication and hard work has yielded fantastic results in a short space of time and this is a real global success story for the U.K. sharing economy. We’re delighted to join the RCI family and are excited to work closely with them to help shape the future of the travel industry together.”