By Anne Cordon

The Servas “Travel (LOI)” section of your Profile contains your Letter of Introduction (LOI) that you will send to potential hosts in emails or messages when requesting accommodations. The LOI is essentially a summary of a particular trip or a general statement of traveling to an area. Your LOI is important to review and update periodically.

Before editing or adding an LOI, open the “Members” section of your Servas Profile and update the following sections: "About Me," "Interests," "Traveled to," and "Lived in." These sections will automatically transfer to your LOI, so there is no need to repeat this information in the “About My Trip” field when you create or edit your LOI.

You can create and publish customized LOIs for each trip, which can address your travel plans and goals. Your LOI should be current, concise, and give Servas hosts and members a snapshot of yourself. Longer descriptions of you and your interests should be saved for face-to-face conversations.

LOIs should include all the adult Servas members in your household, as well as children under 18, that are traveling on a particular trip. Be sure to add an emergency contact that is someone other than one of the travelers.

Your LOI must have a valid eStamp to prove that you are a current Servas member. If you do not have a valid eStamp and your US Servas membership is current, you need to confirm your profile and then request an eStamp. The April Open Doors article Confused by eStamps and LOIs may be helpful to review.

To confirm your Servas profile, scroll to the “Confirm Profile” section of your Servas profile by clicking the tab or scrolling to the bottom of the Profile page. Click on the green “Confirm Profile” button. Then go to the Travel section of your Profile and look for the Traveler eStamp section. Click on the “Renew” button to request your eStamp. A US Servas volunteer will review your LOI. If your LOI is complete and has a passport-style photo (from the Member section of your Profile) and a confirmed profile, an eStamp will be issued. Each member travelling needs to request an eStamp; all the stamps will appear on the LOI. Please note that you do not have to request an eStamp if you already have a valid eStamp.

Even though your host will have received your LOI in a message or email when you requested accommodations, it is customary and expected that you show your LOI to your Servas hosts in person. Some hosts collect the LOIs in a scrapbook.

When your trip is done, you can choose to delete that trip’s LOI or just unpublish it by clicking “Edit” and scrolling to the bottom to toggle the “Published” button.

By Catrina Walker

In the summer of 2024, I packed my bags and crossed five European countries alone. What followed wasn't glamorized wanderlust — it was real: poorly-timed travel days, transformative conversations, intimate landscapes, and the quiet, unexpected work of personal renewal. I started blogging about my travels to share with friends and family for the above reasons. I want to encourage my younger relatives to get out of their little corner and explore. Upon my return I decided to write a book about my experiences as a solo female traveler.

This book would simply not exist without Servas. The journeys, the connections, the doors opened and the tables shared — all of it traces back to the remarkable network of human beings that is Servas. From the very first home I was welcomed into as a traveler, to the hosts and guests who became lifelong friends, Servas has shaped not only how I travel, but how I see the world.

It felt only right to dedicate this memoir to US Servas and Servas International — because in so many ways, you are its co-authors. The stories on these pages belong to all of us.

I should mention that a small portion of the memoir ventures into, shall we say, more “adults-only” territory — because life on the road is full of surprises, and not all of them are suitable for the dinner table. Consider yourselves warned... and perhaps intrigued.

I hope my book serves as a small testament to what Servas has always stood for: the belief that when people open their hearts and homes to one another, something extraordinary happens. Peace, understanding, and friendship across every border.

I would be deeply honored if you would read it, share it, and see a little of your own story reflected in its pages. Note: except where approved, names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Editor’s Note: Catrina has been a world traveler since her youth. As an adult she formerly was a Servas traveler and host and traveled with her young daughter at that time. Family demands interrupted her Servas years. She rejoined in 2021 to return to making meaningful connections with like-hearted people. Also, other notable Servas women have written about their solo travels, notably, Rita Golden Gelman who published Tales of a Female Nomad in 2001.

by Anne Cordon

Are you confused by the eStamp process? What is the purpose of the Letter of Introduction (LOI) currently?

To begin travel planning, which includes contacting Servas hosts to request hosting, members need a completed LOI and an eStamp. Servas International’s Version 2 software (SI V2) merges member’s profile information onto their LOI, so the LOI itself serves more as a description of an upcoming trip. If members are planning several trips, they may have more than one LOI. LOI’s can be published and unpublished when the trip is over or as the draft is being created. Since SI V2 merges member profile information with their LOI, there is no need to describe who you are beyond the “About Me” and other profile sections.

Here is an eStamp Quick Reference Guide.

The information below shows when (under what circumstances) ou should you should request an eStamp: 

For new members:

For renewing members with an invalid eStamp:

• • After adding missing LOI components such as:
• • A passport-style headshot
  • Important, previously incomplete sections of their Member Profile

When NOT to Request an eStamp:

Criteria for Issuing an eStamp:
Before an eStamp can be issued each member must supply the following information in their traveler profile:

Understanding when and why to request an eStamp helps conserve valuable volunteer time. Reach out to MemberHelp@usServas.org with additional questions.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

by Bill Magargal (suggested by Alexis Soule)

Although 2025 global tourism saw a 6.7% rise in spending compared to the previous year, the United States had a 6% drop in foreign tourists. Many tourists, especially younger people, are travelling more frequently, but concerns including U.S. anti-immigration policies pushed tourists to visit European countries such as Spain and France, as well as Japan. US tourism revenue dropped 7% due to fewer arrivals from Canada, Mexico and Europe according to WTTC estimates. (Reuters 1/14/26).

For US Servas hosts this trend is likely to hold, i.e., we will see fewer travelers in 2026. That said, we can assist the International Servas travelers who request a stay by helping them navigate the new US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) process for determining their eligibility to travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP).  

Travelers from eligible countries (see list) must apply online or via the app at least 72 hours before departure. The cost is $21, nonrefundable. It is valid for two years for multiple visits of up to 90 days. The process is fully automated and fairly simple to navigate.

You can also help you travelers avoid being scammed. Apparently, there are numerous look-alike scam websites that trick people into overpaying for expedited ESTA approval and other dubious benefits. You might direct your visitors to the FTC webpage How to Avoid Scams while Applying for ESTA .

By Joanne Ferguson Cavanaugh

I recently visited with one of our new Nebraska members and she told me an interesting story about hitchhiking in Ireland in 1980. I know that Renee Riley also did some hitchhiking in the 1970s, as did I in 1979. I wonder how many other Servas people hitched as well. I think we need to chronicle these stories while we still can.

 The Blue Highways were for Servas travelers, especially back in the day when it was possible to hitchhike almost anywhere in the world. If you hitchhiked in the 60s-80s while traveling, whether or not you were a Servas member, we want to hear from you. Even if you did not personally hitch, perhaps you know someone who did that you can tell us about. Please send any ideas, stories, pictures, etc. to JoanneFerguson.Cavanaugh@usservas.org.

Joanne Ferguson Cavanaugh, Member Help Team

Hosts! Do you Want More Travelers (WMT)? As our Chair, Tim Sullivan stated at our annual meeting, Servas is really nothing without hosts, and some of us away from the coasts don’t get many requests. And we understand that under our current political climate, many Servas friends around the world are reluctant to visit the USA at this time. However, for those who come and for our domestic travelers, here are a few tips to ensure that YOUR Servas.org profile shows up in the Servas International host search results!

NOTE: Click on the small images below to view them at full size.

Log into your Servas International account at Servas.org and edit your profile. Click on your account avatar (photo or generic person) in the upper-right portion of the screen. Choose Edit Profile from the dropdown list.

Click on “Address & Hosting” on the left side of the window to access your Hosting information, then click the red Edit Address and Hosting button at the lower right side of the window.

Click the radio buttons to set them "on" (green) for Hosting offered at this location, and Day Hosting offered at this location, and Want More Travelers. Add any details helpful for travelers... (see the screen-shot below.) Click the SAVE at the bottom before leaving.

Finally, after you’ve completed all the sections of your profile – including photo and household information, click on “Profile Confirmation” section and make sure you CONFIRM your SI profile. See Open Doors Article on this subject.

by Bill Magargal

Fortunately, it is extremely rare for Servas travelers or hosts to encounter a situation where they feel unsafe or that they believe is counter to Servas ethics.  However, members should know that there is indeed a process in place for reporting and resolving serious complaints if they should arise. The small team that handles them works quietly and discreetly to gather information from all parties involved in a situation to help resolve the issue. Sometimes the problem is simply a misunderstanding that is easily handled by clarifying the issue with the parties involved. In severe cases the complaints committee may decide that a member must be removed from US Servas and prevented from rejoining in the future.

If you ever encounter a serious problem with a Servas traveler or host, be sure to report it to Complaints@usservas.org. All communications with the complaints committee are kept confidential, even to board members, so never fear public embarrassment. Keep in mind that complaints should be significant in nature, not annoyances like cat hair on your bed, or you didn't like the food.

by Bill Magargal

In the post-COVID era it seems that getting timely (or any) responses from hosts has become difficult, to the point that some members have decided not to renew. This might simply be the result of emails getting lost or shuttled to junk-mail folders. Or, now that we are also being deluged with phishing calls and junk texts, perhaps people just ignore calls from numbers they don't recognize. It could also be that people are more concerned about or apathetic to hosting. Whatever the reason, it seems we should do something to address the problem.

At a recent tech team meeting we discussed the issue and tossed out ideas. One option is to use WhatsApp, which seems to have much less spam, but some of us find it difficult to set up new contacts. Another idea is to add a function to the Servas International website by which travelers can request hosting via a standardized email address or phone number. The Servas International website had a similar feature, but it was not well known. This solution would at least identify the requests as non-spam.

Another idea tossed about was to set up a system that would identify the member as a "Quick Responder", or "Top Rated" host. Other travel groups like Couch Surfers and Warm Showers hosts have a rating system that serves this function. The first reaction among most Servas members is that host-traveler ratings aren't something we feel is appropriate. However, not having a timely and reliable communication system is losing us members. Maybe we should consider a rating system. What are your thoughts? Add a comment below to let us know.

By Deirdre Marlowe

We are often at a loss as to what to gift the people who welcome us into their homes. Here are some ideas I came up with as someone who spent seven months traveling on a bike, and who only travels with a carry-on regardless of destination.

Spice blends are great: Old Bay (seafood or chicken seasoning), Papa Porker’s Dry Barbecue Rub (comes in 1-ounce packets), regular taco seasoning packs, Taijin (Mexican chili-lime seasoning), Ranch Dressing (for salad, or… comes in small packet). You might have a local favorite that you prefer to bring.

Bandanas are good gifts, too, especially for households with children. I have brought flag bandanas and map bandanas. Pencils that have local decorations: NYC the Big Apple, I Love Hollywood, etc.

When in doubt, but far heavier, fridge magnets specific to where you come from are good.

I always carry postcards from my hometown or state and use them to send bread & butter notes shortly after I’ve gone on my way. Yes, there’s text and email, but something your host can have as a permanent reminder that doesn’t take up too much space, is always welcome.

Let me know if you have other light-weight suggestions for host gifts. We’ll print them in a future edition of OD.

by Bill Magargal

Well, I know for sure that I'm old... after all, I live in an old-folks home, but what about the overall US Servas membership? Last week we ran age demographics for all 1909 active members, including both friends and host-travelers. No surprise! We are still an older group. Our median age is 67, with a mean (average) age of 62.

Although some people are distressed by this, it is just a fact of life. We are a travel and peace organization... we travel. Young people are involved with careers and families, and it is difficult to include extended travel in the mix. Retirees on the other hand have the time and are more likely to have the funds to travel. Older adults are also much more active than even our parents’ generation, which further extends the age-line.

It is wise of us to encourage younger twenty-somethings to become members to give them a taste of authentic, meaningful travel before job and family commitments become entrenched. Hopefully they will fondly remember and resume having Servas experiences when they get older.