Homestay is a form of tourism an/or study abroad program that allows the visitor to rent a room from a local family to better learn the local lifestyle as well as improve their language ability. While homestays can occur in any destination worldwide, some countries do more to encourage homestay than others as a means of developing their tourism industry. Hosting a homestay participant also allows the local family to earn some additional, needed income. Being low profitable, as it is, homestay can not be regarded as strictly commercial activity, but more of cross cultural exchange.[verification needed]