Facebook Twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin
Search
Close this search box.
Donate
WELCOME INTERNATIONAL VISITORS TO YOUR HOME IN KANSAS CITY

HOST A VISITOR

Host International Visitors

Open your doors to the world and share the warmth of Kansas City hospitality with international visitors from around the globe. 

Whether you’re interested in hosting a group for a single dinner or welcoming guests into your home for a few days to a few weeks, Global Ties KC offers two enriching opportunities for cultural exchange that fit any schedule.

Open Your Home to the World:
Two Ways To Become a Global Ties KC Host

At Global Ties KC, we connect individuals, couples, and families of all backgrounds to host visitors from all over the world, providing an opportunity for cultural exchange, meaningful conversations, cultural exchange, and long-lasting connections.

Whether you choose to host for a single evening or for a few days, the experience is guaranteed to leave a lasting impact on you, your family, and your guests.

Throughout our visitors’ time in the United States, spending time with American hosts is often the most memorable experience of their trip. As a member of our community, you have the opportunity to showcase what life is truly like in the United States beyond TV and media portrayals while making valuable global connections, making you a citizen diplomat. 

Who You’ll Host

Most of our visitors come through the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), the U.S. Department of State’s premier professional exchange program. Through short-term visits to the United States, current and emerging leaders in a variety of fields experience this country firsthand and cultivate lasting relationships with their American counterparts. 

Over 500 past visitors to the U.S. on the International Visitor Leadership Program are current or former Heads of Government or Chiefs of State. Alumni include: President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of The United Kingdom, President Alvaro Uribe Velez of Colombia, President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, President Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India, Prime Minister Tony Blair of The United Kingdom, and President F.W. deKlerk of South Africa.

Guests are typically adult visitors, professionals or emerging leaders from around the world, or high-school students who are eager to experience life in American homes—beyond the movies. They come from a variety of backgrounds, representing different countries, interests, professions, and cultures. From artists and scholars to business leaders and diplomats, you’ll have the chance to learn firsthand about life in another part of the world.

These individuals often return home with new perspectives, and so do our hosts.

Dip Your Toes Into Cultural Exchange

Home Hospitality

Do you have one evening to share? If you’re not quite ready to commit to an extended stay, consider hosting a visitor for a single meal. Hosting a group of 2-4 international guests for dinner offers an enriching yet flexible experience.

Dinner hosting can break down stereotypes, showing that there’s much more to America than fast food and skyscrapers. It’s the smell of a Midwestern home-cooked meal, the warmth of a shared table, and the laughter that makes us all feel connected.

Share a Meal, Share a Story

How Home Hospitality Works

When international visitors come to Kansas City, Global Ties KC invites local hosts to welcome them for an evening of home hospitality. You’ll receive guest bios and available dates through our newsletter or email. If a date works for you, we’ll match you with 2-4 visitors for a relaxed, home-cooked dinner.

Visitors will arrive at 5:30 pm via ride-share and depart later that evening, giving you plenty of time to enjoy meaningful conversations. Home hospitality typically takes place on weekday evenings or weekends.

Ready to host? Fill out our Host Interest Form below to choose your dates and programs!

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN HOSTING AN INTERNATIONAL VISITOR FOR DINNER
  • Visitors are dropped off at your home around 5:30 PM, ready to enjoy an evening of conversation, food, and connection.
  • After dinner, your guests will return to their hotel, but the memories of your hospitality will stay with them long after.
  • No special planning required! Serve what you’d normally eat or share a favorite dish. It’s the company and conversation that matter most.
Fill Out The Host Interest Form

Home Hospitality WHY?

Lasting Memories Over a Single Meal

Share Real American Life

The World At Your Table

Share Your Home for a Few Days or Weeks

Homestays

For those wanting a deeper experience, hosting an international visitor in your home for several days to weeks, offers the chance to forge even stronger bonds while giving them a home away from home. During the weekdays, your guest will join you for breakfast and dinner, and Global Ties KC arranges all-day activities for them from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays, so your daily routine can continue with ease.

Hosting gives you and your family the chance to challenge preconceived ideas, forming bonds that transcend borders. Whether you’re walking your guest through your neighborhood or gathering for a quiet meal at home, the connections formed during a homestay can last a lifetime.

Create An Immersive Experience In Local Culture

How Homestays Work

Hosting a visitor not only enriches your own life but also makes a difference in how others perceive Kansas City and the United States. A homestay host welcomes visitors into their home for a short period of time (a few days to a few weeks). All host families must complete a background check form and casual home visit with Global Ties KC staff. 

Fill Out The Host Interest Form
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN HOSTING AN INTERNATIONAL VISITOR FOR A HOMESTAY
  • A welcoming bed for each guest
  • Breakfast and dinner provided daily
  • Weekend lunches if the stay overlaps with a weekend
  • Coordination of transportation to and from a central meeting location
  • Time to connect over meals while enjoying your guest’s company in the evenings!

Homestays
WHY?

Experience Cultural Exchange Firsthand

Build Lifelong Global Connections

Contribute To Global Cooperation

Frequently Asked Questions

Traditional home hospitality means opening up your home to a small group of visitors (3-4), feeding them a home cooked meal, and engaging in conversation. The idea is for international visitors to have a safe, casual space where they can learn about ‘average’ Americans. Break bread. Share stories of their work, family, and home country. Visitors will be dropped off and picked up by a rideshare service.

Our visitors spend most of their time eating in restaurants, and home hospitality is their main opportunity to eat a homemade meal and unwind. That said, we are open to alternative ways of hosting! Have some friends bring pieces of a potluck. Order in a pizza. Cook mac and cheese. No three-course meals are needed!

We’ll let you know whether visitors have any allergies or dietary restrictions before they come to you.

At times, visitors are able to take part in unconventional hospitality, cultural activities, etc. Additionally, we regularly have community events where we are joined by visitors as our featured guests and speakers.

The visitors will both arrive and depart via rideshare.

Home hospitality is a shorter time commitment. You host visitors for a few hours for dinner.

Homestays are better suited for those seeking a longer commitment. Visitors will stay overnight at your home. Some programs require visitors to stay in local homes for 1-2 weeks. For more information on becoming a host, visit our homestays page.

YOU ARE ONE STEP WAY FROM BECOMING A GLOBAL TIES KC HOST
ENGAGE WITH GLOBAL LEADERS

Sign up for the Global Ties KC mailing list to learn about upcoming opportunities for hosting international visitors.