THE SHARING ECONOMY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDEPENDENT TOURISM IN THE DIGITAL ERA
Keywords:
Keywords: sharing economy, independent tourism, peer-to-peer, collaborative consumption, ride sharing, hospitality exchange, Couchsurfing, BlaBlaCar, backpacking, digital platforms.Abstract
Abstract. The development of the sharing economy became one of the most
significant trends in the transformation of contemporary tourism. The spread of online
platforms based on the principles of collaborative consumption gave independent
travelers the opportunity to organize transport, accommodation, and the exchange of
experience directly with other participants, without the mediation of traditional
agencies. The present article examines the formation of peer-to-peer tourism services,
from online vehicle rental to hospitality exchange and ride sharing communities, and
it analyzes the model of interaction between resource providers, digital platforms, and
travelers. Particular attention is given to the role of trust, of user reviews, and of the
proportional division of costs, as well as to the contribution of the sharing economy to
the autonomy of travelers and to the ecological sustainability of tourism.
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