Effects of shared economy on tourism in Seville (Spain): the case of Airbnb

Abstract

Shared economy has now become the buzzword and information technology is the fundamental force lying behind it. As information technology represents a major commodity in human lives, it also affects the tourism industry considerably. It is not only individuals that are directly benefitting from the shared economy framework, but the tourism industry itself is taking great advantage of this favourable situation in which technology is playing a most decisive role in all walks of human life. Internet has evidently become the facilitator in the matchmaking between the demand and supply sides of tourism. Spain is one the most important tourist countries in Europe as well as in the world, and tourism shapes a key driving force in Spanish economy. Seville, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Spain, with a vast history and culture in the background, grants us with a perfect example to test the potential benefits that shared economy and social websites such as Airbnb can bring to the tourism industry. The present work aims to make a research-based contribution to the current debate on the role of shared economy in Seville’s tourism. To do so, we will take the social website Airbnb as a case study to explore in detail how shared economy may influence the tourist industry in Seville. How are individuals taking benefit from new social websites? How is the synergy between shared economy, information technology and the internet affecting the culture of tourism in general? What are the pros and cons of shared economy for tourism in Seville? In order to explore all these questions a qualitative research approach will be adopted. The research data will be collected by means of interviews and a questionnaire. In this way, both online and offline interviews will be conducted; also, in order to be able to collect actual, updated, relevant data, Seville’s residents acting as hosts on Airbnb will be asked to complete an online questionnaire. It is expected that by carrying out such qualitative research we will gain a deeper understanding of the specific motives and experiences underpinning the topic under study in the Seville scenario. Future directions will also be succinctly outlined on how to further and diversify research into the booming shared economy phenomenon.