For other uses, see hospitality service, homestay, homeshare, home exchange, or cohabitation.
Accommodation sharing refers to the connecting of travelers to available homes owned by local residents for the purpose of a temporary stay. The visitor takes up residence for free[1] or for payment generally in the form of money[2] or work on the property.[3] This connection or arrangement between the traveler and homeowner usually takes place through social network platforms.[4] Types of accommodations provided include rooms (private or shared), apartments, and houses.[2]
Origins
editPre-digital era
editThe concept of travelers seeking accommodations in homes other than their own has been around for centuries. Such hospitality can be traced back to Ancient Greece when offering your home to a guest or traveler was seen as a way of honoring the Gods.[5][6] Providing food, lodging, and entertainment to the guest(s) were what was expected of the host. Failure to supply adequate hospitality was understood as punishable by the Gods.[5][6]
Similar to Ancient Greece, in Classical Rome, providing accommodation for a traveler was a civic duty. It was seen as an unlawful act not to welcome a journeyer into the home.[7][6] There is even mention of laws in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible regarding treating visitors with respect. A common theme of hospitality can be seen in many stories in both the New and Old Testaments for even Jesus counted on others opening their doors and providing a place for him to rest during his travels.[6]
Post-digital and web 2.0
editThe presence of online platforms facilitating peer-to-peer exchanges of services and goods worldwide contributed to the rise of the "sharing economy" in the early 2000s.[2][4] Arranging accommodations for future trips can now be organized through online social networks, where the homeowner and traveler create profiles respectively and connect through the online platform. Such two-sided networks has changed the dynamic of the traditional hospitality industry[2] as seen with the introduction of rival companies, such as, Airbnb to the long-established hotel business.[2]
In regards to compensation, existing platforms contain differing set ups. While some networks connect users to homeowners providing free accommodations,[1] others only provide lodging for an agreed upon exchange between host and traveler. These exchanges include monetary payment,[2]working on the property,[3]and house swapping, where an agreement is made between parties to stay in each others homes.
Debate
editIn academic literature there is discussion around whether or not it is correct to call such lodging exchanges "sharing" when the host is collecting compensation from the visitor.[8][9] Sharing has been defined to include that the giver expects nothing in return.[10] Because of the coordinated exchange that often occurs during an accommodation sharing transaction, certain writers have referred to it as an example of collaborative consumption[8] instead. In the case that monetary compensation is exchanged for the housing, some authors have related such arrangements to renting rather than to a sharing practice.[8]
See also
editExamples of social networks
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Lapowsky, Issie (May 29, 2012). "Couchsurfing Dilemma: Going for Profit". Inc. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f Zervas, Georgios; Proserpio, Davide; Byers, Jay (November 18, 2016). "The Rise of the Sharing Economy: Estimating the Impact of Airbnb on the Hotel Industry". Boston U. School of Management Research Paper. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ a b Paull, John (June 2016). "Organics Olympiad 2016: Global Indices of Leadership in Organic Agriculture". Journal of Social and Development Sciences. 7 (2): 79-87.
- ^ a b Geron, Tomio (February 11, 2013). "Airbnb And The Unstoppable Rise Of The Share Economy". Forbes. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
- ^ a b Biggs, Melissa C.; Joseph, Mollie; Bennet, Dustin; Schrodt, Jonas M. "The Value of Hospitality".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ a b c d O'Gorman, Kevin D. (2007). Hospitality: A Social Lens. Oxford, UK & Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. pp. 17–32.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ O'Gorman, Kevin (2007). "Discovering commercial hospitality in ancient Rome" (PDF). Hospitality Review. 9 (2): 44–52. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
- ^ a b c Belk, Russell (September 1, 2013). "You are what you can access: Sharing and collaborative consumption online". Journal of Business Research. 67: 1595–1600. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
- ^ Hemetsberger, Andrea (2012). 'Let the Source be with you!' - Practices of Sharing in Free and Open-Source Communities. Innsbruck: Innsbruck University Press. pp. 117–128.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Sützl, Wolfgang; Stalder, Felix; Maier, Ronald; Hug, Theo (2012). MEDIA, KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION: Cultures and Ethics of Sharing. Innsbruck: Innsbruck University Press. ISBN 9783902811745. Retrieved 22 November 2016.