The challenges and possibilities of sharing economy for the travel intermediaries
Keski-Heikkilä, Emilia Jasmina (2018)
Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu
2018
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201804174874
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201804174874
Tiivistelmä
Modern sharing economy provides various alternatives for traditional tourism products and services. Alongside with the latest digital technology, the phenomenon is expected to shape the tourism and travel industry. What the changes will be remains a topic of interest for many.
This thesis aims to investigate how sharing economy impacts tourism and travel industry from the point of view of travel intermediaries. Thus, travel agencies, tour operators and business travel agencies are the focus of this particular thesis commissioned by the Association of Finnish Travel Agents (SMAL/ AFTA), which has over 160 travel agencies, tour operators and incoming agencies.
The theoretical framework lays the grounds for understanding the sharing economy and explaining its evolution through history and digital innovations. The theoretical framework then moves on to evaluate the impacts of sharing economy from travel and tourism intermediaries’ points of views with a focus on accommodation and transportation sectors to finally answer the research problem.
Qualitative research method was applied to gain profound understanding of the modern sharing economy. Altogether nine themed and semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and March 2018. The interviews were divided evenly as three interviewees were selected from each target group.
The results demonstrated that sharing economy has still a relatively low impact in the Finnish context due to the safety, responsibility and payment questions it poses. However, there had already been some customer demand for shared services in the travel and tourism distribution chain. Product comparability and review platforms were seen to shape the consumer behaviour. Time will show, if and how it will be possible to integrate sharing economy platforms to the traditional channels with the help of latest digital technology. It is evident that sharing economy both challenges as well as provides opportunities for those tourism and travel companies willing to take the leap.
The thesis project was conducted between Autumn 2017 and Spring 2018.
This thesis aims to investigate how sharing economy impacts tourism and travel industry from the point of view of travel intermediaries. Thus, travel agencies, tour operators and business travel agencies are the focus of this particular thesis commissioned by the Association of Finnish Travel Agents (SMAL/ AFTA), which has over 160 travel agencies, tour operators and incoming agencies.
The theoretical framework lays the grounds for understanding the sharing economy and explaining its evolution through history and digital innovations. The theoretical framework then moves on to evaluate the impacts of sharing economy from travel and tourism intermediaries’ points of views with a focus on accommodation and transportation sectors to finally answer the research problem.
Qualitative research method was applied to gain profound understanding of the modern sharing economy. Altogether nine themed and semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and March 2018. The interviews were divided evenly as three interviewees were selected from each target group.
The results demonstrated that sharing economy has still a relatively low impact in the Finnish context due to the safety, responsibility and payment questions it poses. However, there had already been some customer demand for shared services in the travel and tourism distribution chain. Product comparability and review platforms were seen to shape the consumer behaviour. Time will show, if and how it will be possible to integrate sharing economy platforms to the traditional channels with the help of latest digital technology. It is evident that sharing economy both challenges as well as provides opportunities for those tourism and travel companies willing to take the leap.
The thesis project was conducted between Autumn 2017 and Spring 2018.