Discovering the Effects of Sharing Economy for Tourism and Hospitality Industry in the Stockholm and Uppsala Region

Abstract: The aim of this research is to investigate the current situation of how the growing demand on Peer-to-Peer services (P2P) like Airbnb is affecting the conventional establishments and businesses in the tourism and hospitality (TH) sector in the Stockholm and Uppsala Region. In other words, understanding the effects of the sharing economy (SE) and picturing its place inside (or in the opposite of) the TH industry. By using semi-structured interviews with small to medium size hotel/hostel experts, Airbnb hosts and tourism industry representatives we make an exploratory study and analyze the current situation of the relationship between Airbnb and conventional establishments operating in TH industry. We analyze corporate and marketing strategies and business models being used by incumbents of the industry. Our findings show that the relationship between Airbnb as an accommodation platform in the Stockholm and Uppsala market is not considered as a threat by other actors of TH sector by any means and that there are different factors that could be considered in order to understand this feeling around the Stockholm and Uppsala Region. Some of the discussed factors within the study are the development and growing characteristics of the market together with the regulations currently applied to the P2P platforms within the county. The results also give new study possibilities for researchers that are willing to discover how the Swedish TH industry develops in the next decade in relation to a dynamic customer base in the Stockholm and Uppsala region and in Sweden.