Sharing economy phenomenon in tourism sector on the example of Uber and Airbnb platforms

Abstract

The research subject was the phenomenon of the use of the Uber and Airbnb internet platforms operating as part of the sharing economy. The research objective was to determine the platform user profile and the factors which influence the use of mobile applications related to sharing of goods and services. The conducted research shows that a significant number of respondents are relatively young people who use a smartphone and mobile banking on a daily basis, which is necessary to operate the sharing economy applications. Most respondents live in large towns, where services offered by platforms such as Uber and Airbnb are available. Over a half of respondents have used services provided by those applications. The conducted research led to the conclusion that the participation of platforms operating as sharing economy has increased in the daily lives of individuals; according to the respondents, their general availability and the price level have the biggest effect. The applications are particularly attractive to the young generation who actively use the advancements of technology.