Collaborative consumption as a feature of Gen-Y consumers: Rethinking youth tourism practices in the sharing economy

Sharing is not a new phenomenon, while collaborative consumption (Belk, 2014) has emerged thanks to technological innovations such as Web 2.0 and mobile apps; it was also facilitated by the economic recession in 2008, which had huge consequences in terms of economic insecurity, unemployment - especially for generation Y youth, along with the emergence of green consumption practices and a vision of a “new economy” that focuses on a more sustainable logic and collaborative practices enabled by connected and resilient communities. This “new economy” promises equal and high satisfaction, promotes sustainable and ecofriendly behaviors among communities, and empowers consumers through shifting the power from producers to consumers. Thus, “collaborative consumption” as introduced in the literature by Botsman and Rogers (2010) is the translation of connected consumption that creates a “new sharing economy” based on the idea of accessibility, second-hand goods, recycling, swapping etc. as an alternative way to owning goods beyond the traditional notion of private ownership. Internet-related collaborative consumption has transformed mobility, consumption practices and shopping, service provisions, work practices, travel and tourism experiences etc. This has led to the rise of alternative business models based on sharing services, goods and best practices in numerous consumption domains such as Freecycle, Skillshare, Zipcar, RelayRides and Citizen Space. In the tourism sector, connected consumption initiatives occur across sectors such as travel, accommodations, destinations, tours and experiences, food and catering.