OECD TOURISM TRENDS AND POLICIES 2016

RE-THINKING POLICIES FOR THE TOURISM SHARING ECONOMY

What is the ‘sharing economy’?

New marketplaces that allow services to be provided on a peer-to-peer or shared usage

basis

Sharing economy Collaborative economy

Participative economy Peer-to-peer economy

Snapshot of the tourism sharing economy

Accommodation

Dining

Transport

Travel services

ZIPBOB

Implications for the tourism economy

• Fast-paced growth of sharing economy is changing the tourism landscape, driven by technological advances and cultural shifts

• Business models vary – some closely mimic traditional commercial activities, others are based on users’ sense of community

• Services available are evolving, as platforms cater to leisure and business travellers and co-operate with sharing and traditional tourism actors

Opportunities to grow the tourism economy

• Expand consumer options, and grow the market for tourism services

• Employ under-utilised assets and enable product development, without significant investment

• Stimulate innovation and new entrepreneurship opportunities

• Spread tourism to less visited areas

• Extend benefits of tourism to more people

Challenges for policy makers

• Consumer protection and regulatory frameworks should be fit for purpose

• Competitive imbalances, with prospect of unfair competition for traditional regulated businesses

• Taxation of sharing economy activities and impact on tax revenues

• Labour market risks and protection for drivers, hosts and other service providers

• Impact on local communities and public interest

Initial policy and industry responses

• Responses vary and are more likely to be taken at local level – ‘wait and see’ approach common

• Review of rules and regulations e.g. Austria, Australia, France, New Zealand

• Introduction of licensing and permit systems e.g. Amsterdam, Madrid, Portland, Boston

• Direct engagement and promotion e.g. Israel, Korea

• Self-regulation, with platforms introducing quality controls, standards and insurance systems

Striking the right balance – the path forward for tourism policy

• Better understand how the sharing economy is changing tourism and impacting economies

• Strengthen the strategic operating framework, taking account of broader policy objectives and the role of government in the marketplace

• Re-think policy incentives, to ensure decisions are made in a creative, open and transparent way, with the end-user in mind

• Modernise policy and regulatory approaches

OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2016

Active Policies for TourismTourism trends and policy prioritiesSeamless transport to enhance the visitor experiencePolicies for the tourism sharing economy

Country profiles for 50 countries

E-book available on OECD iLibrary (print forthcoming 16 March 2016)Data accessible on OECD.Stat

www.oecd.org/industry/tourism/In co-operation with

the European Commission