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Platform Stories : The Role of Ideological Narratives in the Development of a Tourism Sharing Business Model

Larson, Mia and Cassinger, Cecilia LU orcid (2025) In Tourism and Hospitality 6(2).
Abstract

This article explores the development process of a sharing platform in the tourism industry, drawing on a longitudinal case study of a sharing-based business in adventure tourism in Sweden. The purpose is to explore how sharing business models emerge through processes of ideological narration—the strategic use of stories to shape and sustain a business. Over a two-year period, empirical data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and document study. The findings suggest that sharing business models are developed in processes of ideological narration designed to attract labour, capital, and users to a digital platform. Four master narratives are identified—sharing, sustainability, shared identity, and... (More)

This article explores the development process of a sharing platform in the tourism industry, drawing on a longitudinal case study of a sharing-based business in adventure tourism in Sweden. The purpose is to explore how sharing business models emerge through processes of ideological narration—the strategic use of stories to shape and sustain a business. Over a two-year period, empirical data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and document study. The findings suggest that sharing business models are developed in processes of ideological narration designed to attract labour, capital, and users to a digital platform. Four master narratives are identified—sharing, sustainability, shared identity, and profit-making—narratives grounded in conflicting ideological logics. The dominance of these narratives shifts over time, reflecting different priorities and challenges encountered at various stages of a sharing business model’s development. This dynamic highlights the fluid and multi-faceted nature of narratives in shaping and sustaining sharing businesses in the tourism industry.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
digital platforms, ideological narratives, sharing business models, tourism businesses
in
Tourism and Hospitality
volume
6
issue
2
article number
62
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:105008891214
ISSN
2673-5768
DOI
10.3390/tourhosp6020062
project
Den digitala staden och delningsekonomin: potential och problem
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
66f37de8-0de5-43d9-ba3f-4636fd44c059
date added to LUP
2025-04-03 17:59:08
date last changed
2025-10-14 11:57:37
@article{66f37de8-0de5-43d9-ba3f-4636fd44c059,
  abstract     = {{<p>This article explores the development process of a sharing platform in the tourism industry, drawing on a longitudinal case study of a sharing-based business in adventure tourism in Sweden. The purpose is to explore how sharing business models emerge through processes of ideological narration—the strategic use of stories to shape and sustain a business. Over a two-year period, empirical data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observations, and document study. The findings suggest that sharing business models are developed in processes of ideological narration designed to attract labour, capital, and users to a digital platform. Four master narratives are identified—sharing, sustainability, shared identity, and profit-making—narratives grounded in conflicting ideological logics. The dominance of these narratives shifts over time, reflecting different priorities and challenges encountered at various stages of a sharing business model’s development. This dynamic highlights the fluid and multi-faceted nature of narratives in shaping and sustaining sharing businesses in the tourism industry.</p>}},
  author       = {{Larson, Mia and Cassinger, Cecilia}},
  issn         = {{2673-5768}},
  keywords     = {{digital platforms; ideological narratives; sharing business models; tourism businesses}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Tourism and Hospitality}},
  title        = {{Platform Stories : The Role of Ideological Narratives in the Development of a Tourism Sharing Business Model}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/tourhosp6020062}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/tourhosp6020062}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}