A large share of growth in the sharing or platform economy is driven by peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation providers such as Airbnb. The literature argues for both positive and negative socio-cultural, economic and environmental impacts emanating from the tourism and hospitality businesses and value chains that are dependent on AirBnB and other online platforms. These impacts are felt in terms of competition with more traditional business models (e.g. hotels, motels and B&Bs) and their influence on tourist and visitor flows as well as their spatial impacts that has led to substantial community opposition to accommodation providers that utilise Airbnb in some destinations. This introduction to the special issue on AirBnB and the sharing economy identifies several themes in the consumption and production of the sharing, peer-to-peer and platform economies on tourism at various scales, ranging from international networks, destinations and business, through to neighbourhoods and individuals. Although Airbnb provides the primary frame by which to investigate the relationships between the sharing economy and tourism and the implications of so-called disruptive innovation this introduction also notes some of the wider implications of the sharing and platform economy for people and places.

The emergence of digital technology has led researchers, businesses, and entrepreneurs to reflect more on the potential value that Augmented Reality (AR) can play in tourism. Although the relationship between authenticity and travel intention has been examined previously, little is known about how authenticity influences tourist travel intention after an AR experience. To fill this research gap, the current study constructs a theoretical model from narrative transportation theory. The results show that narrative transportation is a mechanism that bridges object-based authenticity and existential authenticity with travel intention. This study provides valuable theoretical insights into the antecedents and consequences of narrative transport while enriching the understanding of AR. Meaningful practical insights are offered to destination authorities.

Underpinned by Script Theory and the S-O-R model, this research enhances the green tourism consumption literature to identify how destination service quality contributes to visitors’ memorable experiences and loyalty towards a place-based food tourism attraction. A total of 202 tourists who visited the Best of Highlands tea plantation in Malaysia were surveyed using an online questionnaire. Using PLS-SEM, this study has several notable findings: (i) destination service quality factors: activities, cleanliness, language, and security emerged as predictors of memorable tourism experiences; (ii) memorable tourism experiences strongly predicted destination loyalty; and (iii) memorable tourism experiences mediate the path between destination service quality and destination loyalty. This study therefore provides new insights into both sustainable tea tourism and script theory with respect to how memories guide future decision making. These results also provide insights for tea tourism providers in designing an unforgettable destination that stimulates the tourist’s intention to revisit the destination and to communicate it to others.