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

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  • Mia Larson

    (Service Research Center, Karlstad University, 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden)

  • Cecilia Cassinger

    (Department of Communication, Lund University, 251 08 Helsingborg, Sweden)

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 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Mia Larson & Cecilia Cassinger, 2025. "Platform Stories: The Role of Ideological Narratives in the Development of a Tourism Sharing Business Model," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jtourh:v:6:y:2025:i:2:p:62-:d:1627149
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    4. Laurell, Christofer & Sandström, Christian, 2017. "The sharing economy in social media: Analyzing tensions between market and non-market logics," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 58-65.
    5. Belk, Russell, 2014. "You are what you can access: Sharing and collaborative consumption online," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(8), pages 1595-1600.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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