TESİSTEN KONUTA, TURİSTTEN MİSAFİRE: COUCHSURFING ÖRNEĞİ

Abstract

Günümüz dünyasında, bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerinin seyahat öncesi, esnası ve sonrasında kullanım yoğunluğu ve çeşitliliği giderek artmaktadır. Bu durum modern turizm endüstrisinin geleneksel paydaşlarınca sağlanan mal ve hizmet tedariği ve bilgi akışında alternatifler oluşturmaktadır. Paylaşım ekonomisini benimsemiş ağ toplumu bireylerince alternatif yaratılan paydaşlardan bir tanesi de konaklama endüstrisidir.

Çalışma kapsamında, postmodern turizm faaliyetlerinin konaklama arzını oluşturan platformlardan olan CouchSurfing sosyal ağına yoğunlaşılmıştır. Bu bağlamda, platform kullanıcıların genel özelliklerine, konut sahibi, paylaşım turisti ve diğer deneyimlerine (aktivite, buluşma ve bilgi-deneyim alışverişi) yönelik sorgulamalar gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu sorgulamalar doğrultusunda nitel bir araştırma süreci izlenmiş ve örneklem seçiminde üç üst (yaş, cinsiyet ve referans) ve üç alt (konut sahibi, paylaşım turisti ve kişisel referanslar) olmak üzere altı kriter gözetilerek sekiz katılımcı ile derinlemesine görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Elde edilen veriler, betimsel analiz ile yorumlanmıştır.

Sonuç olarak; katılımcıların kültürel, ekonomik, kişisel motivasyonlar ve geleneksel turist imajından kaçış amacı ile platformu kullandığı belirlenmiştir. Katılımcılar; misafir ettikleri paylaşım turistlerini seçerken en çok referans, profil düzeni ve paylaşım isteğinin içeriğine, misafir oldukları konut sahiplerini seçerken ise referans, yaş, ortak ilgi alanları ve konutun konumuna dikkat ettiğini belirtmiştir. Paylaşım konutu sahipleri, yaşam alanları ve çevresi hakkında misafirlerine tavsiye ve ipuçları vermekte ve rehberlik yapmaktadır. Böylece katılımcılar, akranları ile kurdukları ilişkilerin ev sahibi-misafir bağlamından çıktığını ve yoğunlaşarak kalıcı bir hale dönüştüğünü vurgulamaktadır. Kişisel seyahatlerde platformun kullanılması, katılımcıların daha özgür ve yaratıcı hissetmelerini ve seyahatlerinden daha fazla zevk almalarını beraberinde getirmiştir. Ayrıca katılımcıların seyahat alışkanlıklarının değiştiği, seyahat sıklıklarının arttığı ve seyahat sürelerinin uzadığı da tespit edilmiştir.

Keywords

• Ağ toplumu,paylaşım ekonomisi,postmodern turizm,CouchSurfing

From accommadition facilities into shared residences and tourists into guests: The case of CouchSurfing

Abstract

In today's world, the intensity and diversity of information and communication technologies before, during and after travel has increased. This creates alternatives for the supply of goods and services and information flow, provided by the stakeholders of the modern tourism industry. Hospitality industry is one of the stakeholders created alternatives by individuals, adopting the sharing economy.

Within the scope of the study, CouchSurfing, one of the platforms that constitute the accommodation supply of postmodern tourism activities, has been concentrated. In this context, the general characteristics of the platform users, host, surfer and other experiences (meetings, hangouts and exchange of information and experience) were questioned. In accordance with these inquiries, a qualitative research process was followed and in-depth interviews were conducted with eight participants by taking into consideration the three up-criteria (age, gender and reference) and three sub-criteria (host, surfer and personal references). The data were interpreted by descriptive analysis.

In conclusion, it was determined that participants used the platform to cultural, economic, personal motivations and to escape from traditional tourist images. Reference, profile layout and the content of the sharing request were essential for choosing the surfer while reference, age, common interests and location of the house for determining the host. First-hand advice and tips about living spaces and surroundings, and guidance were provided by the hosts. In this way, the relations between peers came out of the host-guest context and became permanent. The use of the platform in personal travels brought the participants to feel free and creative and to get more pleasure from their travels. Moreoever the travel habits of the participants changed, travel frequencies increased, and the travel times prolonged.

Keywords

• Network society,sharing economy,postmodern tourism,CouchSurfing

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