The impact of sharing economy on accommodation services in Austria

The sharing economy is here. It is not a vanishing trend. The sharing economy is disruptive. All of this is true but does the sharing economy have an impact on the hospitality industry in Austria? Accommodation services have a strong position in Austria and are supported by the government as well as the people. Hotels and others are important employers in many regions of the country and a main driver for successful tourism in areas like Kitzbuhel Schladming or the Waldviertel. Like other industries in the country the hospitality industry is also affected by external factors but most political economic societal environmental and legal influences are under control. There is only one factor that forces businesses including those in the hospitality industry to adapt and the government to endorse this development: technology.