Abstract
The financial crisis started In September 2008, in the USA, with the bankrupt of Lehman Brothers. This financial shock led to a deep and long economic crisis. The USA has started to experience economic recovery in 2010 but the economic growth has still been low.
The hospitality industry, with most industries, has suffered from the economic crisis. Occupancy rate and other indicators decreased during the crisis. In the meantime, the sharing economy, in many industries, has boomed. Indeed, in hospitality industry, some lodging networks have emerged.
In this study, we will focus on the most famous one: Airbnb. It is a hospitality exchange website which provides a platform for members, either to rent lodging, either to offer a rental. Although Airbnb is really close to Couchsurfing, money is exchanged and this is why it can be viewed as a direct competitor of hotels and especially the ones the low-end of the market.
