ABSTRACT:
Collaborative consumer platforms that facilitate person-to-person transactions, and enable new social connections, have been established in the travel marketplace, propagating meanings that are shared by their target audience. By understanding and reproducing the discourses constructed by organizations, consumers can contribute to the establishment of collaborative services in society, actively participating in the interpretation and reformulation of ideas transmitted by the platforms. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the meanings of discourses involving collaborative consumption in tourism, through the interpretation of its consumers. Qualitative in nature, the research was based on semi-structured interviews with individuals who had consumed the services of the Airbnb travel platform, emphasizing the interpretation of messages passed through the website. Using the technique of discourse analysis, it was observed that there was among a common perception among the interviewees that the discourse propagated by the platform transmits the ideas of ease, safety, economy and hospitality. The perception of other, less emphasized meanings was also identified, as well as others that were added due to the consumers’ previous experiences and knowledge, indicating that the consumers themselves participate in the process of constructing discourses that permeate their reality.
KEYWORDS:
Meaning of consumption; Collaborative Consumption; Tourism