Collaborative economy, labor precarization, and territorial transformation in heritage cities of Ecuador.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46380/rias.v9.e632Keywords:
community tourism, digital platforms, labor informality, reciprocity, territorial justice, tourism gentrificationAbstract
This study analyzed, from a qualitative approach, the impacts of the sharing economy on tourism in heritage cities of Ecuador. Forty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with hosts, informal workers, residents, and authorities in Quito, Cuenca, and Baños, complemented by 90 hours of participant observation and document analysis. Methodological triangulation was implemented, combining three sources of information. Among the subgroup of 24 participants involved in the provision of tourism services, 83% were not enrolled in the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS). Gentrification processes were identified in heritage areas, with perceived increases in rental prices and displacement of residents. Likewise, most hosts acknowledged depending on the algorithmic decisions of the platforms, despite perceiving themselves as autonomous microentrepreneurs. The study concludes that, in the context examined, the sharing economy operates under a logic of digital extractivism that threatens socioterritorial sustainability. Community-based tourism models grounded in reciprocity and territorial justice are proposed as a viable alternative.
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