Q1) In the last few years the so-called sharing economy represented by websites such as Airbnb has grown to become important channels connecting the supply and demand of lodging. Please briefly present your view on 1) how the sharing economy creates value; and, 2) why it could be considered a “disruptive” force for the hospitality industry.

Q2) Social media is a general term we use to describe various technological platforms that allow users/consumers to participate, contribute and communicate with each other. From a business standpoint they could be useful in different ways. Please list three types of social media and briefly discuss how businesses can use them to engage with their customers.

Q3) In this class we discussed the nature of search engine marketing. Please explain how it is different from traditional marketing communication and why it is unique from a tourist destination or hospitality business standpoint.

Q4) Imagine you are the marketing director of a convention and visitors bureau in the US. Your team found out that the number of visitors to your website recently has decreased considerably. Please propose (briefly) a general strategy and, if possible, specific analytics tools you could use to improve the traffic to the website and engage with visitors.

Q5) From some of the readings we learned that travel is a complex process of consumptive behavior. Please briefly discuss some of the technologies that have the potential to enable us to gain much better, more comprehensive understanding of this process.