Given the explosive rise and powerful influence of peer-to-peer platforms, the Madrid conference also welcomed Rosario Silva, tourism industry expert and Professor of Strategic Management at IE Business School, IE University Madrid. Rosario examined research into the sharing economy’s influence on the hotel industry in Spain, giving us food for thought as to how the language travel industry also might be affected. Her presentation was broken down into five main topics: Characteristics of the sharing economy Key issues when managing sharing platforms Drivers that stimulate the sharing economy, plus positive and negative effects of these firms Research on the effect of Airbnb on the Spanish hotel industry New regulations in the Spanish accommodation sector Characteristics of the sharing economy A Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) report “ The Future of the Sharing Economy in Europe 2016 ” has chronicled the spectacular rise of sharing economy firms in a very short sp...