The travel industry is undergoing constant changes.
One of the fastest growing trends in the sector is shared living. It`s usually being described as a combination of private space with communal facilities.
But there`re different types of shared living options. Here`re 3 of the most popular ones, according to a research paper named “Shared Living and Sustainability: Emerging Trends in the Tourism Industry” published by Almatourism:
Cohousing
According to research published by McCamant and Durrett, the first cohousing development was built in 1972 outside Copenhagen, Denmark, by 27 families.
How did it start?
The families were unhappy with the available housing and that motivated them to form a new type of housing, combining a private dwelling with community living.
“By 2010 more than 700 of these communities have been built in Denmark. There are now 120 in the United States.”, as McCamant and Durrett wrote in their paper.
What is it?
The term cohousing refers to a community of private homes that are clustered around a shared space. Each home has its own amenities, but also a common house with shared kitchen, dining area, laundry, and recreational spaces, as the US Cohousing Association explains.
Co-living
What is it?
Co-living refers to the modern urban lifestyle trend of sharing space with other like-minded residents. The concept encompasses both more permanent living spaces and guest rooms for a temporary stay.
Overall, the co-living lifestyle involves interaction between the dwellers, who may be young entrepreneurs, freelancers, families or short-term travelers with shared interests, and goals.
One space, different residents
There`s a distinction between different types of co-living spaces like entrepreneurial co-living, among others. The latter refers to a shared living space formed to support idea generation and collaboration between business professionals who run their own businesses.
Additionally, there`re spaces known as social entrepreneurship co-living, which are hosting social entrepreneurs, who want to work, live, eat and hang out together.
As the statistics show, co-living spaces are often inhabited by millennials (the generation born between 1980 and 2000) who have recently relocated to a new country, work from a distance, or look for short-term housing alternatives for their vacation.
Read more about the concept of co-living and how it`s influenced by the millennial generation here.
Eco-village
What is it?
The Executive Director of the Global Ecovillage Network, Kosha Joubert has recently defined eco-villages in the following way:
“Intentional, traditional; a rural or urban community that is consciously designed through locally owned, participatory processes in all four dimensions of sustainability (social, culture, ecology, and economy) to regenerate their social and natural environments.”
Examples of eco-village projects
Educational projects, social and community enterprises, agro farms, green schools, and etc.
Conclusion
Shared living spaces have one thing in common: they house a group of residents who live together, whereas collaborating and sharing common ideas.
Meanwhile, the shared-living trend is already impacting the travel sector. Understanding shared living is vital for hospitality leaders who wish to benefit from it.
