ABSTRACT
The essential link that brings together hospitality and co-creative behaviour is co-design. This chapter introduces the concept of co-design and co-creation, drawing on a broad range of academic and non-academic literature. It focuses on the field of hospitality and tourism, providing examples drawn from cases around the globe to clarify the application and diversity of the concept. The chapter considers the sharing economy, where it will be argued that the rise of the same can be seen as the most recent step in co-creation, where the company 'as a designer' has given way to the company 'as an enabler' in designing experiences between users, hosts and guests alike. Hospitality experiences are not confined to the interior of buildings, but include the open public space which in itself then becomes the arena of host/guest relationships that are co-designed.
