Camønoen: Mobilizing pilgrim trails along collaborative platforms

Coastal communities in Denmark have experienced a steady socioeconomic decline, which has further been aggravated by a stagnating tourism and agricultural sector. Within this context, coastal regions are attempting to harness... [ view full abstract ]

Coastal communities in Denmark have experienced a steady socioeconomic decline, which has further been aggravated by a stagnating tourism and agricultural sector. Within this context, coastal regions are attempting to harness the potentials of the emerging collaborative economy and its communitarian business models, such as car-sharing, social dining and peer rental of property. These sharing models thrive primarily in urban settings with a high density of assets, triggering the question: how can sparse and loosely connected coastal resources be mobilized to create value for tourists and citizens alike? The recently opened pilgrim trail, Camønoen represents an adapted collaborative business model and as such an appropriate case to study new coastal value creation processes. Camønoen is a 175 km long newly designed walking trail across the islands of Møn, Nyord and Bogø. The trail is augmented by a digital platform on which hikers may directly connect with local citizens and book experiences ranging from private dinners to bird-watching and berry-picking. The platform Camønoen.org is hosted by the regional museum, which neither charges for intermediation, nor is responsible for vetting and control procedures. Our paper will follow the consolidation of Camønoen by analyzing its business model, the institutionalization of brokers and coordination roles as well as the emerging relationships, trust and exchange mechanisms between small, local providers and visitors. By doing so, we will be able to determine the social and economic potentials as well as pitfalls of auto-mediated collaborative business models in a coastal context.