In the mid-Noughties, a new business model emerged that would go on to revolutionise not just the travel industry, but everything from financing and recruitment to our music-listening habits. Known as the “sharing economy”, it allowed peers to exchange goods and services online via a digital platform. Today, that name is something of a misnomer because the exchange is often as much about financial gain as it is about any folksy notion of “sharing”. Instead, many prefer to label it “peer-to-peer” or the “collaborative consumption” trend.