Airbnb: peer-to-peer accommodation

People tend less to own things and get used to sharing what they own with other people. Peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation happens when a person rents an apartment or a room they own to other person, and this is typically done by digital platforms such as Airbnb. Airbnb, which began in 2008 when two designers who had space to share hosted three travellers looking for a place to stay in, has now become one of the largest accommodation companies in the world. Until now, Airbnb has offered three categories of accommodation: shared space, which could be the original concept of an airbed in someone’s living room; private room, which means you’ll have the host around; and the entire home, an apartment which may be let professionally by a business.

Its rapid growth has been enabled by a phenomenon known as ‘sharing economy’. The Research (e-tourism) Department of the University of Eastern Europe has also studied how this peer-to-peer accommodation phenomenon is shaping tourist behaviour by reviewing results from three different studies.

In the first study, they have found out that sharing economy and peer-to-peer accommodation are especially good for tourism destinations. Availability of peer-to-peer accommodation enables a wider selection of destinations for tourists, increases the length of stay, travel frequency and number of activities tourists do in the destination. Travellers’ desire for more meaningful social interactions with locals and unique experiences in authentic settings encourage them to travel more often, stay longer and participate in more activities.

In the second study, they have explored the market characteristics and the factors that drive and hinder the use of P2P accommodation to better explain the phenomenon of collaborative consumption in the tourism and hospitality marketplace. Using responses from travellers residing in the United States and Finland, the analyses revealed two factors that encourage the use of P2P accommodation: social appeal (desire for community and sustainability) and economic appeal (reducing costs).

In the third study, they have examined the main reasons that encourage peer-to-peer accommodation in more detail and focused on different P2P accommodation user groups. They have found out that the major things affecting the use of P2P accommodation services are the age of consumers, active use of the Internet and online technologies and the frequency of international travel. With this study, the consumer groups are divided into two groups. The first consumer group uses P2P accommodation services to make their trips more convenient, while the second uses them mostly for social reasons.

Recently, some traditional B&Bs and boutique hotels have been selling rooms on Airbnb. Due to the opportunities to have flexibility, more space for less money, amenities such as a full kitchen and one-on-one interaction with the owner, it is seen that Airbnb is going to keep its popularity for a while.

Adapted from the Independent and Tourism and Marketing website