The construction of home feeling by Airbnb guests in the sharing economy: A semantics perspective

Although the literature of peer-to-peer accommodation is increasingly recognizing the importance of home feeling, little has been done to theorize the construction of home feeling and its impacts on Airbnb guests’ future intention. To fill in this gap, this study systematically unpacked how Airbnb guests construct the feeling of home. A total of 42,085 review comments containing the feeling of home from three major cities in the USA were analyzed from a semantics perspective. Based on our findings we conceptualize home feeling as a PASS_h process, which contains multiple dimensions: physical and spatial, social, and affective, coupled with hospitality. Essentially, the home feeling with the interaction of these dimensions fulfills the daily hybrid needs of the guests.This article also launches the Annals of Tourism Research Curated Collection on Peer-to-peer accommodation networks, a special selection of research in this field.     

The complexity of consumer experience formulation in the sharing economy

The study examines the complexity of the factors that influence overall perception among tourists who use peer-to-peer accommodation during their vacations. More specifically, it employs fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to analyse data from a sample of 712 peer-to-peer holidaymakers visiting Athens, Greece, and examines the socio-demographics of age and income along with the simple attributes of perceived risks, marketing and advertising, social aspects, and price and quality issues. The findings reveal three sufficient configurations that are able to influence the overall experience: (i) the price-quality nexus, (ii) risk perspective, and (iii) social interaction. The research also compares nonlinear analysis with the dominant parametric methods in tourism and hospitality research (regression; Cramer’s V), highlighting the suitability of the former for complexity examination. It further progresses from fit to predictive validity for the examined models, and contributes to both theoretical and methodological domains.     

Terminator or accelerator? Lessons from the peer-to-peer accommodation hosts in China in responses to COVID-19

This study investigates how peer-to-peer accommodation (P2PA) hosts in China have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. A multi-case study approach was adopted to depict the decision-making logic of three different types of hosts—speculators, diplomats, and entrepreneurs—based on an awareness-motivation-capability (AMC) framework under COVID-19. The findings highlight the role of owner motivation (profit/sharing/entrepreneurial-driven) and capabilities, such as having a unique value proposition and linkages with other hospitality experience, under COVID-19. Meanwhile, the platform collaboration capability failed to support survival during the pandemic. Moreover, the current study indicated that, after the COVID-19, entrepreneurs will continue to innovate, diplomats’ operations will remain unchanged and speculators will quit hosting. Hence, COVID-19 is an accelerator of P2P industry that reserving the hosts who embrace the original features of the P2PA sector, e.g. sharing and a focus on the experience, and eliminating the hosts who have diluted the uniqueness of the sector.     

Power dynamics in peer-to-peer accommodation: Insights from Airbnb hosts

This study explores power dynamics in peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation by examining how they manifest in the host-guest relationship. In so doing, it advances understanding on the role of hosts in the P2P practice and contributes insights on the factors conditioning the reciprocity of the P2P exchange. Drawing from power theories, the study uncovers how the interdependencies among hosts, guests and platforms influence power constellations emanating from P2P accommodation growth and reflexively redefine host practice. Specifically, the study illustrates how hosts are attempting to resist power imbalances characterising the exchange and how the dynamic environment of P2P accommodation leads to distinct representations of host types. The study makes explicit a conceptual framework that captures the power shifts noticeable in P2P accommodation that may be of theoretical and practical value to academics and policymakers alike.     

New measuring stick on sharing accommodation: Guest-perceived benefits and risks

As an emergent phenomenon fueled by advanced technology, the sharing economy enables people to capitalize on underutilized physical assets that would otherwise be wasted. Despite the rapid growth, existing empirical studies are limited to the adoption of scales from other disciplines, although collaborative consumption differs from commercial consumption. The purpose of the study is to examine guests’ perceived risks and benefits of sharing accommodation. Using three folded studies, this research attempts to yield key theoretical contributions by developing a scale for perceived benefits and risks in the context of sharing accommodation. Furthermore, this study provides initial insights into why consumers would avoid sharing accommodations while at the same time identifying potential benefits and risks in relation to attitude and behavioral intentions. The findings from this research will enable sharing accommodation hosts to understand consumers’ perceived benefits and risks and thus provide enhanced experiences to users.     

Drivers and barriers of peer-to-peer accommodation stay – an exploratory study with American and Finnish travellers

The explosive growth of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation service presents a potential transformation in the competitive landscape of accommodation sector. This research explores 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, exploratory factor analyses revealed two factors that drive the use of P2P accommodation: social appeal (desire for community and sustainability) and economic appeal (cost savings). The barriers include issues of trust, efficacy and familiarity with the system, and cost. The empirical evidence from this study suggests several managerial implications for tourism and hospitality businesses and directions for future research.     

Evaluation of the profitability of quality labels in rural tourism accommodation: a hedonic approach using propensity score matching

In recent years, quality labels for the Spanish tourism sector have been developed as part of a competitive strategy focused on the differentiation of the product. Given this development, it is interesting to analyse the profitability of quality labels for the accommodation owners and managers. In particular, this article calculates the profitability of a rural tourism quality label. Through the use of the hedonic price approach, the market valuation of the quality label for rural self-catering cottages is obtained. This valuation is subsequently compared with the expenses incurred by establishments in achieving the quality label. In order to address the usual methodological problems associated with the endogeneity, prior to application of the hedonic approach, the propensity score matching is used. The results indicate that possessing a quality label has a positive impact on the profitability of rural tourism.     

双语教学的有效性研究

近些年来,国内一些高校陆续开设了若干双语教学课程.在具体的实施中遇到了学生双语能力、双语教学模式、教材选取等一系列问题.本文通过研究双语教育理论和西部高校双语教育实践现状,从扫除语言障碍、新旧知识的同化和顺应、研究学生学习心理三个方面探讨了应该如何处理和整合这些问题以保证双语教育的有效性.     

我国经济适用房政策趋向分析

经济适用房从实施到现在并没有很好地解决中低收入者的住房问题。在借鉴国外住房保障的基础上。本文认为应取消经济适用房代之以扩大廉租房适用范围来保障低收入者住房问题,而对于中等收入者可通过大力发展二手房市场及住房金融体系来解决。     

Hospitality industry economic innovation out of tradition small–medium-size enterprises in North-Eastern Thailand

This study focuses on the creation of economic innovation out of tradition in small–medium-size hospitality industry enterprises in the north-eastern part of Thailand. We looked at the role of the roots of the business on its development and the roots vary from existing old traditional accommodations, to accommodations that developed out of a restaurants or a totally different types of hospitality related or unrelated businesses. We also looked as hospitality institutions that developed out of an existing building that could house accommodations or be expanded to a hotel. With the structure naturally comes the location. In real estate as in tourism location plays a very important role, location, location and location. So a three-star hotel may have developed out of a homestay or a bed and breakfast or a simple family restaurant. We did not look at the hotels that were the result of planned developments of real estate developer and hotel franchise operator. Innovation is broadly defined as a new idea, method or product. Product, process or service innovations may have their roots in the traditions of the business. Traditions are long established customs, believes that have been transmitted over generations or time in general terms. The study is quantitative in nature and explored a convenience sample 100 small–medium-size hospitality enterprises in the north-eastern part of Thailand by administrating a pretested survey to the owner/operators. The sample is a good representation of the hospitality industry in Thailand under the business model of tradition as an engine for innovation and the ongoing academic debate which generates implications for hospitality industry best practices and as strategic resource.