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The Covid-19 pandemic and the accommodation sharing sector: Effects and prospects for recovery

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  • Gerwe, Oksana

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has spread like wildfire across the globe. The hospitality industry, including the accommodation sharing sector, has been one of the hardest hit. Renting an Airbnb property, sharing a room via Couchsurfing and exchanging homes via LoveHomeSwap became almost impossible under the new restrictions. This paper analyses the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on the accommodation sharing sector and conceptually uncovers the underlying reasons for its disruption. We submit that the main strengths of the accommodation sharing sector, which originally drove its rise, became its weaknesses during the pandemic. An asset-light business model, the intermediation of physical transactions via online platforms, a reliance on individually owned and underused properties, and the popularization of access over ownership propelled the initial expansion of this sector. However, these all backfired during the pandemic. The paper outlines potential avenues for the post-pandemic recovery of accommodation sharing and presents future directions for research.

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  • Gerwe, Oksana, 2021. "The Covid-19 pandemic and the accommodation sharing sector: Effects and prospects for recovery," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:167:y:2021:i:c:s0040162521001657
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120733
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    Cited by:

    1. Savvas Papagiannidis & Dinara Davlembayeva, 2022. "Bringing Smart Home Technology to Peer-to-Peer Accommodation: Exploring the Drivers of Intention to Stay in Smart Accommodation," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1189-1208, August.
    2. Xiang, Diandian & Li, Xia & Hampson, Daniel Peter, 2023. "Service exchange activities in the sharing economy: Professional versus amateur peer providers," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    3. Ender Demir & Renatas Kizys & Wael Rouatbi & Adam Zaremba, 2022. "Sail Away to a Safe Harbor? COVID-19 Vaccinations and the Volatility of Travel and Leisure Companies," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-21, April.
    4. Liu, Yang & Dilanchiev, Azer & Xu, Kaifei & Hajiyeva, Aytan Merdan, 2022. "Financing SMEs and business development as new post Covid-19 economic recovery determinants," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 554-567.
    5. Catalina Llaneza Hesse & Josep Maria Raya Vílchez, 2022. "The effect of COVID-19 on the peer-to-peer rental market," Tourism Economics, , vol. 28(1), pages 222-247, February.
    6. Elżbieta Szaruga & Bartosz Pilecki & Marta Sidorkiewicz, 2023. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Transport Accessibility, and Accommodation Accessibility on the Energy Intensity of Public Tourist Transport," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-27, October.
    7. Tan, Hua & Iqbal, Nadeem & Wu, Zhengzhong, 2022. "Evaluating the impact of stakeholder engagement for renewable energy sources and economic growth for CO2 emission," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 198(C), pages 999-1007.
    8. Joanna Kowalczyk-Anioł & Karolina Kacprzak & Ewa Szafrańska, 2022. "How the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected the Functioning of Tourist Short-Term Rental Platforms (Airbnb and Vrbo) in Polish Cities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-23, July.
    9. Usep Nugraha & Budy P. Resosudarmo & Rus’an Nasrudin, 2023. "Examining the impact of urban compactness on work and social life disruption during COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from Jakarta, Indonesia," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 1-26, December.
    10. Maria del Mar Alonso-Almeida, 2023. "Could Failures in Peer to Peer Accommodation Be a Threat to Public Health and Safety? An Analysis of Users Experiences after the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-14, January.
    11. Vrain, Emilie & Wilson, Charlie & Andrews, Barnaby, 2022. "The discontinuance of low carbon digital products and services," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).

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