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Accommodation Experience in the Sharing Economy: A Comparative Study of Airbnb Online Reviews

Author

Listed:
  • Zhihua Zhang

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2313, USA)

  • Rachel J. C. Fu

    (The Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute and Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-8209, USA)

Abstract

Current research investigating the accommodation experience in the sharing economy in China is limited, especially from a cross-cultural perspective. To fill this gap, this study examined the accommodation experience of Airbnb guests using text-mining techniques and compared the accommodation experience perception between two culturally different groups: domestic Chinese and foreign English-speaking Airbnb guests. The results showed that the two groups shared eight common dimensions, including “Convenience/Location”, “Amenities”, “Feel at home”, “Check-in/out”, “Experience”, “Availability/Transportation”, “Host”, and “Style/Decoration”. However, there are differences in the relative importance of each dimension of accommodation experience between the domestic and foreign Airbnb guests. For example, the foreign guests more often mentioned homeliness, location/convenience, and availability/transportation, while the domestic guests showed greater interest in check-in procedures and style/decoration. Additionally, the two groups have several unique dimensions. The dimensions unique to foreign guests are “Recommendation” and “Booking flexibility”, while the dimensions unique to domestic guests are “Revisit” and “Cleanliness”. This study provides both theoretical and practical implications for peer-to-peer accommodation hosts and platforms. For example, Airbnb hosts can improve the satisfaction of Airbnb guests by improving several common extracted topics (e.g., amenities quality and host response) and the fact that foreign guests care more about homeliness, while domestic guests pay more attention to the check-in process and house design and decoration.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhihua Zhang & Rachel J. C. Fu, 2020. "Accommodation Experience in the Sharing Economy: A Comparative Study of Airbnb Online Reviews," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:24:p:10500-:d:462544
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zhihua Zhang & Rachel J.C. Chen, 2019. "Assessing Airbnb Logistics in Cities: Geographic Information System and Convenience Theory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-11, April.
    2. Ert, Eyal & Fleischer, Aliza & Magen, Nathan, 2016. "Trust and reputation in the sharing economy: The role of personal photos in Airbnb," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 62-73.
    3. Brochado, Ana & Troilo, Michael & Shah, Aditya, 2017. "Airbnb customer experience: Evidence of convergence across three countries," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 210-212.
    4. Gutiérrez, Javier & García-Palomares, Juan Carlos & Romanillos, Gustavo & Salas-Olmedo, María Henar, 2017. "The eruption of Airbnb in tourist cities: Comparing spatial patterns of hotels and peer-to-peer accommodation in Barcelona," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 278-291.
    5. Juho Hamari & Mimmi Sjöklint & Antti Ukkonen, 2016. "The sharing economy: Why people participate in collaborative consumption," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 67(9), pages 2047-2059, September.
    6. Zhihua Zhang & Rachel J. C. Chen & Lee D. Han & Lu Yang, 2017. "Key Factors Affecting the Price of Airbnb Listings: A Geographically Weighted Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-13, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Xin Zhang & Jiaming Liu & He Zhu & Zongcai Huang & Shuying Zhang & Ping Li, 2021. "A Comparative Study of Customer Perceptions of Urban and Rural Bed and Breakfasts in Beijing: An Analysis of Online Reviews," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-15, October.

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