University of Tasmania
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

The ‘Curators’ and The ‘Curious’: Towards a Typology of Airbnb Hosts and Guests and the Implications for Word of Mouth Marketing in the Sharing Economy

conference contribution
posted on 2023-05-24, 17:12 authored by Eleanor GrimmerEleanor Grimmer
This project examines the process through which Airbnb hosts, guests and local small businesses (retail and hospitality) interact with one another using word of mouth (WOM) marketing. WOM is a powerful form of information provision for travellers and an effective marketing tool for small businesses, but there has been little research focused on its application in the realm of the sharing economy. This research investigates how Airbnb guests use Airbnb host recommendations (WOM) to make decisions about which local shops, restaurants, cafes and bars to visit during their stay. A qualitative approach was used with semi-structured interviews (N=30) conducted with Airbnb hosts, guests and small business owners across two sites in Tasmania, Australia. The findings show that hosts, guests and small businesses can be further classified into nine broad groups, and that the general characteristics of each group have implications for the degree to which WOM is utilised. The findings can inform recommendations about how WOM can be refined to enhance the visitor experience and drive visitation to local small businesses.

History

Pagination

1-7

Department/School

TSBE

Publisher

The Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education

Place of publication

Australia

Event title

CAUTHE Annual Conference

Event Venue

Newcastle, NSW

Date of Event (Start Date)

2018-02-05

Date of Event (End Date)

2018-02-08

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Wholesale and retail trade

Usage metrics

    University Of Tasmania

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC