2,381 research outputs found
Consumption authenticity in the age of the sharing economy: the keys to creating loyal customers who love your brand
Airbnb has gained popularity as an alternative to hotels, with the authenticity of the consumption experience being a critical differentiating factor. However, the hospitality and tourism literature has not fully explored how Airbnb and traditional hotel brands are facilitating authentic travel experiences and the impact of these experiences on brand love and brand loyalty. In this study, we explore three elements of consumption authenticity and examine their how they interact in the context of an accommodation brand. Second, we compare the components of consumption authenticity across hotels and Airbnb, and examine their relative impact on brand love for these two segments of the accommodations industry. We found that hotels and Airbnb draw upon different sources of authenticity to create brand-loving customers. Our results indicated that Airbnb leverages brand, existential, and intrapersonal authenticity in creating brand-loving and brand-loyal customers, while hotels utilize only brand authenticity. Thus, the keys to creating customers who love and are loyal to the brand differ between hotels and Airbnb. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, and areas of future research are identified.Accepted manuscrip
Consumption authenticity in the age of the sharing economy: The key to creating loyal customers who love your brand
Airbnb continues to gain popularity as an accommodation alternative to hotels, with the authenticity of the consumption experience being a critical differentiating factor. However, the hospitality literature has not fully explored whether and how brands in the sharing economy as well as traditional hotel brands are facilitating authentictravel experiences and the impact of these experiences on brand love and brand loyalty. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, we develop a model of consumption authenticity in the accommodations industry and identify, operationalize, and measure its components. Second, we examine the impact of consumption authenticity on brand love and brand loyalty in both hotels and Airbnb accommodations. By surveying 1,256 American participants recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk, we found that Airbnb leverages brand, existential, and intra-personal consumption authenticity in creating brand-loving and brand-loyal customers, while hotels utilize only brand authenticity. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, and areas of future research are identified
Boston Hospitality Review: Fall 2018 
Table of contents: Airbnb and the Hotel Industry: The Past, Present, and Future of Sales, Marketing, Branding, and Revenue Management By Makarand Mody and Monica Gomez -- Creating Community One Meal at a Time By Dana Searle -- Restaurant Delivery: Are the "ODP" the Industry's "OTA"? Part I & II By Christopher Muller -- My Head in the Clouds (Computing): A Case Study of a Restaurant Group Embracing Off-Site Technology By Tyler Titheringto
Going back to its roots: can hospitableness provide hotels competitive advantage over the sharing economy?
While the customer experience is at the heart of the hospitality industry, experience-related research remains underrepresented. This gap is critical, particularly given the emerging threat of the sharing economy to the hotel industry along experiential factors. Using data from a survey of 630 customers who stayed at a hotel or an Airbnb, the authors use structural equation modeling to compare two models with alternative conceptualizations of the dynamics of experiential consumption in the accommodations industry. Building on the concept of the experiencescape from the branding and hospitality and tourism literatures, the model enhances Pine and Gilmore’s (1998) original experience economy construct by demonstrating the critical role of the dimension of hospitableness in facilitating favorable experiential and brand-related outcomes, particularly in the context of the hotel experience. The findings have important implications for the hotel industry’s strategic experience design initiatives and emphasize the need to use hospitableness in order to create a competitive advantage in a rapidly changing environment.Accepted manuscrip
Using segmentation to compete in the age of the sharing economy: testing a core-periphery framework
Airbnb has emerged as a credible competitive threat to the hotel industry. Consequently, hotel brands are having to rethink the experiences they provide to customer in an increasingly competitive environment. Despite these trends in the industry, experience-related research that examines and informs these developments remains under-represented in the hospitality and tourism literature. The present study offers a systematic approach to examine the potential differences in experiential consumption in the accommodations industry. Using a multiple-group analysis approach, it examines the moderating effects of individual characteristics and situational factors on the nature and dynamics of experiential consumption in the accommodations industry. The findings of the study culminate in the core-periphery framework of the hospitality consumption experience that can provide a relevant theoretical lens for future research into the different sectors and types of experiences within the hospitality and tourism industry. The study also outlines important implications for the hotel industry’s strategic experience design initiatives, from the standpoint of product development, the segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) process, and marketing communications.Accepted manuscrip
Individual Hosts Vs. Company Hosts on Airbnb: Role of Authenticity and Trust on Consumers’ Behavioral Intentions
Airbnb has become a dominant player in the sharing economy. Authenticity is one of Airbnb’s fundamental key factor, but recent hospitality studies lack addressing types of hosts and how they compare in terms of different dimensions of authenticity affecting consumers’ trust in hosts. The current study identifies two types of Airbnb hosts, individual hosts and company hosts, and aims to examine the role of authenticity and trust in hosts on consumer’s intention to revisit and recommend Airbnb. The findings suggest that there exist positive relationships between dimensions of authenticity and trust in hosts and between trust in hosts and behavioral intentions. The relationship between existential authenticity and trust in hosts is strengthened for company hosts than for individual hosts. The study may contribute to P2P literature portfolio in terms of types of hosts and provide implications to both P2P individual hosts and company hosts
What makes Airbnb likeable? Exploring the nexus between service attractiveness, country image, perceived authenticity and experience from a social exchange theory perspective within an emerging economy context
As a result of the growth of the notions of collaborative consumption and sharing economy in the tourism industry, this paper applies social exchange theory to investigate how the Airbnb platform influences the Airbnb experience and authenticity, which might lead consumers to like Airbnb and influence their behavioural patterns. By recruiting 466 tourists who had stayed in Airbnb accommodation in Istanbul, Turkey via travel-related Telegram, Twitter, travel blogs, and Facebook groups, this study revealed the importance of the platform and its features in enhancing service attractiveness, perceived authenticity and experience. Furthermore, the results revealed that visitors’ experiences have an influence on Airbnb likability, where Airbnb likability influences their intention to re-visit and to recommend. Significant implications for tourism planning, management and researchers are highlighted
Casas partilhadas monetizadas: a experiência turÃstica e seus efeitos na autenticidade percebida, no apego ao destino e na lealdade
The emergence of the shared peer-to-peer accommodation (SP2PA) has
attracted the attention of practitioners and academics, given this new business
model’s increasing popularity amongst travellers. It is therefore suggested that
this type of accommodation can offer a differentiated, eventually more
authentic, experience to its guests, introducing new values and meanings to
the hospitality provided at destinations. To sustain this argument, it is
important to enhance the understanding of guest experiences while staying in
such a SP2PA, while also the impact of these new tourist behaviour patterns
on destinations is worthwhile exploring. Taking into account the relevance of
understanding the tourist experience associated with the SP2PA, this study
aims to gain theoretical and empirical understanding of the SP2PA guest
experience by proposing and testing a theoretical model that estimates the
relationships between the dimensions of the tourist experience (the SP2PA
guest experience) and the constructs of ‘destination attachment’, ‘perception of
authenticity’, ‘destination attitudinal loyalty’ and ‘SP2PA attitudinal loyalty’. To
achieve this goal, two complementary methodology stages were undertaken:
(i) an ‘exploratory qualitative approach’ by conducting focus group discussions
and passive netnography; and (ii) a ‘quantitative approach’ by applying a
survey to a convenience sample of SP2PA guests. Statistical analysis of data
used descriptive and inferential methods, with the Partial Least Squares (PLSSEM)
as the main method for testing the hypotheses. A total of 409 valid
responses were used to test the proposed conceptual model. Findings confirm
the ‘aesthetic’, ‘escape’, ‘entertainment’, ‘educative’, ‘affective’, ‘social
interaction’, and ‘sharing experience’ dimensions as appropriated dimensions
to analyse the SP2PA guest experience. Amongst these dimensions, the
‘educative’, ‘social interaction’, ‘aesthetics’, ‘sharing’, and ‘affective’ are, in this
order, the dimensions that most influence the SP2PA guest experience.
Regarding the influence of the SP2PA guest experience on the tourist
experience outcomes, this study demonstrates that this experience positively
influences the ‘perception of destination authenticity’ and ‘destination
attachment’ formation. In turn, destination attachment mediates the
relationship between the ‘SP2PA guest experience’ and ‘destination loyalty’,
while the SP2PA guest experience predicts the ‘SP2PA attitudinal loyalty’.
Besides, the ‘perception of authenticity’ positively influences ‘destination
attachment’ formation and ‘SP2PA attitudinal loyalty’. The results contribute to
the tourist experience theory by providing an empirically-based insight into its
dimensionality in the hospitality sharing economy context. This study also
provides an analytical framework to understand the effects of the SP2PA guest
experience on constructs such as the perception of authenticity, destination
attachment and tourist loyalty. Furthermore, results may help design management strategies for both SP2PA platforms and SP2PA hosts to
develop and implement an experience-oriented service strategy in order to
achieve a memorable experience for SP2PA guests and create positive future
behavioural intentions. Limitations of the study and suggestions for further
research complete the picture.O surgimento do alojamento partilhado pessoa para pessoa (SP2PA) tem
vindo a atrair a atenção de profissionais e acadêmicos uma vez que esse
novo modelo de negócio tem ganho crescente popularidade entre os
viajantes. Sugere-se, portanto, que esse tipo de alojamento ofereça aos seus
hóspedes uma experiência diferenciada, eventualmente mais autêntica,
introduzindo novos valores e significados à hospitalidade proporcionada nos
destinos. Para sustentar esse argumento, é importante melhorar a
compreensão das experiências dos hóspedes durante a permanência em um
SP2PA, ao mesmo tempo em que vale a pena explorar o impacto desses
novos padrões de comportamento turÃstico nos destinos. Tendo em vista a
relevância de compreender a experiência turÃstica associada ao SP2PA, este
estudo tem como objetivo desenvolver uma compreensão teórica e empÃrica
da experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA, propondo e testando um modelo
teórico descritivo que estima as relações entre as dimensões da experiência
turÃstica (a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA) e os construtos de ‘apego
de destino', 'percepção de autenticidade', 'lealdade atitudinal ao destino' e
'lealdade atitudinal ao SP2PA'. Para atingir esse objetivo, duas etapas
metodológicas complementares foram realizadas: (i) uma "abordagem
exploratória qualitativa", conduzindo as técnicas de grupos focais e
netnografia passiva; e (ii) uma "abordagem quantitativa", administrando uma
pesquisa a uma amostra conveniente de hóspedes do SP2PA. A análise
estatÃstica dos dados utilizou métodos descritivos e inferenciais, sendo o
principal método para testar as hipóteses a modelagem de mÃnimos
quadrados parciais - PLS-SEM. Assim, 409 questionários foram utilizados
para testar o modelo conceitual proposto. Os resultados confirmam a
"estética", "escape", "entretenimento", "educativa", "afetiva", "interação social"
e "experiências de partilha" como dimensões apropriadas para analisar a
experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA. Entre essas dimensões, "educativa",
"interação social", "estéticas", "partilha" e "afetivas" são, nessa ordem, as
dimensões que mais influenciam a experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA. Com
relação à influência da experiência dos hóspedes no SP2PA nos resultados
analisados da experiência turÃstica, este estudo demonstra que a experiência
dos hóspedes no SP2PA influencia positivamente a ‘perceção da
autenticidade’ do destino" e a formação do ‘apego ao destino’. Por sua vez, o
‘apego ao destino’ media a relação entre a "experiência dos hóspedes do
SP2PA’ e a "lealdade ao destino", enquanto a experiência dos hóspedes do
SP2PA condiciona positivamente a “lealdade atitudinal ao SP2PA". Além
disso, a "perceção da autenticidade" influencia positivamente a formação do
"apego ao destino" e a "lealdade atitudinal ao SP2PA". Os resultados
contribuem para a teoria da experiência turÃstica, especificamente em
contexto de alojamento turÃstico partilhado, monetizado, fornecendo uma visão baseada empiricamente em sua dimensionalidade no contexto da
economia da partilha na hospitalidade. Este estudo também fornece uma
estrutura analÃtica para a compreensão dos efeitos da experiência dos
hóspedes no SP2PA em constructos como a perceção de autenticidade, o
apego ao destino e a lealdade do turista. Além disso, poderá auxiliar o
gerenciamento de plataformas SP2PA e aos anfitriões do SP2PA a
desenvolver e implementar uma estratégia de serviço orientada à experiência,
a fim de obter uma experiência memorável para os hóspedes no SP2PA e
criar intenções comportamentais futuras positivas. Limitações do estudo e
sugestões para futuras pesquisas completam o quadro.Programa Doutoral em Turism
The accommodation experiencescape: a comparative assessment of hotels and Airbnb
PURPOSE:
Accommodations providers in the sharing economy are increasingly competing with the hotel industry vis-à -vis the guest experience. Additionally, experience-related research remains underrepresented in the hospitality and tourism literature. This paper aims to develop and test a model of experiential consumption to provide a better understanding of an emerging phenomenon in the hospitality industry. In so doing, the authors also expand Pine and Gilmore’s original experience economy construct.
DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH:
Using data from a survey of 630 customers who stayed at a hotel or an Airbnb in the previous three months, the authors performed a multi-step analysis procedure centered on structural equation modeling to validate the model.
Findings
The authors demonstrate that the dimensions of serendipity, localness, communitas and personalization represent valuable additions to Pine and Gilmore’s original experience economy construct. Airbnb appears to outperform the hotel industry in the provision of all experience dimensions. The authors further define the pathways that underlie the creation of extraordinary, memorable experiences, which subsequently elicit favorable behavioral intentions.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS:
The findings suggest the need for the hotel industry to adopt a content marketing paradigm that leverages various dimensions of the experience economy to provide customers with valuable and relevant experiences. The industry must also pay greater attention to its use of branding, signage and promotional messaging to encourage customers to interpret their experiences through the lens of these dimensions.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE:
The study expands a seminal construct from the field of services marketing in the context of the accommodations industry. The Accommodations Experiencescape is offered as a tool for strategic experience design. The study also offers a model of experiential consumption that explains customers’ experiences with accommodations providers
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