The sharing economy claims for research on its particularities and implications for management. This paper explores the way hosts of Peer-to-Peer Accommodation (P2P) develop relationship marketing with their guests and how it influences the business. The researchers conducted 30 semi-structured interviews to hosts of Airbnb, in order to obtain their perspective on the importance and application of relationship marketing in this context. Hosts with a B2C and a C2C business perspective were interviewed, and cultural differences in the relationship approach were also considered. The results show that the hosts are aware of the importance of interactions and personal contact with guests. Different results were identified depending on the type of business, accommodation, the culture and nationality of guests. Findings show that relationship marketing is highly explored in P2P sharing accommodation, exploring the interactivity of digital platforms to deepen those relationships.
The study aims to investigate determinants of performance indicator and perceptions of existing and potential customers in accommodation sharing. This study uses data of Airbnb in Busan and Jeju from January 1 to December 31 in 2018, provided by AirDNA. The total number of listed accommodation sharing were 5,109 accommodations in Busan and 11,502 accommodations in Jeju. More than 90 property types of registered accommodation are subcategorized and re-classified in this study. Study 1 examined current usage and effects of factors on performance indicator in tourism destinations by applying Airbnb data. Study 2 investigated effects of perceived factors on satisfaction, intention to use, loyalty, and tourism competitiveness by applying online survey data. This study applies statistical analyses such as factor and regression analyses, ANOVA, t-test, and MANOVA. Results of Study 1 showed that usage and effects of accommodation sharing differ from regulation that is related to sharing types. Effects also differ based on travel destinations. Results of Study 2 showed how customers perceive accommodation sharing differ from pure meaning of sharing. The results of Study 1 and 2 found significant effects of price and service factors on performance indicator and customer satisfaction. The findings of Study 2 showed significant effects on loyalty and tourism competitiveness.