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Airbnb: what determines a memorable experience?

Erose Sthapit (RDI Support Services, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki, Finland and Department of Marketing, Retail and Tourism, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK)
Peter Björk (Department of Marketing, Hanken School of Economics – Vaasa Campus, Vaasa, Finland)
Dafnis N. Coudounaris (International Business, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark; Tutor of Entrepreneurial Marketing, University of London, London, UK and Visiting Lecturer, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia)

Consumer Behavior in Tourism and Hospitality

ISSN: 2752-6666

Article publication date: 27 January 2022

Issue publication date: 27 July 2022

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a new model of memorable Airbnb experiences that was tested by examining the effects of the novelty of the experience, experience co-creation, hospitableness and facility service quality on memorable Airbnb experiences. This study also examined the impact of such experiences on hedonic well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an online survey questionnaire on Amazon Mechanical Turk, we gathered data from 214 international tourists who stayed in an Airbnb rental property during the three months preceding the time of data collection (November 2020–January 2021).

Findings

This study confirmed that novelty of the experience, experience co-creation, hospitableness and facility service quality are key variables in the formation of tourists’ memorable Airbnb experiences and that the latter further influences tourists’ hedonic well-being.

Practical implications

Airbnb guests should not be viewed as passive agents but as active producers of their own consumption experiences. Airbnb hosts should, thus, be highly involved when their guests want to co-create their experiences by actively interacting with them. For example, hosts should make recommendations for dining and sightseeing.

Originality/value

This study contributed to the existing literature on memorable tourism experiences and Airbnb by furthering the understanding of the antecedents of memorable Airbnb experiences and of the mediating effect of memorable Airbnb experience on hedonic well-being.

Keywords

Citation

Sthapit, E., Björk, P. and Coudounaris, D.N. (2022), "Airbnb: what determines a memorable experience?", Consumer Behavior in Tourism and Hospitality, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 42-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/CBTH-06-2021-0158

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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