Authors: Iis P. Tussyadiah and Sangwon Park
Date published: 22 February 2018
Research commissioned by: Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Surrey
Why did we select this research?
Peer-to-peer accommodation business continues to grow significantly and generates substantial impacts in the tourism and hospitality industry, making it one of the top priorities for research in the field. This rising significance of sharing economy in the tourism and hospitality industry calls for an extensive investigation into the unique processes of peer exchanges and service experiences.
Key findings
Trust between prospective guests and hosts has a significant role in this new service system. For peer-to-peer accommodation hosts, being considered trustworthy by potential guests is key to thrive in this business.
A host who is portrayed as well-traveled and eager to meet new people is considered more trustworthy and desirable compared to those who disclose their profession as a personal identity.
For tourism destinations, the important implication of this study is that residents who are renting out their property to tourists act as destination “ambassadors” and should be considered as additional resources in tourism management
References
Tussyadiah, I. P., & Park, S. (2018). When guests trust hosts for their words: Host description and trust in sharing economy. Tourism Management, 67, 261-272. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517718300268.
