FACTORS AFFECTING ONLINE BOOKING INTENTION AND BEHAVIOR: THE CASE OF AIRBNB

Abstract

In a modern environment characterized by a high level of digitization where information technologies are available to a large number of users, the way of travel planning changes its shape. Namely, users increasingly take over the role that agencies once had; they use online platforms not only for information but for booking both accommodation and other travel activities. In this context, peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms have become particularly popular in recent years. One of the most popular and fast-growing platforms is Airbnb, founded in 2008 with the idea to enable owners to offer their unoccupied houses or rooms for short-term rental. The aim of this paper is threefold: first, to explore the determinants of online booking intention and behavior, then to explore the motivation of respondents to select Airbnb platform, and finally, to determine the respondents' preferences towards attributes of Airbnb properties