Viewing Airbnb from Twitter: factors associated with users' utilization

Abstract

Airbnb is a peer-to-peer accommodation website in the sharing economy. Past studies have examined the factors associated with Airbnb utilization from various platforms, but not exclusively from Twitter. A total of 21,097 tweets was collected in a period of two months, and the tweets were qualitatively analyzed with the help of text analysis tools to verify the discourse of discussion. Literature was reviewed for common factors attracting clients to an Airbnb accommodation. Factors were then qualitatively analyzed and compiled using Wmatrix, and the themes that emerged were: Price and status, social interaction and communication, location, reputation, amenities and a pet-friendly environment. This result provides a deeper insight to Airbnb hosts to strategize and add value to their current market situations.