The platformization of tourism: from accommodation to Experiences

Abstract

The article investigates platform-mediated tourism practices by focusing on the new recreational activities offered by Airbnb, namely “Experiences”. In recent years, the leading short-term rental platform has started an expansion strategy beyond accommodation towards services based on immersive activities led by local hosts. Drawing upon previous research on short-term accommodation platforms, we explore the platformization of such recreational activities by looking at their spatialities, the place-based resources engaged and emerging self-entrepreneurial practices. Our effort is experimental since most literature on Airbnb deals with accommodation listings while Experiences differ from accommodation since they combine different types of local resources, which are less spatially constrained, with the host's personal skills. This paper contributes to understanding the spatial and socio-economic implications of the Airbnb expansion strategy through Experiences. We develop a case study based on 385 Experiences collected in Florence (Italy) in 2019 and analyze their location and distribution patterns, the estimated revenue generated, the typology of resources which are commodified through such activities, and the professional profiles of the hosts. Results show that Experiences seem to erode the well-known spatial concentration of accommodation listings in city centres. This is explained by the different nature of the resources mobilized by the Experiences, which privilege the experiential character of these services (e.g. food tasting, cooking classes). Furthermore, Experiences become a self-employment opportunity for the hosts, reinforcing the unregulated and permeable environment of the digital platform.