Assessing crucial variables for consumer choice in Sharing Economy accommodation sector. Airbnb in north east Italy

In just a couple of years, the sharing economy emerged to become a significant segment of the holiday accommodation market. Several aspects have contributed to the rise of the sharing economy in tourism, from the search for new tourism experiences to the necessity to save money. This paper aims to give insights into the factors which influence the decision-making process of users when selecting accommodation on an online peer-to-peer platform. Characteristics of 19,624 Airbnb listings in destinations in north east Italy were analysed to discover users’ inclinations, by using occupancy as a proxy of consumer preferences. We identified several influential factors such as accommodation characteristics, locations and aspects of the digital community. The results provide useful insights for the management of real estate allocated to the sharing economy market and for the anticipation of potential effects that this phenomenon might have on the sustainable development of destinations.