Shaping the Consumers Behavior Who Are Using Airbnb—The Case of Airbnb’s Users in Greece

Abstract

Touristic services are traditionally provided by businesses such as hotels, taxis or tour operators. Recently, an increasing number of people suggest temporarily sharing what they own (for example, their home or car) or what they do (for example meals or excursions). This type of allocation is referred to as ‘exchange economy’. It is not restricted to tourism and can be found in many areas of social and economic activity, although tourism has been one of the areas most affected. Sharing goods and services among people is not new. However, the development of the Internet and, consequently, the creation of on-line platforms has made sharing easier than ever. Over the last decade many management companies of such platforms have appeared on the market. A well-known example of a platform is one in which people can book an accommodation (Airbnb). The economy of the exchange has had a positive impact on tourism, as well as a negative one. Its supporters believe it provides easy access to a wide range of services that are often of higher quality and more accessible than those provided by traditional business partners. The paper has made a wide examination on the case of Airnbn in Greece and based on the existing literature it seems that there are some factors which differentiate it from traditional hotels, which is the interaction with the local culture. However, there is a need for further research on it.