Spending the night with strangers while traveling? Examining the antecedents of shared room booking through Airbnb

Purpose: This study aims to examine the motivating factors that influence intentions to book shared rooms through Airbnb as well as the moderating effects of past experience and gender. Design/methodology/approach: This study analyzed data from 214 leisure travelers who had previously stayed in shared rooms through Airbnb and 207 participants who had not yet experienced Airbnb. A covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) technique was performed to test the significance of attitude, subjective norms, extroverted personality, perceived risk and perceived price. Furthermore, the study explored past experience and gender as moderators. Findings: The results suggest that attitude, subjective norms and perceived risk significantly impacted intentions to book shared rooms through Airbnb. However, perceived price was not a significant determinant. In addition, this study verified that past experience and gender moderated the relationship between important referents and attitude/booking intentions. Practical implications: This study gives Airbnb hosts a better understanding of travelers who choose Airbnb’s shared rooms. In addition, hosts who offer shared rooms can implement marketing strategies and complementary activities to not only reduce the risk of booking shared rooms but also attract more travelers. Originality/value: While previous studies examined Airbnb as one homogeneous type of accommodation, this study focused on Airbnb’s shared rooms. A clearer understanding of consumers who intend to book Airbnb’s shared rooms will enable hosts to develop effective marketing strategies.