Why travelers switch to the sharing accommodation platforms? A push-pull-mooring framework

Purpose: Drawing on and extending the push-pull-mooring (PPM) framework, this paper aims to empirically explore the influencing mechanism of traveler switching intention from the hotel reservation platforms to the sharing accommodation platforms (SAPs). Design/methodology/approach: This study adopts structural equation modeling to analyze the 543 responses collected among hotel reservation platforms and SAPs travelers. Findings: The results support the positive effect of both push factors (e.g. dissatisfaction with product, service and information quality of hotels on the hotel reservation platform) and pull factors (e.g. price value, authenticity, interaction, home benefits and novelty of SAPs) on traveler switching intention. Except for the negative effect of switching cost, other mooring factors including prior switching experience and social influence positively affect traveler switching intention. The authors also found the switching cost negatively and prior switching experience positively moderated the push effects on traveler switching intention, while the social influence positively moderated the pull effects on traveler switching intention. Research limitations/implications: Recommendations of future SAP participation research to consider the competing platforms, the unique experiences of SAPs and mooring factors. Examining the factors of different sources is also useful for practitioners to better understand travelers’ demands and to improve the overall welfare of travelers. Originality/value: This paper embraces an extended PPM framework to explore traveler switching intention in online travel platforms. Moreover, this paper provides unique insights into the switching behavior from the hotel reservation platforms to the SAPs.