Impact of accommodation sharing on tourist attractions

Abstract

The proliferation of accommodation-sharing platforms has changed the ways in which people travel and experience tourist attractions. However, the impact of accommodation sharing on attractions remains under-researched. To fill this gap in the research, we use a mixed methods approach to examine the spillover effect in two key tourism service suppliers. Using difference-in-differences estimations with two-way fixed effects, we find a 15.4% increase in an attraction's online popularity after the entry of accommodation sharing. This positive spillover effect is reduced when the density of commercially operated properties is higher. The qualitative findings speak to the mechanism behind the estimated spillover effect, which involves three dimensions of variation in accommodation sharing and the salient use of mobile technology in modern travel.