The ‘Curators’ and The ‘Curious’: Towards a Typology of Airbnb Hosts and Guests and the Implications for Word of Mouth Marketing in the Sharing Economy

This project examines the process through which Airbnb hosts, guests and local small businesses (retail and hospitality) interact with one another using word of mouth (WOM) marketing. WOM is a powerful form of information provision for travellers and an effective marketing tool for small businesses, but there has been little research focused on its application in the realm of the sharing economy. This research investigates how Airbnb guests use Airbnb host recommendations (WOM) to make decisions about which local shops, restaurants, cafes and bars to visit during their stay. A qualitative approach was used with semi-structured interviews (N=30) conducted with Airbnb hosts, guests and small business owners across two sites in Tasmania, Australia. The findings show that hosts, guests and small businesses can be further classified into nine broad groups, and that the general characteristics of each group have implications for the degree to which WOM is utilised. The findings can inform recommendations about how WOM can be refined to enhance the visitor experience and drive visitation to local small businesses.