Work

The formation and functioning of the Airbnb neo-tribe. Exploring peer-to-peer accommodation host groups

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: Some Airbnb host communities display the characteristics of neo-tribes. The neo-tribe literature offers rich insights into the life of a neo-tribe, but their formation and ongoing functioning remain under-researched. This paper investigates these issues using a netnographic approach that explored the formation and practices of a Tasmanian Airbnb Host Forum. The results reveal the reason for its formation and the functions of the neo-tribe, particularly as a support mechanism for hosts and defiance against perceived marginalisation by the tourism industry that has refused to embrace hosts; residents who viewed hosts as traitors; the government who regulates their entrepreneurial activities; and the media who vilified them. This study contributes to theory by developing knowledge on the stages of neo-tribal formation, and the influence that these stages have upon the ongoing function of the tribe.

Source: Tourism Management Perspectives

DOI: 10.1016/j.tmp.2020.100760

Authors: Anne Hardy, Sara Dolnicar, Oscar Vorobjovas-Pinta

Institutions: University of Tasmania, The University of Queensland, Edith Cowan University

Language: English

Topic: Sharing Economy and Platforms

Subfield: Marketing

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: University of Queensland

OpenAlex ID: W3099130633

FWCI: 3.61

Cites: 83

Cited by: 23

Related to: 10