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PrefaceOur book Understanding and Managing the Impact of Airbnb-The Case of Western Australia from 2015 to the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 has its roots in informal conversations, back in 2015, between academics from the Curtin University's Tourism Research Cluster and representatives from government and industry about a then emerging phenomenon in Western Australia, Airbnb. Although Airbnb was increasingly becoming a reality in Western Australia, it transpired from these early discussions that information on its extent and impact on the tourism sector was scant. Subsequently, a successful grant application as part of the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) Research Grant Scheme led to a study which aimed to provide Western Australia's tourism and economic policy decision-makers and supportive bodies with up-to-date data and evaluations on the Airbnb phenomenon to foster informed decision-making. In 2017, a comprehensive report was published on the main characteristics of Airbnb in Western Australia as well as its growth and impact in 2015/16 and we gratefully acknowledge BCEC's support throughout the project, including the publication of the research report (http://bcecreports.edu.au/ airbnb/).Our book builds on this initial research by presenting a comprehensive analysis of the Airbnb phenomenon from 2015 to 2020 including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it offers new empirical insights and also informs economic and policy debates in Western Australia, Australia and beyond towards an evidencebased response to the Airbnb phenomenon. We hope you enjoy this book and see it as impetus to further progress research in this area.
