A Comparative Study of Customer Perceptions of Urban and Rural Bed and Breakfasts in Beijing: An Analysis of Online Reviews

Abstract

The differences between urban and rural B&Bs should be emphasized, which is critical for the sustainable development of the B&B industry. This study identified and compared the topics that customers were concerned about for urban and rural B&Bs in Beijing by analyzing 13,241 online reviews obtained from the website Ctrip. The results showed that customers focused on 10 common topics: “room”, “location”, “host”, “experience”, “surroundings”, “facilities”, “service”, “design/style”, “value”, and “entertainment”. However, the importance of each topic varied between urban and rural B&Bs. Customers paid more attention to the room. Urban B&B customers were more concerned about location. The convenience of urban B&Bs was more prominent than that of rural B&Bs, especially in terms of public transportation and commercial services. While rural B&B customers were more concerned about experience, service, design/style, and entertainment. In addition, the “host” is the most crucial and influential factor in the development of B&Bs. This study made contributions to customer perceptions of B&Bs from a comparative perspective and enriched the understanding of the characteristics of urban and rural B&Bs. In the part of practice, this study might provide enlightenment for B&B operators and local governments to take measures for B&Bs sustainable development.

Online Information Reviews to Boost Tourism in the B&B Industry to Reveal the Truth and Nexus

“…RB&Bs distinguish themselves through unique offerings crafted by architectural designs, interior decor, cleanliness, and bed linens, all of which contribute to customer satisfaction. Tailored architectural structures reflecting local folk customs, as highlighted by Zhang et al [8], cater to customers' desires for an immersion into local cultural characteristics.…”

“…Regrettably, the scholarly exploration of customer experiences of RB&Bs is sparse, with only a handful of studies, such as those conducted by Zhang et al [8] and Si et al [9], delving into this aspect. Consequently, the factors influencing customer satisfaction within the RB&B context remain inadequately understood.…”

Network of Tourism–Industrial Complex in Cities: Typologies and Implications through a Critical Literature Review

“…Along with increasing public demand for leisure, tourism industry in cities has been praised highly. In some small towns, the target market of tourism may not be local residents but tourists from adjacent cities, which is the objective effect brought by the overall urbanization [9]. Therefore, urban tourism relies on the local and non-local markets.…”

“…The suburbs include mostly natural landscape resources, with relatively little human intervention and obvious natural landscapes. Although suburban tourism represented by rural homestays has reduced the threshold of urban tourism to a certain extent, with urban rapid development and anti-urbanization, the concept of boutique tourism has attached importance to constantly improve the quality of urban tourism [9].…”

“…Urban tourism is a form of tourism defined by geographical space, leading some scholars to regard it as tourism activities within the city [8]. However, due to the dynamic expansion of urban space and booming suburban tourism, it is difficult to completely distinguish the tourism products in the city from those in the suburbs [9]. Therefore, a growing number of scholars believe that urban tourism is the general term of all kinds of tourism activities in and around the city, and its distance is limited to being able to return on the same day [10].…”