Socio‐cultural impacts of peer‐to‐peer accommodation on host communities

Abstract

Peer‐to‐peer accommodation has recently emerged as a central focus of research in tourism and hospitality. However, research on socio‐cultural impacts of peer‐to‐peer accommodation is fragmented. This study reviews the relevant literature on the socio‐cultural impacts of peer‐to‐peer accommodation on host communities and proposes an integrative framework and a working definition for goal socio‐cultural impacts of peer‐to‐peer accommodation. This literature review contributes to knowledge of how this business paradigm affects and frames host communities and integrates the factors that should be explored by researchers, policymakers, and organizations to manage the impacts of peer‐to‐peer accommodation on host communities.

The Perception of the Impact of Land-Use on Small and Large Cities by Tourists Using p2p Platforms

“…In the existing literature, land use impacts on local communities associated with the activity of online platforms for intermediation of tourist accommodation have been described [9,11,25,27]. However, the consumption of hosting services mediated on p2p platforms, and the importance attributed by tourists to the land use impact in small and larger cities has not been analyzed.…”

“…The land use impacts described below focus on the activity of tourist accommodation brokerage platforms. New types of impacts associated with this accommodation option have been generated or, more precisely, with the increase in the density of tourist accommodation in residential settings fostered by p2p platforms [24,25]. The p2p platforms have intensified an activity that is not new, since tourist homes have operated in the sector on a regular basis [26].…”

“…One of the most widespread impacts derives from the effect on the housing market, which has generated a shortage in the supply of long-term rental housing and has generated evictions, while the activity of these platforms addresses access to housing for residential use, [17,18]. This supply of accommodation, sometimes as a consequence of weak regulation, is associated with the informal economy, unfair competition and tax evasion [25,36,37], although it has also been pointed out that p2p platforms have brought to light undeclared offers [38]. Of course, studies have been described, although not conclusive, on the effect generated in the traditional accommodation offer [10].…”

“…The alteration in the lives of residents can derive from the effects associated with increased traffic, increased noise in residential buildings and congestion in public spaces [9,23,26,35]. A substitution of traditional commercial activities with others focused on tourists has been observed [25,36]. The type of tourism that these tourist homes can attract has been related to an increase in the consumption of alcohol and drugs in these residential settings, as well as problems of insecurity for residents [9,26].…”

False Promise: World Heritage, Ecotourism, and the Local Community of Strahan, Tasmania

“…Our interviews reveal that while there is some benefit to a few independent accommodation providers and operators, this is not a widely shared economic benefit, and many of these operators are also absentee homeowners. And according to our interlocutors, while tourism has increased the price of housing and delivered large profits to locals who have sold their properties, this poses a significant barrier to locals who want to continue to live in the town; see also [56,57]. Many locals have not enjoyed proportionately higher wages alongside this increase in property value-and the increased gentrification and higher expectations of rental return developed from the sharing economy [58][59][60] has put many homes beyond local affordability.…”