Visitors’ motivation for staying in Airbnb accommodation evidence from South Africa

Abstract

The Airbnb industry contributes significantly to the broader accommodation sector. Thus Airbnb is an alternative and creative accommodation option. The study aimed to evaluate visitors’ motivations for staying in Airbnb accommodations, focusing on; visitors’ push and pull factor motivation and exploring the relationship between push and pull factors. A quantitative approach was used, with a developed online survey platform known as all counted, and 205 respondents participated in this study. Hypotheses were formulated, with exploratory factors analysis to show a significant relationship between push and pull factor motivation. The study found various push and pull motivation items, with pull motivation items further divided into two variables: personal and distinctive pull factors. The results further revealed that more focus is required on pull factors rather than push factors. There is statistical evidence that all tourists that visit Hartbeespoort or stay in Airbnb accommodations strongly show pull factors more than push factors. However, hypotheses reveal no distinct difference for females as push and pull factors are the same. Therefore, the study suggests that Airbnb hosts and relevant stakeholders should be able to understand visitors’ decision-making processes better. This study reveals the push and pull factors that motivate visitors to stay at Airbnb and explores the relationship between push and pull factors as valuable tools in delivering a competitive advantage for Airbnb, deploying different marketing strategies, and motivating and delivering services to visitors.