RESEARCH ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF AIRBNB ACCOMMODATION IN MAJOR EUROPEAN DESTINATIONS
Elena HERTE1, Alina BADULESCU2
1Department of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
2Department of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economic Sciences, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
Abstract: The Airbnb platform, one of the most popular platforms of its kind, is present worldwide, with a variety of accommodations, depending on the type of accommodation it offers (single room, whole apartment, etc.). In this article, we set out to analyse the spatial allocation of accommodation and the density of Airbnb listings in comparison with hotel establishments in Europe. For the spatial analysis of Airbnb accommodations we used data from the Inside Airbnb website and QGIS, an application used for geographic information systems (GIS) that supports visualization, editing, and analysis of geospatial data. In this way, we created a geospatial database that helped us better understand the dynamics of each location. After analysing the data we concluded that a consequence of the concentration of Airbnb accommodation is that life in these areas has become more expensive and more crowded for locals. Airbnb accommodation has caused inconvenience not only to hotel owners but also to locals. In addition, Airbnb is having a strong impact on the rental market by increasing rental prices. Another trend that can be seen from the distribution of Airbnb accommodation is that in cities with a seafront location, accommodation is located close to beaches and most accommodation is of the entire home/apartment type. Differences in the frequency of use and prices of listings highlight the geographical inequality in the benefits and impact of Airbnb’s activity. The Airbnb offer is not a uniform segment of tourist accommodation and its effects on destinations are important and should therefore be analysed in relation to the territorial context.
Keywords: distribution; Airbnb; platform; GIS.
