ONLINE MARKETPLACE

FOR LODGING
Project Report

FALL 2021
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL PUNJAB
Lahore, Pakistan

1|Page
ONLINE MARKETPLACE FOR LODGING

Presented to the

Professor Faizan Ali Malik

University Of Central Punjab, Lahore

In Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Bachelor’s Degree
In Accounting and Finance
Fall 2021

By
Usama Ramazan – L1F21BSAF0055
Mubasher Manzoor – L1F21BSAF0052
Kiran Arooj - L1F21BSAF0087
Aimen Iftikhar - L1F21BSAF0088
 ABSTRACT
This Study was undertaken to determine if it is feasible to open an online
marketplace.
With the increase in intermediaries in the online marketplace for lodging
accommodations, such as Airbnb, Vacation Rental by Owner, Home Away,
and Flip Key, opportunities for consumers to book lodging accommodations
and for home owners to rent out their own homes, condominiums, and
bedrooms are growing. While some research has investigated travellers’
motivations for using these services, little work has addressed the motivations
and behaviours of owners. This qualitative study used interpretative
phenomenological analysis to analyse data collected from interviews with
current owners. Themes that emerged from the analysis, pertaining to the
description of the providers, included identity, motivations, and drawbacks;
while those related to the daily operations of the facility included advantages,
features, and logistics. Ultimately, the study found that providers of alternative
lodging are focused on respect between hosts and guests, developing
meaningful relationships, and acquiring all the necessary resources to operate.
Table Of Contents

1. Introduction
1.1 Market Trend

2. Why Rental Platform And Why Now?

3. The Enthralling World Of Rental Marketplace
3.1 Rental Marketplace

3.2 P2P Platform

3.3 B2C Platform

4. Features Of A Rental Marketplace

4.1 Account Creation

4.2 User Profiles

4.3 A Product Listing

4.4 The Search

4.5 Recommendation

4.6 Map Integration

4.7 Product Availability

4.8 Favorites

4.9 Booking

4.10 Messaging

4.11 Notifications

4.12 Online Payments

4.13 Reviews & Ratings

4.14 Account Management

5. Making Money With Online Marketplace

5.1 Commission

5.2 Payment For A Listing

5.3 Selling Ad Space

5.4 Premium Listing

6. Elimination, Competition And First Customer

6.1 Eliminating Frauds

6.2 Facing The Competition

6.3 Attracting First Customer

7. Advantages And Disadvantages

7.1 Advantages
 7.1.1 Around The Clock

7.1.2 Maximize Reservation

7.1.3 Paid Quicker

7.1.4 Not Tied To A Phone

7.1.5 Calendar Management

7.1.6 Insight About You Business

7.2 Disadvantages

7.2.1 Need Internet Access

7.2.2 Influx Of New Customers

8. Market Plan
8.1 Be Slow Down

8.2 Be Selective

8.3 Understand What Works

8.4 Get Organized

8.5 Setup Alerts

9. Airbnb Examples
9.1 Current Members

9.2 Airbnb Workflow

9.3 Airbnb Plus

9.4 Online Experiences

9.5 Flexible Dates

10. UX Improvement Of An Application/Website

10.1 Search Result Presentation

10.2 Urgency Hints

10.3 Search With A Map

10.4 Demands For The Images

10.5 Listing Description

10.6 Neighborhood Guides

10.7 Form To Fill In

11. Conclusion
12. Reference Sites
 1. INTRODUCTION

Alternative lodging options such as Airbnb, Vacation Rental by Owner

(VRBO), Home Away, and Flip Key have increased significantly since the
advent of Airbnb, an early pioneer in this segment, began in 2008 (Nath, 2014).
These accommodation opportunitie
s allow property owners, who are not or were not in the lodging business, to
rent out their own houses, condominiums, and apartments to a variety of
guests. While Airbnb properties may have initially been rented primarily to
young adventurers that included ‘‘couch surfers, backpackers, and hostelers,’’
the company soon discovered that it could help home owners make significant
incomes off of renting their own abodes (Llewellyn, 2014: 46). The company
and its competitors quickly moved from renting to just young adventures to
appealing to ‘‘anyone looking for a good deal on a room in a different city’’
(Llewellyn, 2014: 48). The growth of this segment of the lodging sector has
allowed property owners to successfully supplement their incomes (Sperling,
2015); yet little is known about providers’ perceptions of their experiences as
suppliers of accommodations.

Amidst the current COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan's tourism and hospitality

industries are at great risk, as people are unable to visit Pakistan amidst safety
measures and various lockdowns imposed by the government. Tourism
contributed nearly 7.1% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Pakistan in
2019. However, owing to the pandemic, the market is witnessing severe losses.
The Pakistani government and people hoped the development would attract
more investment in tourism-affiliated businesses and help create better-paying
jobs. The administration had also announced plans to develop and promote
tourism and relax visa restrictions for foreign travelers. The onset of COVID-
19 and restrictions on worldwide travel have derailed the government's plans;
hence, the country could not implement the government's tourism strategy in
2020.

1|Page
 ➢ Market Trends:
In 2019, the international tourism receipts for Pakistan were nearly 948
USD million. Although Pakistan tourism receipts fluctuated substantially
in recent years, they increased through the 2015-2019 period.

2. Why rental platforms and why now?

Young generations now care more about the environment and carbon footprint,
while looking for ways to save money. In this case, renting and the sharing
economy are the best options to get high quality for a lower price. As a
result, around 70% of millennials and Generation Z respondents prefer renting
over buying.

And the market is ready to follow the latest trends. People now can rent vehicles,
clothes, home appliances, real estate, etc. It creates a boundless field of
opportunities and stimulates start-up ideas to look up to successful companies like
Airbnb.
Below, you’ll find characteristics of renting platforms, their features,
monetization models, and the Airbnb success story. Just keep reading, and
you’ll learn all about it.

3. The enthralling world of rental marketplaces:

So, what is a rental marketplace?

➢ Rental marketplace:
A rental marketplace is an online platform where users can rent various
types of properties from each other or from a platform itself (see the types
below).

➢ P2P (peer-to-peer) platform with a mediator:

Users owning property get an additional income, other users (renters or
tenants) get an opportunity to rent this property and save money, and a
platform itself gets a commission for connecting the two.

➢ B2C platform:
The platform itself offers products, and users can rent it out (the system
works similar to the e-commerce model).

Examples:
Currently, there are lots of marketplaces where users can rent pretty much
anything. Look at these examples (both for P2P and B2C markets):

❖ living spaces (Airbnb, HomeToGo, Flipkey);

❖ workspaces (WeWork, LiquidSpace, MatchOffice);
❖ clothes (Rent the Runway, FashionPass, HURR);
❖ jewelry and accessories (Rent Jewels, Happily Ever Borrowed);
❖ carpooling (BlaBlaCar, Comovee, Twogo);
❖ bikes (Spinlister, Mobike, O.Bike);
❖ sporting goods (Sports Rent, Sharewood, Quipmo);
❖ technology (Rent A Computer, Grover, IT Xchange), etc.

➢ Peer-to-Peer working:
Let’s focus specifically on peer-to-peer websites. Remember that one
user on this platform can both offer or rent out their property.
4. How to create a rental marketplace with 14 features:
No matter what unique value proposition you have in mind, you should always
start with the basics. Features listed below are the bread and butter of any rental
marketplace platform.

➢ Account Creation (Sign up):

It should look familiar and simple to any type of user and include registration
with an email (a mobile number) or a quicker option using social media
accounts (the most popular ones are Facebook, Apple ID, or Google).

➢ User profile:
Here users leave information about themselves. Depending on the platform you
have in mind, profiles can be more detailed. The basic info includes a name and
photo. If a profile is created with a social media account, this information is
already prefilled.
➢ A product listing:
Listings are “accounts” for products. Owners provide all the necessary
characteristics of the item, and each item should have a separate listing.

This is, basically, the foundation of any peer-to-peer rental app. Both filling out
a listing form and reviewing a listing should be no-brainer experiences for
users. If owners find it difficult to add the information or renters don’t get
enough product details, a platform is doomed to fail.
➢ The search:
The search box should be located on the main page above the font and include
a sufficient list of filters, which mainly depends on the platform’s
specialization.

The filters may include:

❖ the product’s category (for example, “house” or “apartment”).

❖ trademark.
❖ size.
❖ the number of rooms.
❖ colour.
❖ Location.
❖ dates, etc.
➢ Recommendations:
Users will love your rental platform if it gives them a hint on the next items to
check. With this feature, you improve user experience, help item owners get
more attention from potential renters, and increase the time searchers spend on
the website.

➢ Map Integration:
If it’s a living or workspace, searchers look for a specific location. If it’s a
vehicle, users would want to grab it from a certain area. You do them a huge
favor (and attract more clients) by integrating a map with rented options on it.
Users get an opportunity to find items and accommodations located nearby or
in any other suitable locale.
➢ The products availability:
The owner should mark the dates (or hours) when a product is available. It
typically looks like a calendar with occupied dates, and it will help a renter
pick a listing and avoid frustration or inconvenience.

➢ Favorites:
In case a user doesn’t want to lose the information regarding the item and is
going to rent it in the future, it can be added to the “Favorites” section. It works
similarly to a browser’s bookmarks where you can find all of your go-to links.

➢ Booking:
The tenant appears on the booking page after picking available dates on the
listing’s page. Here the user provides additional details and comments, which
then will be sent to an owner for approval.
➢ Messaging:
Allow users to discuss a product and close a deal from the comfort of your
platform – help them with a built-in chat feature. It should look pretty much
like a chat on social media with an ability to add photos and files to a message.

➢ Notifications:
Nobody wants to check a website for order updates, so you should let users
know if they have a message to answer, booking or payment approval, review
request, etc. Use email or in-app notifications depending on the platform
(desktop or mobile).

➢ Online Payments:
To finalize a deal, provide users with an opportunity to make payments on the
platform. And as online rental startups often choose a commission-based
 monetization model, you need payments to be made on the website (you’ll find
the monetization models described in the next section).

You should also consider including delayed payments for a higher level of
trust. It means that a renter pays for a product, but this sum will be delivered to
the owner only after a renter approves receiving a product. Otherwise, a renter
will get their money back.

➢ Reviews & Ratings:

Sharing a review after the deal is a feature saving your users from any fears
about bad-quality products or dishonest tenants. So, right after a deal is closed,
the two sides should leave their comments and opinions about the experience.

➢ Account Management:
 This is a control panel where property owners can follow the success of their
accounts: the number of renters and their personal details, the number of
payments and the user’s income, listings and their ratings, and so on. This data
is gathered to provide an analytical overview and make listing management
easier.

Besides, platform managers should also have their control panel to make sure
the overall platform functions smoothly. Here they approve listings, block
users, follow up user chats, i.e., be active participants of the website’s everyday
activities.

5. Making money with an online marketplace:

That’s one of the most interesting questions because a peer-to-peer renting
website doesn’t have a specific product to offer, but it provides a seamless
experience for users.

Let’s see how a superb rental service can bring you money.

➢ Commission:
The most widely-used and most well-known model in sites like Airbnb.
The renter’s payment consists of two components: rent plus commission
(a percentage of the rent).

➢ Payment for a listing:

Product owners pay for the listing’s publishing. It’s a good option if you
attract many owners to the platform or if there is a wide variety of
products.

➢ Selling ad space:
 You may include advertising blocks in the website’s interface and sell
them to the companies promoting their offerings. It’s better to
collaborate with businesses somehow linked with your main offering
(for example, bicycle riding events on the bike renting platform).

➢ Premium listings:
Those willing to promote their listings can pay for putting it at the top of
the search. It’s a win-win collaboration for both an owner and a
mediator.

6. Things to consider before starting an online rental

marketplace:
Now let’s talk about a less pleasant, yet crucial aspect of this business – the
main challenges and possible related risks when building Airbnb alternatives.
Learn how to deal with them now to ensure your business success in the future.

➢ Eliminating frauds:
Without a proper verification process, your rental platform will be
crowded with scammers looking for some easy money. Fraudulent
activities would start with two “instruments”: fake listings and identities.

First, you may ask users to provide their ID cards to be sure these are
real people. By spending some time double-checking, you’ll win a
higher level of trust from other users.

Second, make sure the listings are real. In case you deal with car or
apartment rental services, just ask your company’s representatives to
check out the property offline, with their own eyes. Obviously, you
won’t verify some minor products in the same way, so use the delayed
payments method which we’ve mentioned above.
➢ Facing the competition:
Your future platform is not only about online rental services – you
should distinguish and present unique features to get a piece of the
market pie. Creating “something similar” is not enough to provide your
business idea with a long life, so study your future clients carefully and
be creative.

What pain points are the most significant? What are the features (even
minor ones) your competitors haven’t implemented yet? The
combination of answers will form a unique image of your market
proposal.
 ➢ Attracting first customer:
People like online renting platforms primarily because of the ratings and
reviews: someone’s opinion is still the most potent marketing engine.
But what if users haven’t yet left their trustworthy comments?

One solution is, apart from providing a top-notch user experience, you
can offer your first clients the platform’s advanced features for free (X
months of free usage) or start a referral system as soon as possible. In
other words, give visitors a particular incentive to continue using your
website.

7. Advantages and Disadvantages:

• Advantages:

➢ Your business is open around the clock:

Customers who make a decision to book a tour or rental don’t want to
wait until you are in the office — they want to lock in the activity on
their own schedule. Using an online booking system means that your
business is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

➢ You can maximize reservations:

Customers who book their own reservations are more likely to show up,
making no-shows a thing of the past. If a customer does need to cancel,
the spot automatically opens online, giving another customer the chance
to book it. By maximizing your reservations, you won’t leave unused
activity spots or rentals on the table.

➢ You get paid quicker:

With an online booking system, you can require customers to prepay for
activities and rentals. This puts money into your pocket faster.
With an online booking system, you can require customers to prepay for
activities and rentals. This puts money into your pocket faster and helps
make sure that on the day of the event you don’t have to worry about
payment — giving you and your customers more time to have fun.
➢ You’re not tied to a phone:

If a customer calls a tour or activity company and gets routed to

voicemail, they may call back later — or they may call their second-
 choice. Online booking means you capture more potential business
because reservations and information are always available. It also means
you won’t get caught in a dreaded game of telephone tag.
➢ It's easy to manage your calendar:

Online booking systems allow you to check your reservations and

availability wherever you are using any mobile device. You always
know the status of your business, and your schedule can be easily
managed from a convenient location.
➢ You get valuable insight about your business:

An online booking system provides you with a dashboard of analytics

that help you grow your business. Quickly determine your most popular
sellers, the most requested time slots, or even the most popular add-ons
by using an online booking system with robust insights. Take advantage
of knowing what your customers want most — saving you time and
money on offerings that don’t help your business grow.

• Disadvantages:

➢ You need internet access:

If you run tours and activities in remote areas where you aren’t able to
get on the Internet, online booking might not be for you. You’ll need
reliable Internet access to check your reservations and to add bookings
that are made online.
The good news for online marketplace users is that our mobile apps
work offline. This means that you can connect to the internet, sync your
bookings, and go to areas with bad reception. In those areas, it doesn’t
even matter if your internet cuts out – the online marketplace apps will
work.
➢ You need to be ready for an influx of new customers:

Online booking software is a great way to attract new customers, many

of whom prefer booking online from their computers and mobile
devices. However, if you’re running a small operation without enough
staff members or resources to expand your activities, growing too
quickly may pose a challenge.
8. MARKETING PLAN

5 Steps to an Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy

Our good friends over at Tourism Tiger know a thing or two about how to
make your mark online as a tour and activity operator. In this post, Senior
Content Coordinator Emma Russel takes us through some effective ways to
ensure you’re making the most out of your online presence. Social media can
seem daunting, but trust us, this article is sure to steer you in the right direction.
Thanks Emma!
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn,
YouTube…feeling overwhelmed yet?
A common misconception is that companies don’t need to worry about
social media if they’re targeting anyone older than a millennial. In reality,
the majority of your customers — young and old — use some form of social
media.
A 2018 report revealed 64% of adults aged 50-64 are on at least one
social media site, and according to Internet Marketing Inc 76% of travellers
post photos of their holiday online, while 52% gain inspiration from their
friends’ Facebook photos.
Social media shouldn’t be an afterthought: these platforms present a great
opportunity to increase brand awareness, boost traffic to your website, and
increase bookings.

➢ Slow down and give it some thought:

Of course, you want to see fast results, but effective social media
marketing requires some thought. Before setting up accounts on every
platform imaginable, dedicate time to creating a plan.
Are you looking to establish a brand for your company? Increase
traffic? Advertise special offers? By having a clear idea of your goals,
you can establish which platforms are most beneficial for your
company.
Before you begin, consider the factors necessary for a successful
campaign:

❖ An understanding of which type of customer is relevant to your

business and what they want
❖ Attractions/locations/activities people want to share
❖ A commitment to sharing other content outside of your own
❖ An eagerness to connect with your customers — i.e. respond to
reviews, reply to comments, etc.
Below are some examples of companies that know their audience:
Many of Wild Rover Tours’ Instagram and Facebook followers are
ex-customers that are interested in returning to Ireland. Their social
media posts are aimed at interacting with their followers and showing
the best spots in Ireland.
Harry Potter Universal have a large fan base they stay engaged with.
They often repost their followers’ experiences and offer the chance to be
featured on their social media platforms.

➢ Be selective:

Facebook is your most solid option and the most widely used platform. This
is not only due to its larger network of users, but also to the fact that you can
display a list of your products, making it incredibly easy for a visitor to move
from your Facebook page to the booking page on your site.

An example of Facebook’s capabilities on Wild Rover’s Facebook page.

Instagram is your next best option. Users on this platform are steadily
increasing and Instagram is gradually becoming the platform of choice
for many.
 ➢ Understand what works:

Follow successful companies and fellow operators on social media,

and take note of what works for them. Pay attention to which posts
have the most engagement or which had the most impact on you.

Trafalgar Travel is a fantastic example of an operator maintaining

customer engagement while posting relevant material. Here is the
proof.
They show they care about what they do:

They always respond to messages:

They listen to their customers:

➢ Get Organized:

As mentioned above, an inactive site can do more harm than good in

terms of how your company is perceived. Rather than attracting
customers, a disorganized account will do nothing but repel potential
clients. Even if you’re short on time, there is no excuse for allowing
your site to fall to the wayside.
 There are a ton of resources available to help you with planning and
scheduling. Hootsuite is a popular social media management (SMM)
system and is used by over 20% of companies including eBay, UPS,
and Gap. Tweet Deck and Social Engage are also popular with
businesses.
➢ Set up alerts:

For business owners, time is money. Scrolling through Twitter or

Facebook in search of useful content to engage with can be way too
time-consuming.
Google Alerts sends notifications directly to your email, notifying
you of activity surrounding your business. You can set them up to
ping you with industry-related news or when your company’s name is
mentioned.
Essentially, Google Alerts takes care of the scrolling, making it easier
for you to stay up to date with the latest news and activity.
 If you’re a tour operator, social media will likely be a part of present and
future marketing strategies. This is no longer a secondary aspect to tourism
marketing. Social media offers incredible opportunities to increase brand
awareness, draw in new customers, provide a platform for reviews and
feedback, advertise your product and share relevant content

9. Airbnb examples: Statistics, features, and a success

story
Lots of entrepreneurs nowadays are racking their brains on how to develop an
app like Airbnb. And it’s not surprising – the success of this idea has spread all
over the globe. But let’s start from the beginning.

The two future Airbnb co-founders hosted several guests in their San-Francisco
apartment to earn some money to pay their rent. In March 2008, this idea
turned into a start-up called Airbed & Breakfast launched during SXSW (ten
days of film, music, and interactive media festivals and conferences).

Being rejected by investors multiple times, co-founders did their best to perfect
their website in the first place, never giving up on the original idea.

In March 2009, after shortening the company’s name to Airbnb, the co-
founders finally got their first investment from Sequoia Capital. They never
stopped perfecting the website’s user experience, creating a client-cantered
product.

Two years after that, Airbnb was present in 89 countries and attracted more
investments.
➢ Current members:
The company’s 2019 revenue was $4.8 billion and was expected to decrease
significantly during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the 2020 revenue was $3.4
billion, which means only a 22% reduction compared to the previous year.

As of September 30, 2020, there are:

❖ 5.6 million active listings globally;

❖ 100 000 cities with active listings; and
❖ over 220 countries and regions with active listings.

➢ The foundation of Airbnb workflow:

Airbnb allows hosts to offer their rooms, houses, or apartments, to travelers
from all over the world looking for cheaper options to stay in.

The platform is available on desktop, iOS, and Android devices along

with smartwatches.

The revenue model is commission-based:

❖ most hosts pay a 3% fee; and

❖ most guests pay a fee under 14.2%.

Airbnb value proposition includes:

❖ a variety of options to stay in for the friendliest prices, and

❖ passive income for accommodation owners.

Airbnb key activities include:

 ❖ Service consistency:
❖ The user base is growing regardless of world crises. The hosts are usually
not trained to communicate with customers in the way that hotel workers
do. The platform takes care of this issue by providing a hosting
checklist first and then following up the reviews on every host and listing.

❖ Growing the user base:

❖ Regardless of any crises around, the number of platform users should
increase, creating a global community of locals and travellers. It’s “a
network effect” that creates an atmosphere of trust around the platform, and
it’s the most potent way to attract new clients.
❖ Enhancing and improving the core value proposition:
❖ Considering trends and market conditions, the platform should adapt and
transform its offering. Let’s review a couple of innovations.

➢ Airbnb plus:
It’s a top-level platform service that includes top-notch accommodations from
property owners with the highest ratings (only 4.8+ stars). A listing should be checked
 in person by the company’s representative, and thereafter, the listing gets a “Plus”
badge on the platform.

➢ Online experiences:
This activity was born during the pandemic. This is a safe way for people to travel
and stay together, a Zoom video session organized by a host to several people… And
a little more. These conferences are interactive and dedicated to a certain
subject: cooking classes, scavenger hunts, and city tours organized by locals.

➢ Flexible Dates:
It’s a brand-new feature allowing guests to look for options without specific dates.
Instead, they can pick a weekend, one-week, or one-month getaways and stay flexible
in choosing trip dates.

In addition to already launched initiatives, Airbnb shares other creative projects,

improvements, and innovations via its blog.

10. How to improve UX (and conversions) of an app

like Airbnb:
 If you want to create an app like Airbnb, you should know several features and
characteristics typical for this platform – they are a great hint for you to build a
high-quality user experience.

➢ Search result presentation:

When users see search results, they should be clear and, most importantly, with
an option to tailor and narrow down the search (for example, by identifying a
price range or picking a certain type of accommodation).

➢ Urgency hints:
Right on the search page, users may see a notification like “There are only 20%
of apartments left in this area”. It’s an extra incentive for searchers to make
faster decisions.

➢ Search with a map:

Searchers may use only a map if they are looking for a place in a specific city
area. With it, they can move the map and see marks with Airbnb
accommodations (there is a price on the mark for convenience).

➢ Demands on the images:

Just a couple of images or no images at all won’t create any trust to your future
rental platform, so Airbnb gives this part the highest priority.

The demands include:

❖ A large number of images;

❖ Images demonstrating key accommodation characteristics: sleeping areas, a
kitchen and bathroom with their facilities, available tech tools, etc.
❖ Images with a view from the apartment and of a courtyard.

➢ Well-structured listing description:

There are several sections with vital information presenting a listing. So there
won’t be any hectic long-read descriptions – the information is clear and easy
to understand.

The sections include:

 ❖ The space:
❖ the number of bedrooms (and beds), bathrooms, house rules (if there are
any), etc.;
❖ Amenities:
❖ availability of TV, heating, Internet, etc.;
❖ Prices:
❖ how the price may vary considering the number of people, weekly or
monthly discounts, a cleaning fee, etc.; and
❖ Description: here an owner may include any general information of their
choice, describing a place, area, and city.

➢ Neighborhood guides:
Hosts may recommend places to eat, go shopping or simply have fun close to
the area of accommodation. They mark these places on a special map, which
may be used by renters after arrival.

➢ Forms to fill in:

Checkout/payment pages are the final steps to finishing a booking, so they are
critically important. Airbnb’s forms have lots of white space, contain the final
price (with all extra payments), and errors appearing immediately (not when a
form is filled in).

Make sure your forms are straightforward because if a user stumbles here, they
will probably leave your website for good.

11. Conclusion:
The idea of creating an online rental marketplace is exciting. And not only
because of the Airbnb example – the trend of sustainable living is everywhere,
motivating entrepreneurs throughout the world.

And there’s hardly any limit on rented items: living spaces, clothes, jewels,
cars, and bikes… Just make sure you can create a unique value proposition
with it.

We at Eastern Peak believe in the power of quality coding and a perfectly

calibrated user experience. Just one step – and it becomes a way to your
success. We are here to make it happen.

12. Reference Sites:

Airbnb:

Airbnb 2019 Business Update

Airbnb Press Room (2019)
URL
https://press.airbnb.com/airbnb-2019-business-update/, Accessed 30th Apr 2019
Google Scholar
Airbnb, 2019b
Airbnb

More hotels are using Airbnb. Airbnb Newsroom

URL
https://news.airbnb.com/more-hotels-are-using-airbnb/ (2019), Accessed 24th Jan
2021
Google Scholar
Aksnes and Sivertsen, 2019
D.W. Aksnes, G. Sivertsen

A criteria-based assessment of the coverage of Scopus and Web of science

J. Data Inf. Sci., 4 (2019), pp. 1-21
View PDF
CrossRefView Record in ScopusGoogle Scholar
Amaro et al., 2018
S. Amaro, L. Andreu, S. Huang

Millenials’ intentions to book on Airbnb

Curr. Issues Tourism (2018), pp. 1-15
View Record in ScopusGoogle Scholar
Andreu et al., 2020
L. Andreu, E. Bigne, S. Amaro, J. Palomo

Airbnb research: an analysis in tourism and hospitality journals

Int. J. Cult. Tourism Hospit. Res., 14 (2020), pp. 2-20
View PDF
CrossRefView Record in ScopusGoogle Scholar
Bbc.com, 2017
Bbc.com

My Airbnb Flat Was Turned into a Pop-Up Brothel

[WWW Document] (2017)
URL
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-39528479, Accessed 6th Jan 2019
Google Scholar
Belarmino and Koh, 2020
A. Belarmino, Y. Koh

A critical review of research regarding peer-to-peer accommodations

Int. J. Hospit. Manag., 84 (2020), p. 102315
ArticleDownload PDFView Record in ScopusGoogle Scholar
Benítez-Aurioles, 2019
B. Benítez-Aurioles
Is Airbnb bad for hotels?
Curr. Issues Tourism (2019), pp. 1-4
View PDF
CrossRefView Record in ScopusGoogle Scholar
Björk and Solomon, 2013
B.-C. Björk, D. Solomon

The publishing delay in scholarly peer-reviewed journals

J. Informetr., 7 (4) (2013), pp. 914-923
ArticleDownload PDFView Record in ScopusGoogle Scholar
Bloomberg, 2019
Bloomberg

Airbnb Says it Made a Profit Again in 2018

(2019)
Google Scholar
Boros et al., 2018
L. Boros, G. Dudás, T. Kovalcsik, S. Papp

Airbnb in budapes: analysing spatial patterns and room rates of hotels and peer-
to-peer accomodations
Geoj. Tour. Geosites, 21 (2018), p. 13
Google Scholar
K. Boxall, J. Nyanjom, J. Slaven

Disability, hospitality and the new sharing economy

Int. J. Contemp. Hospit. Manag., 30 (2018), pp. 539-556
View PDF
CrossRefView Record in ScopusGoogle Scholar

Authenticity and the sharing economy

Acad. Manag. Discov., 4 (2018), pp. 294-313
View PDF
CrossRefView Record in ScopusGoogle Scholar

R. Calo, A. Rosenblat

The taking economy: uber, information, and power

Colum. Rev., 1623 (2017)
Google Scholar
M. Cheng, C. Foley

The sharing economy and digital discrimination: the case of Airbnb

Int. J. Hospit. Manag., 70 (2018), pp. 95-98
ArticleDownload PDFView Record in ScopusGoogle Scholar