A cross-cultural comparison of peer-to-peer accommodation experience: A mixed text mining approach

Abstract

The research is to investigate the cross-cultural experiences of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory. By using Airbnb reviews in Beijing, this study performed a systematic examination and verification of guests’ cross-cultural experiences through comparing Chinese with English comments. Analysis of the review comments indicates that Chinese-speaking guests tend to put more emphasis on kinship-like host-guest relationships and share more about negative experiences using online channels when compared with their English posting counterparts. This study advances the tourism and hospitality knowledge in the application of Hofstede’s cultural theory by offering a critical interpretation of Hofstede’s cultural theory from a dynamic and holistic perspective. Our study also extends existing knowledge of P2P accommodation by casting new light on Chinese and English-speaking guests’ distinct preferences for host-guest relationships.