Peer-to-peer accommodation amid COVID-19: the effects of Airbnb cleanliness information on guests’ trust and behavioral intentions

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to explore the influence of different types of cleanliness information provided on the Airbnb platform (hosts’ sanitation labels, Airbnb cleaning protocol and previous guests’ reviews) on guests’ trust and behavioral intentions.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses an online scenario-based experimental design. A two-step approach was applied to discover the proposed relationships by assessing the measurement model fit and validity of the constructs with confirmatory factor analysis and testing study hypotheses with structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results demonstrate that three types of cleanliness information (i.e. provided by Airbnb’s hosts, platform and customer reviews) had statistically significant effects on customers’ trust and behavioral intentions.Practical implicationsThe research results provide practical recommendations for Airbnb hosts and peer-to-peer accommodation platforms on using several types of textual and visual cleanliness information to influence guests’ attitudes and behavioral intentions.Originality/valueThis study advances knowledge by introducing new factors affecting guests’ trust and behavioral intentions in peer-to-peer accommodation settings and differentiating the effects of different sources of cleanliness information and different types of guests’ trust.