Reshaping the central place hierarchy of the urban hotel industry through O2O e-commerce

Abstract

Online-to-offline (O2O) e-commerce has profoundly impacted the space of the urban hotel industry. Drawing on insights from flow space and central flow theory, this study establishes an electronic word of mouth (E-WoM) index system of hotels in Nanjing by using Dianping.com data and analyses the hotel central place hierarchy based on the consumption price and E-WoM score. The central place hierarchy based on the consumption price presents a core-edge hierarchical structure that conforms to central place theory, while that based on the E-WoM score presents a flat, multicentre network structure that conforms to central flow theory. This result not only shows the geographically rooted influence on cyberspace but also reflects the spatial mismatch between the service level and online volume level. Impacted by E-WoM information flow, a new spatial pattern of the virtual hotel industry based on cyberspace is formed, which may reshape the central place hierarchy of the traditional hotel industry.