The rise of a new form of virtual tour: Airbnb peer-to-peer online experience

The COVID-19 pandemic has fostered a new form of virtual tour, the Airbnb peer-to-peer online experiences, allowing individuals to register as hosts and provide live, interactive video sessions to a small group of global audiences online. This study aims to unpack this innovative business model and examine its potential impacts on the tourist experience and tourism destination. Our research shows that the online offerings of the Airbnb experience are multi-dimensional, ranging from educational and entrainment to cultural immersion. While Airbnb peer-to-peer online experiences model can provide numerous opportunities to enable local entrepreneurship, it can create significant long-term challenges for other businesses, presenting an urgent need to systematically examine its wide societal implications for the tourism industry.

Automated summary

The study explores the Airbnb peer-to-peer online experiences in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing its multi-dimensional facets in education, entertainment, and cultural immersion. While providing opportunities for local entrepreneurship, this model may pose long-term challenges for other businesses, highlighting the need for a systematic examination of its wide societal implications for the tourism industry.