Airbnb and Mountain Tourism Destinations: Evidence from an Inner Area in the Italian Alps

Abstract

Starting from this decade, peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation has witnessed a valuable growth that has interested both urban and rural environments. With reference to the Italian context, the Airbnb platform represents the main platform used by tourists, contributing to reshaping tourism offerings and to the “drive” of the image of tourism destinations. The aim of this study is to present insight into the Airbnb phenomenon in a marginal mountain destination in the Italian Alps, for a better understanding of how the environmental dimension is considered by both guests and hosts. In order to reach this goal, 727 guests’ reviews in 35 Airbnb accommodation facilities of the municipalities of Soana Valley were analyzed through a qualitative sentiment analysis performed with NVivo 14 software. The evidence was compared with the hosts’ viewpoint, thanks to semi-structured interviews with three local actors. Preliminary considerations of the guests’ reviews reported positive comments (79.5%) for both the accommodation per sé (perfect, excellent, beautiful, welcoming, and clean) and the mountainous area as well, particularly appreciated for its natural characteristics. These were confirmed by the hosts’ interviews, who underlined how nature represented one of the main guests’ highlighted aspects. Moreover, visitors’ needs and expectations have increased over the years, forcing the need to improve the quality of offerings. This contribution concludes with a reflection on the opportunities that second home tourism can represent for Italian inner mountainous areas.