Exploring Maltese millennials’ main motivations for choosing Airbnb as their preferred accommodation and experience holiday

Abstract

For this research study, the research topic chosen is Airbnb, focusing on the research problem of the peer-2-peer (P2P) online platform and its popular target market, millennials. Literature and research have shown, however, that studies on motivations to use Airbnb do not address specific nationalities and generations individually, such as Maltese millennials. This has led to the purpose statement of this qualitative study; its aim is to understand and describe the main motivations of Maltese millennials for choosing Airbnb as their preferred source of accommodation and experience holiday through their individual experiences. To explore the research problem at hand, this long essay involves investigating the main reasons for Maltese millennials to use Airbnb; the effectiveness of Airbnb’s products and services as competitive tools; the awareness of Airbnb’s disruptive nature by Maltese millennials; and how this awareness influences responsible books. Finally, it also aims to understand what Airbnb have to offer that traditional accommodation does not. To answer these research questions, the researcher has employed a variation on the netnographic approach, using online interviews to gather data from participants and analysing the data through a coding process. The major findings of the study were ease of use, social interactions/local experiences, economic benefits and trust as main motivators for Maltese millennials to use Airbnb along with other variables. The results also show Airbnb to provide products and services which, according to Maltese millennials, traditional accommodation does not, and which act as a competitive tool. The selected sample also shows a lack of awareness surrounding Airbnb’s disruptive nature, which, in turn, prevents them from prioritising responsible accommodation during their booking process. The research study also provides recommendations for future studies in this research area based on this study’s findings, such as Maltese millennials’ use of Airbnb, both locally and abroad.