Peer-to-Peer Accommodation Adoption Scale

What it measures

Measures motivations and intentions to adopt peer-to-peer accommodation platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo, and similar). Economic benefits capture cost-saving motivations relative to hotels; Sustainability & Localness captures desire for authentic local experience and reduced environmental impact; Community captures motivation to connect with hosts and local residents; Platform trust captures confidence in the review, rating, and identity verification systems underpinning the platform. One of the first rigorously validated scales for sharing economy accommodation adoption in tourism — important as P2P platforms have fundamentally disrupted hotel distribution and destination spending patterns.

Response format

Likert (1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Scale items

Economic Benefit — cost savings and value motivations (Likert 1–7, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

• Peer-to-peer accommodation is more affordable than hotels.
• I can get better value for money through peer-to-peer accommodation.
• Peer-to-peer accommodation allows me to save money when travelling.
• I can find peer-to-peer accommodation options that are less expensive than equivalent hotels.

Sustainability Motivation — preference for sharing economy principles

• Using peer-to-peer accommodation supports the sharing economy.
• I prefer peer-to-peer accommodation because it is more sustainable.
• Staying in local homes is more environmentally friendly than staying in hotels.
• Peer-to-peer accommodation allows me to contribute to local communities.

Local Experience — desire for authentic local experiences

• Peer-to-peer accommodation gives me a more authentic travel experience.
• Staying in a local home allows me to experience the destination like a local.
• Peer-to-peer accommodation provides more unique experiences than hotels.
• I can access local knowledge and tips through peer-to-peer accommodation hosts.

Adoption Intention — intention to use peer-to-peer accommodation

• I intend to use peer-to-peer accommodation platforms on future trips.
• I will continue to book peer-to-peer accommodation when I travel.
• I prefer peer-to-peer accommodation over traditional hotels.
• I would recommend peer-to-peer accommodation to others.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Five subscale scores. Economic benefits are the primary adoption driver for price-sensitive travellers; Localness/Authenticity is primary for experience-focused travellers. Platform trust moderates price-adoption relationships — weak trust reduces willingness to use even at steep discounts. Host response rate and profile completeness are the most important trust signals.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Tussyadiah, I.P., & Pesonen, J. (2016). Impacts of peer-to-peer accommodation use on travel patterns. Journal of Travel Research, 55(8), 1022–1040.

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