The Adoption and Development of Airbnb Services in Norway: A Regional Perspective

Abstract

Collaborative consumption facilitated by peer-to-peer platforms has witnessed a rapid expansion in the areas of hospitality and tourism. However, it is very unevenly distributed across countries, regions, cities and neighborhoods. The aim of this article is to investigate why collaborative consumption takes off early and continues flourishing in some regions, while remaining almost non-existent in other regions. The extant literature provides some insights into the effect of demand-side factors on sharing economy. However, this literature largely neglects the role of supply. Informed by the innovation adaption literature, the present study seeks to address this gap. The analysis reveals that regions with a) well-developed tourism industry, b) relatively large number of available properties, and c) situated near the main tourist attractions, tend to have relatively large supply of Airbnb listings and relatively many Airbnb tourists. An early adoption of Airbnb services is also associated with availability of properties to rent out.