A comparative analysis of Airbnb in London and Barcelona: The ethnographic research process and its discontents

Peer to peer (P2P) accommodation platforms like Airbnb or HomeAway have transformed not only the hospitality industry but they have also created wider economic change in other adjacent industries and in society in general. Because of this, many stakeholders are now trying to proactively shape the evolution of these platforms, as reflected by numerous actions by policymakers, industry representatives, media outlets and the public across the world. This paper reports on the authors’ experience conducting a comparative study over a period of one year and a half researching issues surrounding the sharing economy, by using Airbnb as a case study. The city-based case study (London and Barcelona) examines the experiences and views of relevant stakeholders in the Airbnb sphere: hosts, guests, Airbnb public policy managers, rental apartment companies, council representatives and other local authorities. The barriers and opportunities for ethical practice were also identified and reported according to the views of these stakeholders. Our main contribution is the identification of the challenges derived from conducting research of complex nature, as in the case of comparative studies in two international settings, focusing on a controversial phenomenon, in this case, the sharing economy platform Airbnb. We also reflect on some of the strategies that we used to overcome some of these challenges with the aim of supporting other researchers working in a similar context. By using participant observation, in-depth interviews and focus groups, this study gathers different perspectives on the complex topic of the operation of Airbnb in two European cities, London and Barcelona, that are also major tourist destinations.

http://sharingandcaring.eu/news/conference-proceed...