FEELING AT HOME WHILE TRAVELING: AN ANALYSIS OF THE EXPERIENCES OF AIRBNB USERS

Purpose – This study analyzes the experiences of Airbnb users in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, through the reviews published on the platform, evealing the relevant issues experienced by users during their stays and the polarity associated with these issues. Design – Collection of 2,338 Airbnb website reviews from users who visited Fortaleza between January 2019 and October 2020, associated with 503 listings. Methodology/Approach – Data was collected between October 24 and October 28, 2020, using Parse Hub and Tableau Public for data extraction and validation, respectively. Content analysis was performed to examine the data, and NVivo was used to support the categorization and coding steps. Findings – The main analysis categories in the online reviews of Airbnb users in Fortaleza were “location”, “physical environment”, “interaction and communication with the host”, “hospitable, friendly host”, “cleanliness and organization”, “near other facilities”, “home appliances” and “view”. In turn, the least referenced categories were “experiencing the local culture”, “interaction with other guests” and “living like a place”. The analysis suggests a positivity bias in comments while negative sentiments are caused mainly by “physical environment” and “home appliances”. Originality of the research – This study identifies the themes pointed out by guests when using Airbnb, that influence the user experience.