Exploring Factors Affecting Willingness to Participate in Accommodation Sharing Economy: An Empirical Study of the Host Side of Accommodation Sharing Platforms in the Saudi Arabia Tourism Context

Abstract

Although many tourism booking platforms, e-commerce services and e-commerce applications exist in Saudi Arabia, their use is limited. There is scant empirical research on factors that influence individuals’ willingness to participate in sharing economy platforms in the hospitality sector in Saudi Arabia. This study explored Saudis’ attitudes towards participating in the accommodation sharing economy. The model recognised three contexts for each of these themes—the micro, meso and macro level. The research focused on three levels of perception, namely, cultural, technological and government and political. The study sought to identify factors that prevented individuals from using accommodation sharing platforms. Particular attention was paid to the effect of Islamic culture, gender, technology and government controls. The results revealed that negative attitudes towards using accommodation sharing platforms were stronger among males than females. Because Saudi society is conservative, men were found to be more concerned about the privacy and safety of their household. Women were willing to use the platforms although their experience could be enhanced by tailoring the platform features to meet the needs of Saudi Arabian culture. Such features could include female-to-female bookings, links to guests’ social media accounts, the availability of ID verification and criminal record checks. Given that the Saudi government is providing women with greater empowerment opportunities, women are keen to take advantage of these new opportunities and conduct business from home. Younger participants who were exposed to overseas travel had more positive attitudes than older participants. Younger generations were more familiar with the new technologies and were more likely to use these platforms. Older participants had larger properties that could be used for accommodation and hospitality sharing. However, their skill levels were lower and they exhibited greater levels of concern. The findings also revealed that most males were not driven by profit but sought instead to provide free services to receive ‘God’s reward’. They also saw the accommodation sharing economy as a means of social networking. In contrast, females sought to gain extra income. Further, the findings indicated that Saudi attitudes towards participation in the accommodation sharing economy and using the associated technological platforms were determined by Saudi government controls and legal issues linked to the use of this technology. The analysis also revealed that as a result of religious beliefs, there was tension between the genders of a household. The individuals who followed Shariah wanted to see it applied in all spheres of life, including online business, while those (mostly females) who embraced capitalism saw religion as a hindrance to new business ideas. A qualitative grounded theory approach (interpretive analysis) was adopted in this study. A sample of 34 Saudi households, drawn from different backgrounds, was interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of the research questions. Saudi Arabia was selected because it shares similar cultural norms and an Islamic ideology to that which is prevalent across the Arabian Gulf region. Three levels were used to explore the factors influencing Saudi households’ participation in the accommodation sharing economy: the micro level (cultural perceptions), the meso level (technological perceptions) and the macro level (governmental perceptions). Micro level: This level applied to individuals and reflected their concern about the self and family safety within the Muslim culture, with particular reference to religious beliefs, customs, traditions, gender segregation, the personal reputation of the household as well as family and societal perceptions. Social interactions at the micro level were influenced by elements at the mac