Geographical dimensions of airbnb in mountain areas: The case of Andorra: Fid-Bau Portal

Geographical dimensions of airbnb in mountain areas: The case of Andorra

Domènech, Antoni / Zoğal, Volkan

Abstract With Airbnb becoming an important issue in both tourism and public policy, scholarly research on Airbnb has increased over the past several years. The role of Airbnb varies according to the features and expectations of the host territory. It can either be considered as a complement to an underdeveloped supply of tourist accommodation or as a potential competitor to traditional accommodation that has to be regulated. Although most of the research has been carried out in big cities, Airbnb activity is also present in smaller towns, resorts, rural and mountain areas. This article aims to analyse the Airbnb spatial distribution in a mountain destination (Andorra). Specifically, it is aimed at exploring whether there is a spatial correlation regarding the location of traditional accommodation. Clustering techniques are used to determine natural groups of urban settlements on the basis of the number of Airbnb listings and different types of traditional accommodation. The results pinpoint where Airbnb is concentrating its accommodation offer, as well as where both Airbnb listings and traditional accommodation are clustered. Our research sheds light on the distribution patterns of Airbnb in mountain areas and deepens knowledge on the influences of public policy strategies aimed at regulating the Airbnb phenomena.

Highlights • The spatial distribution of Airbnb in a mountain destination (Andorra) is analysed. • The spatial correlation of Airbnb rentals with the traditional accommodation is explored. • Airbnb tends to cluster in settlements with higher potential for profiteering. • Knowledge on public policy strategies regulating Airbnb in mountain areas is provided.