Digital marketing in tourism: why Greek tourists use digital marketing applications like Airbnb

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the attitudes of tourists toward digital marketing applications related to peer-to-peer short-term rental services within the sharing economy in the tourism sector. It aims to identify the factors that make Greek tourists to use these applications and to classify them into groups according to their attitudes toward these websites and to profile each group of tourists according to their personal and demographic characteristics and their preferences regarding their holidays/travel. Design/methodology/approach A primary survey was conducted in April 2018 for a random selected sample of Greek tourists. Principal component analysis was conducted to identify the main factors that affect tourists in using digital marketing application related to peer-to-peer short-term rental services within the sharing economy in the tourism sector. Cluster analysis was performed to classify tourists into groups according to their attitudes toward the use of these websites while discriminant analysis was conducted to check cluster predictability. Non-parametric tests, including the chi-square test, were performed to profile each strategic group according to their demographic characteristics and their preferences regarding their holidays/travel. Findings The study classified tourists into three groups, i.e. pioneers, convenience seekers and conscious, according to their attitudes toward the use of such applications. Social implications Visitors who choose Airbnb accommodations spend more days travelling; consequently, the market size of the tourism industry expands from the increase in the number of visitors. Originality/value The originality of the paper derives from the understanding of the tourists' behavior toward the adoption of digital marketing applications related to peer-to-peer rental services within the sharing economy in the tourism sector. More specifically, it identifies the factors that make Greek tourists to use those applications, classifies them into groups according to their attitudes towards those websites and profiles each group of tourists according to their personal and demographic characteristics and their preferences regarding their holidays/travel.