P2P accommodation motivators and repurchase intention: A comparison of indirect and total effects before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite increased research attention on guests' motivators to use peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation, such as Airbnb, it remains unclear which motivators have the strongest effect on repurchase intention; and how the COVID-19 pandemic changes the effects of motivators. By conducting two U.S.-based studies before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study tested and compared the indirect and total effects of 13 motivators on repurchase intention on the P2P accommodation platforms via satisfaction. Functional motivators increased repurchase intention via satisfaction before and during the pandemic. Neighborhood - a location-based functional motivator - consistently had the strongest total effects on repurchase intention. COVID-anxiety amplified the relationship between three functional motivators on satisfaction (amenities, neighborhood, convenience). This indicates that the pandemic does not uniformly affect all guests. This study illustrates how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the needs of P2P accommodation guests, and provides important managerial implications for P2P hosts and investors.