A perceção do setor hoteleiro no Porto do impacto da expansão do Airbnb

Abstract

The main purpose of this thesis is to analyse how the traditional hotel industry perceives the growth of Airbnb in Porto, as well as the strategies adopted accordingly. This thesis aims to: understand if Airbnb’s growth has been taken into account by the different players in the traditional hotel industry; identify, for each segment, what measures have been developed by the companies to face the fierce entry of Airbnb; and understand whether there is a perception that Airbnb's growth added value to the industry. This dissertation begins with a brief description of the hotel industry in Portugal. This sector has grown in Portugal in terms of the occupancy rate, the number of registered accommodations, and the number of overnight stays. Thereupon, it is carried out a literature revision about the sharing economy, of which Airbnb emerges as an example, and the perspectives about the economic impacts of Airbnb. A qualitative analysis is carried out posteriorly, using interviews with hotel managers from different segments in Porto. Finally, the collected information is processed and analysed. The interviewees’ views on the effects of Airbnb’s entry and growth n in the hotel sector are not consensual. Most interviewees consider that Airbnb is not in an advantageous position, stating that there is enough space in the market for different accommodation segments in the sector. Concerning the social impact, the majority referred that Airbnb creates jobs and revenue for the market and brings notoriety to the city/country. Regarding the impact of Airbnb in Porto, all interviewees expressed that it has been positive. None of the subjects claimed to have adapted their strategy due to the growth of Airbnb.

Date of Award	7 Jul 2021
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Joana Pinho (Supervisor) & Miriam Taís Salomão (Co-Supervisor)