A global perspective on the impact of COVID-19 on peer-to-peer accommodation: human mobility, case number and lockdown policies

Purpose Taking a global perspective, this paper aims to examine the impact of COVID-19 on Airbnb booking activities through three critical perspectives – the initial Wuhan lockdown, local COVID-19 cases and local lockdowns. Design/methodology/approach Using Airbnb reviews and cancellations as proxies for Airbnb bookings on a global scale, econometrics was used to examine the impacts of the initial Wuhan lockdown, local COVID-19 cases and local lockdowns on Airbnb bookings. Findings The authors find that local lockdowns result in a 57.8% fall in global booking activities. Every doubling of newly infected cases is associated with a 4.16% fall in bookings. The sensitivity of bookings to COVID-19 decreases with geographic distance to Wuhan and increases with government stringency of lockdown policies and human mobility within a market. Practical implications The empirical evidence from this research can provide governments with insights into more accurate assessment of the financial loss of Airbnb hosts so that proper support can be offered based on the financial needs because of due to sudden lockdown. Originality/value This research contributes to new knowledge on peer-to-peer accommodation during a time of crisis and provides much needed global evidence to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on the accommodation industry.