What is it about?
Do places that attract attention on Instagram also influence the prices of nearby tourist accommodation? This study examines Airbnb listings in Barcelona and investigates how their prices are related to the distance from popular tourist locations identified through Instagram activity. Using geographically detailed pricing models, we find that properties located closer to these popular places tend to command higher prices. In particular, a 10% increase in distance from Instagram-related tourist hotspots is associated with an approximately 2.7% reduction in Airbnb listing prices. The findings highlight the relationship between digital visibility, tourism geography, and accommodation markets.
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Why is it important?
Social media increasingly shapes how destinations are discovered and perceived. This research shows that digital attention to tourist locations is associated with measurable differences in accommodation prices. The findings can inform tourism planning, short-term rental market analysis, and urban economic research by demonstrating the importance of combining geographical information with digital indicators of visitor interest.
Perspectives
The economic value of a tourist location is not determined only by its physical characteristics. Our research suggests that the digital visibility of nearby attractions is also relevant to accommodation pricing. Integrating social media information with spatial economic analysis offers a valuable way to understand changing patterns in urban tourism markets.
Phd. Ricardo Teruel-Gutiérrez
Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The impact of Instagram on Airbnb’s listing prices in the city of Barcelona, The Annals of Regional Science, June 2021, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s00168-021-01064-z.
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