Third-party social support and the sense of not feeling alone, coping and healing: healthcare traveler experiences in hotels and Airbnbs

Purpose Both homestay providers and hotels are experiencing an increase in the number of bookings within healthcare traveler segments. In addition, social support research remains underrepresented in the hospitality and travel literature. This study aims to test third-party social support constructs in a model to provide a better understanding of how healthcare travelers’ sense of feeling alone is influenced as a guest within an Airbnb or hotel environment, and the extent to which positive emotions enhance coping and healing while receiving healthcare treatments. Design/methodology/approach Using data from a survey of 1,164 healthcare travelers who stayed in hotels and Airbnb accommodations while undergoing various elective medical, nonelective medical, wellness treatments, physical therapy or dental services, a multigroup structural equation analysis validated a model developed based on the theory of social support. Hospitableness of the staff, the Airbnb host and the social atmosphere in hotel and Airbnb accommodations comprise a third-party social support system which can enhance positive emotions and foster a sense of not feeling alone. Findings Results of construct comparisons demonstrate a sense of not feeling alone was fostered similarly for travelers who were both traveling alone and with their friends and family, highlighting the critical role third parties can play in providing social support. Findings further define the pathways that underlie a sense of not feeling alone and positive emotions, which elicit strong perceptions of improved coping and healing among healthcare travelers. The overall model demonstrated high explanatory power on coping and healing for the group of healthcare travelers receiving more serious nonelective medical treatments (R2 = 0.60) as well as the group receiving less serious and elective medical, dental and wellness treatments (R2 = 0.69). Practical implications The findings highlight the importance of hotel and Airbnb providers designing social interventions that leverage key elements of third-party social support. By creating environments that foster social connections and positive experiences, accommodation providers can help reduce guests’ feelings of loneliness, promote positive emotions and ultimately enhance coping and healing outcomes. Originality/value This study develops and tests a framework based on social support theory in the context of healthcare travel segments. The third-party social support framework is offered as a tool for strategic service design for hotel and Airbnb providers accommodating guests who are undertaking healthcare services, including more serious nonelective medical treatments for cancer, major surgical procedures, orthopedic interventions and less serious elective medical treatment, including cosmetic surgeries, dermatology, spa and wellness services, physical therapy, dental and other services.