Booked or overlooked? Investigating quality signals in Airbnb reviews : A Quantitative Study on Factors Signalling Quality in Airbnb Reviews in an Emerging Tourism Market

Background: With travel becoming more accessible, online reviews play a key role in helping consumers evaluate accommodations, especially on peer-to-peer platforms such as Airbnb. In emerging markets such as Bali, where regulatory structures are weaker and information asymmetry is higher, reviews act as important tools to assess quality. As most research focuses on hotels or mature markets, this study aims to address that gap by investigating how five quality signals in Airbnb reviews influence booking intentions in Bali. The research is grounded in signalling theory, offering insights into consumer-decisions in emerging tourism markets. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate quality signals in reviews on Airbnb and their influence on booking intentions in an emerging tourism market. Method: A quantitative approach was used, employing an online survey distributed via Prolific and to friends and family to obtain empirical data. The data was analysed using multiple regression- and moderation analysis to examine the impact of quality signals on booking intentions. Conclusion: The findings show that not all quality signals hold equal importance. Volume, valence, and timeliness significantly influence booking intentions, while trust and usefulness do not. Prior Airbnb experience further moderates these effects, highlighting the role of user familiarity in interpreting review content. These insights contribute to a better understanding i of consumer decision-making in emerging tourism markets and the role of online reviews in reducing uncertainty.