Shaping hospitableness: The role of hotel- and destination-level determinants

Abstract In the context of the experience economy, hospitableness is increasingly seen as an excitement factor for tourism service providers that allows them to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Hospitableness should be seen as a multidimensional, perceptual concept where the place in which the interaction between host and guest occurs plays a crucial role. This paper empirically investigates which supply-side indirect factors beyond direct interpersonal factors at the hotel and destination levels are determinants of the perceived level of hospitableness in Switzerland. A numeric measure of hospitableness based on online guest reviews and ratings is used. The multivariate linear regression analysis results reveal that various hotel-specific variables, such as the hotel size and the room rate, as well as destination-specific aspects, such as the tourism intensity and a focus on domestic guests, are relevant determinants of perceived hospitableness. These findings suggest that indirect aspects of hospitableness related to the business model and destination are important strategic target factors for hotels and destinations that aim to differentiate themselves through high levels of hospitableness.