Landmark as Endorser? The Influence of Color Similarity on the Airbnb Room Price Premium

Why do travelers prefer accommodations whose interior designs resemble nearby landmarks? Drawing on the Meaning Transfer Model, this research introduces a novel theoretical framework proposing landmarks as implicit endorsers of market offerings, a role traditionally reserved for human celebrities. We argue that landmarks embody symbolic meanings derived from their historical, social, or political significance, and these meanings can transfer to adjacent market offerings through visual cues, particularly color similarity. Consequently, rooms whose decorations share color similarities with nearby landmarks can attract higher demand and command price premiums. We empirically test our hypotheses using a rigorous mixed-methods approach combining a quantitative analysis of 2,497 Airbnb listings (46,547 images) in Beijing and online experiments. Our results first demonstrate a significant positive relationship between color similarity and price premium, which is mediated by the perceived meaning congruence between the room and the local landmarks. Crucially, we unpack the underlying process of meaning transfer by identifying three boundary conditions corresponding to the three sequential stages of the Meaning Transfer Model. Specifically, at Stage 1 (meaning formation), the impact of color similarity is contingent upon landmark meaning salience. At Stage 2 (meaning transfer), this effect is further amplified by semantic anchoring intensity. Finally, at Stage 3 (meaning consumption), the effect is attenuated by human image presence. By integrating these findings into a cohesive MTM framework, this study advances the experiential travel literature by elucidating how, and under what conditions, the color similarity between accommodation interiors and destination landmarks shapes travelers’ valuation of Airbnb listings. Our findings provide meaningful managerial insights into leveraging landmark symbolism to enhance travel marketing and pricing strategies.