Love is the bridge between you and everything: Relationships of identity, experience, and benevolence to travelers’ loyalty and willingness to purchase

This study aims to understand (i) the main influencing constructs affecting travelers’ love in a sharing-economy context, (ii) the key influence of sharing-economy identity on travelers’ experience and benevolence which can impact on their likability and satisfaction, (iii) what and how travelers’ experience and benevolence can influence travelers’ love towards sharing-economy, (iv) what makes sharing-economy customers’ platforms love a sharing-economy? (v) the key consequences of travelers’ love, and (vi) when and why such relations are likely to occur. This study employs an explanatory-study at the initial stage, as informed by the literature and research model. The developed model was tested via a positivist survey, which was carried out with 417 travelers/tourists/users of peer-to-peer accommodation sharing-economy in the UK. Structural equation modelling was used to understand the research influences and relationships. We suggest implications for tourism and travelers’ management.