Backpackers’ Expectations of Hybrid Hotels: A Text Mining Approach
(A2021-94062)

AUTHORS

Samantha Mylocopos, Modul University Vienna; Astrid Dickinger, MODUL University Vienna

ABSTRACT

Backpackers are a rapidly growing youth traveler segment, motivated by budget airfare and the increasing popularity of hostels. Hostels are the primary choice of accommodation as they provide a unique social atmosphere, designed to facilitate interactions between guests, at an affordable price. With hostel trends on the rise, hotels are trying to claim part of the market by offering inexpensive dormitory accommodations, i.e. hybrid hotels. However, is a hotel with dormitory-style rooms and communal facilities enough to qualify it as a hostel? Literature review reveals that backpackers hold expectations and evaluate hostels based on eight accommodation attribute dimensions. The study employs text mining and sentiment analysis to provide insight into the perceptions, expectations, and sentiments of backpackers opting to stay in a hybrid hotel rather than a hostel. The results reveal that backpackers seek a set of unique benefits in their accommodation, which rarely is met by hybrid hotels.