Integrating MLP and 'after ANT' to understand perceptions and responses of regime actors to Airbnb

Abstract

Using the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and Actor-Network-Theory and After (After ANT), we explore how regime actors from the formal accommodation sector perceive and respond to Airbnb. We evaluate regime actors' perceptions of Airbnb's network and its key characteristics. Based on in-depth interviews with 14 stakeholders, we found that Airbnb is perceived as impacting both the landscape and the regime. Perceptions of Airbnb are not uniform across accommodation types. The findings also suggest that through principles of translation, negotiation, and lack of acquiescence, the niche player, Airbnb, is perceived as attempting to create a new 'collectif'. The regime has responded through strategies including, financial responses, marketing responses, and lobbying for regulations. Implications for theory and practice are offered.