Factors Influencing Choice of Accommodation during Covid-19: A Mixed-methods Study of Italian Consumers

Covid-19 is severely impacting hospitality establishments, with consequences on consumers' decision-making. Yet, little is known about current factors influencing travelers' accommodation choice. This paper adopts a sequential mixed-methods design to examine the importance attributed to additional measures implemented in tourism accommodation during a pandemic, by interviewing sixteen potential travelers, and then profiling a convenience sample of 4,386 consumers accordingly. Findings suggest that accommodation key factors are sanitization and PPE use, physical distancing in restaurant service, room service delivery, reception automation, and social and environmental engagement. Consumers attribute different importance to accommodation services in three configurations: Sanitization and Physically Distancing Seekers, All-round Concerned, and Sustainability Supporters. Profiling of the segments revealed numerous distinctive characteristics.