Effects of Vacation Rental Websites on the Concentration of Tourists—Potential Environmental Impacts. An Application to the Balearic Islands in Spain

José María Martín Martín, José Antonio Rodriguez Martín, Karla Aída Zermeño Mejía and José Antonio Salinas Fernández
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José María Martín Martín: Department of Business, Faculty of Business and Communication, International University of La Rioja, Avenida de la Paz, 137, 26004 Logroño, Spain
José Antonio Rodriguez Martín: Department of Applied Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja, 18071 Granada, Spain
Karla Aída Zermeño Mejía: Department of Fundamentals of Knowledge, University of Guadalajara, Centro Universitario del Norte, Carretera Federal 23, Santiago Tlaltelolco, Colotlán 46200, Mexico
José Antonio Salinas Fernández: Department of Spanish and International Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja, 18071 Granada, Spain

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: The concentration of tourists at certain times of the year can damage sensitive environments. The use of peer-to-peer vacation rental websites has increased greatly during the last decade. This system could either reduce seasonality in touristic destinations where the tourist activity takes place throughout the year at a lower price or on the contrary, it could increase the number of visitors at certain times of the year even more. This paper intends to analyze the effect that these platforms have on tourism seasonality in order to calculate if they help reduce or increase the pressure on the destinations. To do so, the Gini Index has been applied to one of the main touristic spots in Europe, the Balearic Islands in Spain. The conclusion is that this type of accommodation has aggravated the problem, generating a greater concentration of tourists and a higher pressure on the resources of the islands.

Keywords: Spain; environmental impacts; collaborative economy; peer-to-peer vacation rental websites; seasonality of tourism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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