Airbnb research in Budapest

Abstract

This study explores the interaction between the rise of Airbnb and the evolving
smartness of Budapest’s urban tourism ecosystem. Smartness is conceptualized
as the city’s adaptive and data-driven capacity to coordinate stakeholders,
􀁄􀁏􀁏􀁒􀁆􀁄􀁗􀁈􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁖􀁒􀁘􀁕􀁆􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁈􀵶􀁆􀁌􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁏􀁜􀀏􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁉􀁒􀁖􀁗􀁈􀁕􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁏􀁏􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁌􀁙􀁈􀀃􀁏􀁈􀁄􀁕􀁑􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃􀁄􀁆􀁕􀁒􀁖􀁖􀀃􀁊􀁒􀁙􀁈􀁕􀁑􀁄􀁑􀁆􀁈􀀏􀀃
market, and community domains. Drawing on theoretical insights from the
literature on overtourism and platform economies, the research combines
secondary statistical data with a primary survey of 300 respondents examining
awareness, preferences, and perceived advantages and disadvantages of Airbnb
􀁄􀁆􀁆􀁒􀁐􀁐􀁒􀁇􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀑􀀃􀀩􀁌􀁑􀁇􀁌􀁑􀁊􀁖􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁇􀁌􀁆􀁄􀁗􀁈􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁄􀁗􀀃􀁄􀵵􀁒􀁕􀁇􀁄􀁅􀁌􀁏􀁌􀁗􀁜􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁏􀁒􀁆􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁐􀁄􀁌􀁑􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃
dominant decision factors, while digital convenience, autonomy, and home-like
amenities embody the “smart” attributes of platform-based lodging. Conversely,
inconsistent quality and perceived commercialization reveal persistent
governance gaps. The study concludes that advancing smart tourism in Budapest
requires the integration of platform-generated data, transparent regulatory
frameworks, and resident engagement mechanisms to mitigate negative
externalities. These results align with Dávid and Bagdadi (2024), emphasizing
that Central European destinations must synchronize technological, social, and
environmental intelligence to achieve sustainable urban tourism development.