Academic Consultancy Training

(ACT)

Project:
Slow tourism business opportunities in
mountain rentals in Europe

The expectations and needs of accommodation

hosts from a slow tourism online booking
platform

Commissioner: Xavier Leclair

Scientific Advisor: Stefan Wahlen

Name: Konstantina Iliadou

Registration Number: 880307382110

August 2017
Table of Contents

⚫ Abstract.....................................................................................................................p.3

⚫ Introduction..............................................................................................................p.3-5

⚫ Literature Review......................................................................................................p.5-7

⚫ Research and Methodology.......................................................................................p.8

➢ Research Questions...........................................................................................p.8

➢ Data Collection Process....................................................................................p.9

➢ Sample...............................................................................................................p.10

➢ Ethical Considerations.........................................................................................p.10

➢ Data Analysis Strategy.......................................................................................p.10-11

⚫ Results.........................................................................................................................p.11

➢ Accommodations website (content) analysis....................................................p.11-13

➢ Participants-Interviews analysis........................................................................p.13

❖ Characteristics of property hosts and accommodation customers………….p. 13-14

❖ Preferences and needs of property hosts……………………………..….….p. 14-15
❖ Provided services, facilities and products………………………………......p. 15-16
❖ Property hosts experiences………………………………………………….p. 16
❖ Online booking websites…………………………………………………....p. 17
⚫ Discussion..................................................................................................................p.17-20

⚫ Limitations.................................................................................................................p. 20-21

⚫ References..................................................................................................................p.22-24

⚫ Appendices.................................................................................................................p.25

➢ Appendix A.....................................................................................................p.25

➢ Appendix B.....................................................................................................p.26-27

➢ Appendix C.....................................................................................................p.27-34

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Abstract

This study is part of a bigger research project on the creation of a “slow tourism” online booking
platform based on the preferences, needs, and expectations of the customers and property hosts.
Slow tourism is a continuously growing phenomenon in the field of tourism, is lacking
definition, but it has its unique characteristics that distinguish it from other forms of tourism. The
commissioner of this project is interested in creating a slow tourism online booking platform in
mountain rentals in Europe. The purpose of this study is to offer a deeper insight into the
motivations and needs of the accommodation hosts and their intention to advertise their products
and services in a booking platform intended in slow tourism. Hosts expressed interest in the
concept and characteristics of slow tourism, and they would be willing to participate in such a
booking platform since it matches with their needs and expectations.

Keywords: slow travel/tourism, needs, and expectations, experiences, online booking platform,
start-up

Introduction

A relatively new research topic that has emerged in the academic area is slow tourism. There is
not one unequivocal definition of the concept of slow travel-tourism (Clancy, 2012). Admiration
of the natural environment, interest in different cultures and food, the engagement with the locals,
long-lasting stays to a destination as well as an intention for deep relaxation, especially in remote
places, are the most noticeable characteristics of this form of tourism (Oh et al., 2014). Although
there are a few studies that have clearly identified and defined the motivations and goals related to
slow tourism from the perspective of tourists (Fullagar et al., 2012), on the contrary, there is a
lack of literature on the motivations of the accommodation hosts and their intentions to target to a
slow tourism customer segment and the operation of a “slow tourism” accommodation.
The commissioner of this project is interested in the creation of an online booking platform
focusing on slow tourism in mountain rentals in Europe. Tourism in Europe seems to be reaching
a ceiling, especially compared to new destinations (Matos, 2004), which means, that innovative
ideas must be implemented, against the traditional obsolete approaches of tourism. Primarily, the
scope of this study is to investigate the experiences that the mountain property hosts have with the

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customers and the operation of their accommodation as well as their comprehension of the
concept of slow tourism.
Furthermore, the experiences that the property hosts have with the existing online booking
platforms, will be investigated in order to understand their potential needs and motivations to
promote their accommodation through an online (slow tourism) platform. Additionally, another
role of this research is to investigate if the characteristics of the accommodations and the
preferences of the hosts are compared to the expectations of the commissioner, regarding a slow
tourism booking website. The perspective of the property hosts can be valuable in giving inputs
for the development of the platform, as they will be forming the main partners and the customers
of the online booking platform.
Several lines of previous research have examined hosts preferences (Sharpley, 2014). Despite,
numerous studies focusing on the experiences that the customers have with the booking websites,
there are rarely any studies zooming on the characteristics and needs of the property hosts and
their experiences of the existing online booking platforms. The few studies that investigate the
needs and experiences of the accommodation hosts are mainly examine only some of the aspects
that characterize the property hosts, like hospitality, friendliness, and profits, but they don't dig
into the deeper motivations and personal needs of the accommodation hosts (McIntosh, 2009).
Due to the needs of the research, both primary, and secondary data were collected. For the
collection of secondary data, sources such as research and academic publications and online
articles from tourism journals, were used. Moreover, information provided through the websites
of the accommodations of the conducted property hosts was analyzed. Quantitative research was
previously conducted, with the use of an online questionnaire-based survey which was carried out
to collect data on the perspective of the property hosts about online (booking) platforms.
Information such as the experience with the concept of slow tourism and some demographic
information about the customers of the accommodations were collected.
The survey followed by primary qualitative market research on the needs and experiences that
the property hosts have with the customers-guests, the property operation, and the existing online
booking platforms. To avoid simplifying assumptions, primary qualitative market research was
needed; since it can offer valuable information on the customer segment of hosts (Ruyter &
Scholl, 1998). Moreover, it can assist the new enterprise in multiple ways by offering an in-depth
comprehension of the needs and the underlying expectations the property hosts have from an
online booking platform.
This research targets to have a double contribution. First, as it consists part of a bigger research
project, it will assist in the development of the idea of the slow tourism online booking platform

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that the commissioner of the project is interested in. Second, it will enrich the existing (qualitative)
knowledge of the needs, experiences, and expectations of the property hosts from the online
booking websites according to their personal characteristics and preferences.

Theoretical framework-Literature review

Fast-technological development has changed the trends and practices of many industries; web
marketing has become an essential element for the promotion and selling of products and services
across the world. E-commerce and the use of social media consist integrated parts of the travel
sector, as the tourism goods and services are among the most searchable and desirable products
on the web (Alleweldt et al., 2009). According to Crnojevac (2010) the online hotel booking
consists the second most common item of sales. Consequently, that means that many people book
their tourism accommodation online by using the booking sites of the accommodations or other
online booking platforms.
As reported by Law, Leung, and Bouhalis (2009), contemporary travelers are more involved in
the IT and the opportunities offered by the internet, especially concerning tourism products and
services. Thus, the brand image of an accommodation and destination influences the decision of
potential customers to book it (Hernández-Méndez et al., 2013).
Nowadays, both travelers, but also accommodation hosts, invest a lot of time to identify and
gather all the appropriate information they need offering online. Particularly, they check different
providers of information (Law et al., 2009), before they decide what is the most suitable tourism
product for them to buy. That could also be the case of the property hosts of their participation in
an online booking platform. Accommodation hosts, who promote or are willing to promote their
accommodations either only through their websites or through other tourism portals invest enough
time for the collection of appropriate information. The provided accommodations through the
booking platforms must match the expectations of the guests, who want to get an idea before
booking the accommodation about the facilities, the design, the surroundings, and the local
culture and food (Sims, 2009).
An outstanding and adequately informative online booking portal can be used as a strategy to
attract more customers, both hoteliers/property hosts that are willing to be involved, but also
guests who will want to reserve accommodation. As a result, the provided information must be
appealing and accurate for the customers to achieve the most benefits out of it and to avoid the
negative outcomes, such as low booking rates (Inversini, 2014).

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 According to Joe Zadeh, the vice president of Airbnb "Hosts are the lifeblood of the
company"(Yeung, 2015). That means that the property hosts are those who give life on the
platform through their personal needs, attitudes and motivations. Hence, without them and their
valuable contribution, a booking platform cannot exist. They are the most important element as
they offer their accommodations, services, facilities, and products to the customers-guests, but
also their personality. For the creation of a successful online booking platform, the preferences,
needs, and expectations of the hosts are highly valuable.
Airbnb has developed a system to constantly research in a hasty manner, the preferences, and
needs of both property hosts and customers with the use of a toolkit (Ifrach, 2015). This tool gives
information about the level of satisfaction of the property hosts with the platform. The business
does not only try to satisfy the customers- (guests of the accommodation) with the available
properties, but also to meet the needs of the hosts, as in that way they can accelerate the
improvement of offered services. In the case of Airbnb, the hosts are not hoteliers, chalet or lodge
hosts, so maybe they are not so experienced with the whole process and need more guidance on
the operation processes than the regular hoteliers and property hosts.
Nevertheless, for a successful online booking platform the needs of the hosts must be
perpetually identified, and qualitative research is a vital part of achieving this. Similar research
projects that have taken place revealed that the property hosts highlight the importance of the
adequate offered hospitality and want to satisfy their customer's needs in a successive manner
(Talabi, 2015). They are continually asking for feedback from their customers, by using surveys
or guest books, where the customers can write positive but also negative experiences. The
interaction with the customers is also an important aspect, especially if they share common
interests. It has been observed that the property hosts want to host guests that share the same
concerns and values, for instance, love for the natural environment (Ingram, 2002).
The findings of existing research on hospitable motives show that property hosts have the
intention to satisfy others, to meet their needs and to be friendly, but at the same time to search for
their customer's companion (Böcker, 2017), hence the interaction with them. Although many
property hosts care about their customers’ experiences, and enjoyment, profit is still a notable
motivation of the hosts (Böcker, 2017). In other words, profit is an important motivation for the
hosts, but if it is not accompanied by the interest in the customers, then it is harmful to the
interaction between the hosts and guests as also for the provided services. The property hosts
must be willing to accept the tourists as guests to their accommodations and must be prepared to
adjust their services and products, according to the needs of the guests (Buhalis, 2000), without
sacrificing the quality of their offered services and products.

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 From previously conducted research related to the experiences and preferences of the customers
from the online booking websites; only a few of them have focused on the preferences,
expectations, and experiences of the property hosts, at least in a qualitative manner. The increased
competitiveness of the tourism market has forced hoteliers and property owners to try to take all
the advantages of the booking websites. (Wang et al., 2015), that means that they are demanding
of the accommodation image, and they include a lot of information on their website or the
additional online booking portals they use. Consequently, the information is related to the offered
services and products, and the image that they try to show to the customers is about the
uniqueness and the unique characteristics of their accommodation, as they want to become
antagonistic.
The findings of previous research reveal that the richness of the website and the information
included on a booking website, are entirely related to the experience that the accommodation
hosts have with their customers, the social media and the general operation of the property (Wang
et al., 2015). A well-established website and the way that the business is promoting through a
booking website can assist in the creation of a trusting relationship between hosts and guests
(Wang et al., 2015). Although for a vast majority of accommodations their website is the most
important tool of their online strategy, simultaneously, they have realized that the use of social
media and other internet channels and portals is vital for the success of their business (Inversini et
al., 2014). That is the reason that the most property hosts currently, participate in multiple online
booking platforms and make use of social media, especially the most popular ones like
booking.com.
According to Jeong et al. (2003), website quality is the “overall excellence or effectiveness of a
«website» in delivering intended messages to its audience and viewers”, that means that the
deliverable information about an accommodation and a destination through a website, transfer
messages to the customer. From research conducted by (Inversini et al., 2014), the results show
that most property hosts evaluate the popularity of an online booking platform as a significant
element. Currently, some of the most well-known online booking platforms are the booking.com
and Airbnb and many research projects give insights on the success of these businesses that
cannot be shared with another way.
In brief, the deeper motivations, needs, and messages that the property hosts want to give to their
customers must be investigated, as the unique brand image they want to promote will improve the
overall quality of the online booking platform. Therefore, these needs, motivations, and
expectations of the hosts will be investigated through the content analysis of the websites of the
accommodations and the interviews with the mountain property hosts.

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Research and Methodology

The starting point of the study was the literature review and based on that the interview guide
was designed. The purpose of this study is to identify the motivations of the property hosts to
participate in slow travel online booking platform and to determine and understand their
characteristics and preferences as property hosts. Interviews with property hosts that focus on the
experiences of the customers, the operation of the accommodation and their pains and gains from
the existing online booking platforms, have been conducted in order to identify what are the needs
and expectations of the property hosts from an online platform intended to slow tourism.
Through this process, the aim is to determine if their needs and expectations are related to slow
tourism product/service that the commissioner of the project wants to offer to the
customers-guests. Use of a semi-structured interview guide (Appendix A) used as a framework
for the effectuation of the interviews. The questions in the interviews designed to let the property
hosts to illustrate the character of their accommodation, and to make potential connections
between the the expectations that the commissioner has and the needs and expectations of the
accommodation hosts regarding the online booking platform.

Research questions

This part of the research consists only a part of the study. The central research question of the
project is: What are the building blocks for the minimum viable product that facilitates the
preferences and requirements of the customers and the property hosts for "slow travel/tourism"?

Additionally, the sub-research questions:

Who are possible partners and property hosts that can add value to this slow travel
accommodation platform?
What are the characteristics and preferences of property hosts and customers?
In what way and to what extent do exist platforms satisfy the preferences and requirements of
the property hosts?
Does the target group determined from the commissioner and the previous research group
matching with the needs and expectations of the hosts and if yes, to what extent?
This study can offer additional information to enrich the existing data to answer research
questions and the commissioner to decide on the creation of the online platform.

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Data Collection Process

Before the interviews with the property hosts, the websites of the three accommodations were
visited and analyzed to collect more data and exclude unnecessary questions during the interviews.
Subsequently, the two interviews conducted in English and the last one carried out in Greek and
translated into English afterwards. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted through
phone. All the interviews were audio-taped to increase the reliability of the study, and each of the
interviews lasted approximately 10 minutes. To set up the interview structure, the advice from
The Mom Test book was used (Fitzpatrick, 2013). The first advice given was to talk about their
experiences, needs, motivations and not the business idea, as a second advise the author of the
book suggests asking about specific events in the past and avoid the generic ideas about the future
and the last indications is to talk less, since the most important part of the interview is to let the
participant express himself (Fitzpatrick, 2013), this is the way to have a successful interview with
potential customers of a startup business.
Two broad categorizations of questions compose the interview guide; a mix of close-ended and
open-ended (who, how, where, when and why) semi-structured questions are used. The questions
arise from the literature review and the prior knowledge on the topic, as well as the personal
perspective of the interviewer. The first category consists of questions regarding the experiences,
preferences, and needs of the property hosts concerning the customers and the accommodation
management and the second category are about their experiences and expectations of the property
hosts from the booking online platforms. Additionally, research on the content of their personal
websites took place, and the findings will be used in the discussion part of this paper. The first
category of questions is a helpful tool for a better understanding of the characteristics of the hosts
and accommodations, and the second group of questions assists in the comprehension of the
experiences and expectations of the property hosts of an online booking platform to participate in
it. Demographics were not variables of the study, as they are not of the interest in the current
research topic.

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Sample

The participants of the study are European mountain property hosts who are potential customers
and partners of the online (slow travel) booking platform. They were selected based on the
recommendations of the commissioner. The accommodations that will be included on the
platform must have the design and fulfill (at least some of) the slow tourism aspects. Slow
tourism can hardly be defined, although some slow tourism criteria are the long-lasting stays of
the tourists, the empowering of the local communities, the connection, and engagement with the
local cultures and nature, the remoteness of a destination and the deep relaxation of the guests
(Clancy, 2012).
The accommodations that will be selected to participate on the online platform must offer many
of these services to their customers. The property hosts that are chosen for the interviews are
owners of chalets, lodges-apartments and small hotels in three European countries, Switzerland,
Italy, and Greece. Each destination and accommodation offer something different and has its
unique selling point(s), although all of them meet enough of the slow tourism criteria based on the
findings of the research. An attempt to conduct more potential participants via phone or e-mail
unfortunately fell through, due to the lack of available time by property hosts to participate in the
research.

Ethical considerations

Studies who enable human intervention must take into account the ethical aspects. The phone
interviews were recorded, and participants were assured of confidentiality and reminded that they
have the right to drop out of the interview at any time.

Data Analysis Strategy

The three interview recordings were transcribed on paper and the one of them translated from
Greek to English after the transcription. Each of the interviews was overhauled in order to ensure
that is appropriate and accurate to become part of the current study. As the tool that was used for
the interviews, was the semi-structured interview guide. The methodology that was used for the
analysis of the data and the coding process is the inductive and deductive reasoning. Some
questions on the interview guide were more specific and their answers were deductively analyzed.

10
The rest of the answers were analyzed by using the inductive method to come up with new
patterns, themes and topics. After the first open coding of the data many patterns, topics and
themes arisen, another one coding followed, the data were compared, and similarities found. The
last phase of the coding was to identify the relationships between the topics, themes and patterns
and create 5 broader categories and its category has its sub-categories.
The coding can be found in Appendix B.

Results-Findings

Accommodations website (content) analysis

The content analysis of the websites and accommodations is another part of the study. Before the
interviews, a content analysis of the websites of the accommodations took place. Due to the
geographical distribution of the accommodations, the different level of experience and different
cultural background of the property hosts, the analysis of the offered information about the
services, facilities, and design through the website of each of the accommodation consist
important parts of the study. Thus, this helped to have a better overview of the mindset of the
owners of the accommodations and the property hosts.
The purpose of this analysis is to give answers to some questions which can assist in the analysis
of the findings of the property hosts and their accommodations and can also help with answering
the research question and sub-questions.
Therefore, the questions have to do with the content of the websites and the information that they
include:
1.Do they provide information about the destination?
2.Do they use social media as a marketing tool?
3.Is the information on the website related to the elements of slow tourism (authentic, traditional,
relaxation, connection to nature, sustainability, etc.)?
3.1 Do they explain if and how they connect with the local community?
3.2 Do they give information on providing outdoor activities?
3.3 Do they say if they offer any activities related to local food?
4. Do they use slogans to highlight their USP (Unique Selling Point)?
5. Do they use any visual materials (videos, photos, etc.) for the promotion of their
accommodation?
These questions answered through the content analysis of the websites and the selection of some
criteria.

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The first website that examined was the accommodation of “La Marmote” (Albergo Diffuso Di
Paluzza), which locates in Paluzza, in Italy. It is a spread hotel, with 21 apartments across the
valley (of where) and each apartment has its unique character. The interest is in the apartment of
“Da Velio” (according to the commissioner of the project), which is ideal for the mountain lovers
and those who want to live in a peaceful and sustainable way. According to the description of the
accommodation on the website, we can conclude that the accommodation matches the aspects of
slow tourism, as they are mentioned in the literature review. A narrative of each apartment is
offering through the website, and the uniqueness of each of them are highlighted. The website is
quite informative, including information about the surroundings, the events during the different
sessions and the offered services and facilities of the accommodation as well as the local
community. The use of social media is significant for the housing as they use Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, and Google. Recent studies have revealed the importance of social media as a market
channel and tool (Al-Maslam & Alhaddad, 2016). Moreover, an emphasis is paid to the slogans
that are used on the website about the nature of the accommodation, they are in Italian and
translated into English for the research purposes. The slogans are “Esistono luoghi dove ancora
tutto de possibile” which means “There are still places where everything is possible.” Another one
says “Scenari spettacolari” which means “spectacular scenery” and the last one is “Una vacanza
perfetta ogni giorno” which means “a perfect vacation for every day.” These are the main
messages and the unique selling points that they want to promote to their customers. A lot of
images and narratives of them included on the website. Hence, from the website analysis and the
literature review, we can presume that the property hosts have a lot of experience, as the website
is rich in information and well-structured.
The second website that was analyzed is the accommodation “Montagne Alternative” in
Commeire village, in Switzerland, in the heart of the Swiss Alps. From the first impression, the
website is precisely informative with descriptions and images, information about the lodges,
events, gastronomy and activities. The slogan of the accommodation is “find your nature” and
during the interview, the host explained what this means for them and what is the message that
they want to pass to their customers (see participants findings). The accommodation also uses
many of the social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Linkedin) which show that
they also estimate the power of social media as a marketing tool. The offered activities are related
to wellness, gastronomy, and nature; there is a narrative for each activity. From this information,
we can assume that they meet the slow tourism criteria.
The role of the websites in the promotion of the destination image is crucial (Law et al., 2014).
The site focused on the details as, every information is well structured and analyzed, to make the

12
life of the (potential) customers easier. This accommodation is also another example of an
experienced business as it has all the necessary elements and characteristics of a well-constructed
website.
Both websites use keywords as “authentic”, “traditional”, “relaxing holidays”, “connection to
nature”, “sustainability” etc. which are elements of slow tourism. Based on this and the
well-structured websites, we can conclude that these two accommodations match the expectations
of the commissioner, and they fit on the slow tourism platform. Therefore, the interviews with the
property hosts reveal more information about the accommodations that can be used in the section
of the final discussion.
The third and last website that was analyzed is the accommodation of “Kokkinos Vraxos” in Elati,
in Greece. This site is inadequate information in comparison to the other two. Only a few photos
are used, and they are not representative of the accommodation and the destination. On the
website, there is not available information on the activities organized from the accommodation,
only for the offered services, but there are information and photos about the destination, the
activities that are taking place there, the traditional events and the history of the area. The
structure of the website is not attractive, and that probably can influence the decision of the
potential customers to book the accommodation. Current internet users prefer graphical design
and, therefore, the use of attractive pictures is a significant component in site appearance and
influence (Law et al., 2014).
Despite the structure of the website, the interview with the property host was far away more
informative and representative of the accommodation and the destination. Further analysis of all
the collected data will follow on the discussion part.

Participants-Interviews Analysis

Interviewee 1: Montagne Alternative

Interviewee 2: Da Velio
Interviewee 3: Kokkinos Vraxos

All the interviews can be found in Appendix C.

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Characteristics of property hosts and accommodation customers

Through the analysis of the provided information the mindset of the accommodation hosts and
its match with the slow tourism criteria was achieved. Quotes from the interviews were used for
the analysis in this category.
The first interviewee supports that the accommodation is very sustainability-oriented and with
an interest in nature, they try to get all from their customers to become better. The
accommodation website is very informative with an eye to detail. When the customers need
information, the accommodation owners are at their services. The second interviewee also
mentions that they offer a lot of information to their customers, they explain everything and by
using visual materials and narratives of the 21 apartments they own, make it easier for their
customers to choose the one that fit their needs best. The third interviewee highlighted the
importance of excellent hospitality services and said that one of the main obligations of the
accommodation is to satisfy and inform the customers about the local culture and history in detail.
The characteristics of the customers of the accommodations are those who can help to find if the
customer segment fulfills the criteria of slow tourism.
According to Interviewee 1, the customers of the accommodation are not using facilities like TV,
but they use solar panels and natural products that are offered at the accommodation, they are
interested in ecology and nature. Interviewee 3 also supports that the customers are searching for
activities in nature, are interested in local gastronomy, and they are asking for traditional natural
products. This interviewee emphasizes that the customers from urban areas are those who are
mostly seeking for outdoor activities. On the other hand, interviewee 2 highlights that the
customers stay longer, “not only for three days” as he said. Moreover, participant 3 refers that the
customers are mainly families with children, couples, and companies of friends and interviewee
two that they are coming from abroad.

Preferences and needs of property hosts

Information on the preferences and needs of the property hosts to give insights on the
expectations that the hosts probably have of an online booking website and their customers’
segment.
As characteristically Interviewee 1 said, “we are trying to find people who are nature-interested”.
They are seeking for the customers that are mountain and nature lovers, and additionally, have the

14
ecological mindset, since they will be obligated to live on a mountain without basic comforts.
Interviewee 2 didn’t express any preference for the customers, although, as it is mentioned on the
website the accommodation is also ideal for mountain lovers and those who want to live more
sustainably. On the contrary, interviewee 3 indicates that they want to increase the number of
customers from abroad.
All the respondents expressed the need to receive valuable feedback from their customers to
become better in the future and to continuously improve their services and products. Moreover,
interviewee 1 and 3 expressed the need to attract more customers. As Interviewee 1 said, “We
want to have more customers of course, like everyone!”. Interviewee 1 supports that they need to
have a higher performance so "to go further again and again and again”. On the other hand,
Interviewee 2 states that they want to become better through the feedback they receive from their
customers. For interviewee 3, the interaction and communication with the customers consist of
the essential element of the accommodation.

Provided services, facilities and products

The unique selling point (USP), of accommodation, is the service or product that differentiates a
business from the competitors and gives reasons to the customers to buy the product or service.
Each of the accommodations has its own USPs that must be highlighted in the promotion
process (Hudson& Ritchie,2009). According to interviewee 1, the “find your nature” experience
is the most important element of the accommodation, as they put a lot of emphasis on the ecology
and the natural environment and products. They want moreover to provide a lot of information to
their customers about the accommodation and location. As the host said, “we want to be an
example of the world” (on that point the further question could give more insights on the
statement). On the other hand, interviewee 2 mentioned the uniqueness of each apartment of the
accommodation; each apartment has its unique character which must be promoted to the
customers. Finally, respondent 3 supports that the USP is the hospitality experience they offer to
their customers, they take care of all their needs. Additionally, the connection to nature consists of
another important principle of the business.
All of the accommodations offer a variety of activities and products to their customers, and all of
these give a unique character to each accommodation. The activities that have offered or offer are
mostly related to courses and walks in nature or the forest for herb collections. Interviewee 1
regularly referred to the production of the natural products, like shops, from herbs and essential
oils and the courses that they offer to them. On the other hand, interviewee 2 emphasized the

15
discounts that the accommodation offers to its customer for the consumption of local food and
products. Other provided activities according to interviewee 1 and 3 are the horse riding and ski.
Respondent 1 mentions that they offer natural- ecologic soaps to their customers and interviewee
three that the breakfast is made by them, and that is traditional.
All the respondents said that they inform their customers about all the services, products but also
for the destination (local history, culture, restaurants, etc.). However, the interviewee 1 and 2
mentioned that first, they use mainly the online information and then inform their customers
during the registration of the details, while interviewee 3 mentioned that they get in contact with
the customers when they are visiting the accommodation, as the website is quite poor in
information.

Property hosts experiences

Regarding their experiences of the accommodation operation, interviewee 2 indicates that the
accommodation is working the last two years and that they still try to explore the terrains of the
area. In contrast, interviewee 3 cites that the accommodation is working the last eight years and
that the whole experience is exciting and demanding. Unlike, interviewee 1 didn’t mention
anything about the accommodation, but he claims that the experiences with the customers are
“funky sometimes,” as they don’t have all the comforts they need, like TV.
The Interviewee 1 indicates that the 99% of the customers’ feedback is positive and that the
customers appreciate the offered services, as the “find your nature” experience that the
accommodation tries to launch attracts their attention. Participant 2 indicates that they use as a
strategy to ask their customers to fill up a survey before they leave the accommodation and that
they evaluate this feedback every 2-3 months in order to constantly improve. The customers that
visit the accommodation are prepared, and they don’t complain about what they found on the
website and what exists on the accommodation. Interviewee 3 considers the interaction with the
customers important; their customers are helping them to become better. Consequently,
interaction with people from different cultural and social background is valuable. The most
crucial feedback they regularly receive is, as the interviewee says, that “the website
underestimates the accommodation”.

16
Online booking websites

All the participants indicate that they use online booking platforms and the first that they
mentioned was booking.com. Interviewee 1 said that is using more ecological oriented booking
websites as there is an interest in the sustainability mindset customer segment. All the respondents
are satisfied with the booking portals they participate. Interviewee 2 said that the 90% of their
customers “are coming from booking.com and other similar platforms”, and respectively,
respondent 3 mentioned that the majority of their customer is also through the booking websites.
On the other hand, Interviewee 1, although there is satisfaction from the use of tourism portals,
said that they use them as an “assistance” because their direct bookings (via the website of the
accommodation) are going well. Only interviewee 1 reported a problem they had with booking
sites and that was the option for last moment cancellation. However, the problem solved with an
agreement with the tourism portal, for prepayment 15 days in advance, before the arrival of the
customer to the accommodation.
Regarding the expectations of the respondents of the booking online websites, all mention that
the visuality of the accommodation is the most important aspect. As interviewee 1 says “the most
important part is to be visual to the customers so to be easy to be found!”. Participants 2 and 3,
also refer that booking platforms increase and must increase the visuality of the accommodation
to the customers. Additionally, interviewee 3 says that if the accommodation, but also the
destination will be promoted through booking websites, then both will become more popular.
Participation in an online booking platform, creates some concerns for participant 3. Interviewees
1 and two don’t have concerns as they use them as extra help for higher occupancy rates and are
satisfied with the existing online booking websites respectively. However, interviewee 3 mentions
that there are many elements to consider when participating on an online booking platform, such
as the popularity of the platform, the way that the accommodation and destination are promoted
through the platform and the required participation fees or the rates of the accommodation
reservations.

Discussion

The results of the study revealed that the way that the information about accommodation is
presented on a website, either the internet site of the accommodation or a booking website, has a
very important role in the decision making of the tourist regarding the tourism product or service.
The online websites attract a significant number of customers and the participating hosts on the

17
research admit that many of their customers are coming from the booking sites. According to
Neuhofer, Buhalis & Ladkin (2015), an increased number of consumers use the internet to buy
their products and that is intimate in the use of technological tools. The property hosts came to the
conclusion that the customers are searching online and evaluate all the provided information, so
they have to continually improve.
Tourists are searching for accommodations that match their needs and expectations, and the
findings of the study show that the customers consider online booking sites trustworthy since they
frequently use them. Moreover, the results reveal that tourists nowadays are familiar with
technological development and take advantage of its use. Researchers have agreed that the
Internet accelerates the communication with the customers, whereby the digital environment
expedites the interactive communication between hosts and their customers (Al-Maslam &
Alhaddad, 2016).
From the research, was found that the hosts try to communicate with their customers through the
websites, either their personal or the massive booking websites. All the participants of the
research used phrases such as “this is the message we want to transfer” or “that is what we try to
show to our customers”. Consequently, this finding indicates that the two-way communication
between property hosts and customers is important from the perspective of the hosts, which they
are trying to consistently improve their services based on the feedback they receive from their
customers. All the participants indicated that they want to get feedback from their customers.
Through the comments, an accommodation can become better and more antagonistic.
The results of the research also show that the friendliness and the excellent hospitality services
consist of essential elements for the property hosts. As the interviewee 3 indicated “the most
important is to satisfy our customers”. From their side, the hospitality is the most important part,
that means that the satisfaction of their customers is significant, this is also a characteristic of the
good hospitality behavior according to many scientists.
The findings of the research regarding the destination image, indicate that the hosts except their
accommodations also promote the location and the activities that are taking place there. As they
indicated, the history and the culture are hugely significant for them and the image they want to
promote to their customers. Their motivations are also matching with the indicated motivations of
the other researchers, but all the participants also put a lot of emphasis on nature, ecology, and
culture since they are mountain property hosts, so in other words closer to the natural
environment with an interest in its protection and sustainable promotion. The research reveals that
all the accommodations fulfill the requirements of slow tourism, in a different extent, as all have
their focus on activities in nature, connection to local community, relaxation, authenticity, etcetera.

18
The hosts are searching for guests that are also interested in nature, ecology, and culture as well
on the destination itself.
The findings of the research, both primary (through the interviews) and secondary (through the
websites’ content analysis), reveal that the image of the site and the included information is highly
significant for the property hosts, and the websites are designed and structured based on the
current needs of the customers. Using the slogans as “find your nature” and “there are still places
where everything is possible.”, they highlight the unique characteristics of their accommodation,
to attract customers who have the same mindset. This shows that each lodge wants to be unique
and have a unique place in the world because this will increase their competitiveness.
The research on this unique mindset that each of the accommodations wants to show to their
customers must be examined and understood by the owners of the online booking websites, to
create a more competitive advantage for the online booking platform in the market.
Previously conducted research reveals that the richness of the website and the information
included on a booking website, are entirely related to the experience that the accommodation
hosts have with their customers, the social media and the general operation of the property (Wang
et al., 2015). Based on the secondary research on the content of the websites and the information
from the interviews, the property hosts try to provide as much information about the
accommodation and the destination in an attractive way by using charts, visual materials and
whatever else could attract the attention of their customers. The design of their websites clearly
shows their experience with marketing.
The current internet users show an interest in graphic design and, therefore, the use of
high-quality images and graphics is a significant element for the site image and a factor
influencing the decision of the customers (Law et al., 2014). Consequently, graphic design and the
visual materials as videos and photos, considered to add extra value to the brand image and make
it more competitive. Even the host of the one accommodation, owning the website with the less
attractive and adequate information (Interviewee 3), indicates that the feedback from their
customers regarding the online housing image and the provided information underestimates the
provided services and facilities of the accommodation. For the accommodation is important, how
it is promoted through the online booking platform and what characteristics are highlighted on the
website. Therefore, social media are significantly important to achieve the highest promotion of
the accommodation according to recent studies (Al-Maslam & Alhaddad, 2016), the findings of
the current research reveal that the property hosts use many of the Social Media Channels to
advertise their housing, that means that they also considering these market channels as
significantly important for the development and improvement to their accommodations, as their

19
demonstrative websites.
One great challenge that an online (booking) platform is facing is to identify how people can be
motivated to participate in it. The same applies to the case of an online booking platform which
must distinguish itself from the competitive websites that exist on the market. The data onto the
needs and preferences that the customers have, and their prior experiences of existing similar
products or services can give more reliable data onto a start-up. The customers’ voice (in that case,
both customers-guests and customers-property-hosts) must be heard on a regular
basis. The information that the customers give is valuable and can determine the future success of
a new business.
A better understanding of the motivations of the property hosts can increase the understanding of
their expectations from an online booking platform. Further research on the needs, experiences,
and expectations of both property hosts as well as customers-guests should take place, as in that
way more reliable data will be collected and this will set easier to investigate the matching
between the needs and expectations of property hosts and guests. Moreover, as the online booking
platform on slow tourism accommodations is a new start-up idea, extensive research on the other
potential advantages and disadvantages of this implication, must be conducted. There are many
opportunities for an online booking platform in the market, but there is also a lot of competition.
In conclusion, what is essential for the development of a successful website is to find the way to
differentiate from the others and a way to achieve this, is to continuously take into account the
needs of the customer segments and the market. A well-structured website and the way that the
accommodations are promoted via the online booking platform can increase the trust in property
hosts and guests (Wang et al., 2015). Additionally, can offer new opportunities for the
development of the online booking website for slow tourism rentals.

Limitations

The scope and the analysis of data are comprehensive and include references from quantitative
research. The reliability is satisfying, since there are many quantitative research studies related to
the topic. Although the study revealed information on the preferences, needs, experiences, and
expectations of the property hosts, there was not violation of the validity. The methods that were
used for the collection of the data are appropriate to the needs of the project, although the results
are insufficient. An additional limitation is that due to the time constraint, the unresponsiveness of
the participants and financial restrictions, only a convenient small sample of three participants
was used to collect appropriate data that can be utilized for the research purpose.

20
 This sample is not representative of generalizations of the findings; further research could be
conducted to a larger size of the sample in order to be able to increase the level of generalizability.
Moreover, the interviews were conducted through the phone; that influenced somehow the
in-person communication. A more in-depth conversation was needed. The three participants
responded the asked questions about their experiences, expectations, and needs, although extra
follow-up questions could offer better insights on their perspective.
Despite these limitations, the study found some interesting answers to the research and
sub-research questions as useful data arose from the interviews. To truly understand the
motivations and needs of accommodation hosts to participate on a slow tourism booking website,
further research is needed.

21
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Appendices

Appendix A- Interview guide

A small introduction about the purpose of the research was followed by the questions.

Questions:
The first part of the research consists of questions regarding the experiences that the
accommodation owners have with the property operation and with the customers-guests of
their accommodations.

1. How would you describe your experiences as a mountain accommodation host?

2. Can you describe your experiences of the kinds of visitors who stay at your accommodation?
Follow up questions:
◼ When a customer comes in/enters, how do you inform him/ her or provide advice? How is
this process from entering until leaving (customer experience) going?
◼ How important do you consider the interaction with the customers, and why?
◼ How do you manage your customers feedback, can you describe some of the crucial
feedback that you lately received about your business?
◼ Is anything that you would like to change regarding the customers segment? What actions
are you planning to take?
◼ Have you experimented with organizing activities for your customers? What has worked and
what has not according to your opinion? (Activities related to the nature, the local culture
etc.)

3.What makes your accommodation different in terms of special offers (restaurant deals,
something cultural or in nature)?

The second part of the research has to do with the experiences that the accommodation
owners have with the booking websites

1. What is your personal experience regarding booking websites, do you make use of any so far or
are you planning to do so? Why? Or Why not?
Follow up questions:
◼ Are there any (online) marketing channels you are or would like to use? Why?
◼ What aspects are you looking for in an online booking platform?
◼ What is the USP (Unique Selling Point) of your business that should be highlighted at an
online booking platform in your opinion?

2.What is your biggest concern regarding booking websites?

Follow up questions:
◼ Can you describe or give an example how you solved it?
◼ What would you need in order to solve it?
◼ Are you looking for other solutions? If yes, what kind?

3.Would you like to add anything else regarding your expectations of an online booking platform
that was not asked or mentioned?
This is the end of the interview, I would like to thank you for your time, and I’ll inform you for
the results.

25
Appendix B- Coding

1. Characteristics of property hosts and customers

1.1. Characteristics of property hosts

1.1.1 Focused on ecology
1.1.2. Focused on nature
1.1.3. Focused on good hospitality services
1.1.4. Informative- focused on detail
1.2. Characteristics of customers
1.2.1. International tourists
1.2.2. Stay longer
1.2.3. Families and couples
1.2.4. Nature and ecology interested
1.2.5. Interested in activities
1.2.6. Interested in local culture, products and gastronomy

2. Preferences and needs of property hosts

2.1. Preferences regarding customers and accommodation

2.1.1. Interest in nature
2.1.2. Sustainable-Ecological mindset
2.1.3. International customers
2.2. Needs of property hosts
2.3.1. Customers performance
2.3.2. Customers attraction
2.3.3. To become better constantly
2.3.4. Interaction with the customers

3. Provided services, facilities, and products

3.1. Unique Selling point

3.1.1. Connection to nature
3.1.2. Ecological mindset
3.1.3. Provided hospitality experience
3.1.4. Uniqueness of each apartment
3.1.5. Rich in information
3.1.6. To be example for the world
3.2. Activities-Products-Services
3.2.1. Educational courses for natural products (herbs etc.)
3.2.2. Activities to nature
3.2.3. Culinary activities
3.2.4. Indoor activities
3.2.5. Local products
3.2.6. Other services
3.4. Information
3.4.1. destination
3.4.2. Services and products

26
4. Property hosts experiences

4.1.With accommodation operation

4.2 With customers
4.2.1. Customers feedback

5. Online booking websites

5.1. Experiences with existing booking websites

5.1.1. Pains
5.1.2. Gains
5.2. Expectations from online booking websites
5.2.1. Visuality
5.2.2. Higher occupancy rates
5.2.4. Destination image
5.3. Concerns regarding online booking websites
5.3.1. Popularity of the platform
5.3.2. Required Fees
5.3.3. Promotion of the accommodation
5.3.4. No concerns

Appendix C- Interviews

Interview 1: Montagne Alternative (Switzerland)

Interviewer: How would you describe your experiences as a mountain accommodation host?

Interviewee: Eh we are very ecological, so we are trying to find people who are interested, not
interested but who are nature interested, this is very important for us, yeah (Codes 1.1.1. & 2.1.1.)

Interviewer: Ok, could you describe your experiences of the

visitors who stay at your accommodation?

Interviewee: Hm the visitors experience is quite funky sometimes, they don't have television,
they have solar panels everywhere, they have all the ecological products, the soaps which we
produce with our herbs from our garden, it is a typical "find your nature" experience and it is
really appreciated from the customers. ((Codes 1.2.4. &3.1.1. & 3.2.5. & 4.2.)

Interviewer: that is really

interesting. When a customer comes in/enters, how do you inform him/ her or provide advice? H
ow is this process from entering until leaving (customer experience) is going?

Interviewee: This experience is going quite clear, have you seen our website? (Code 4.2.)

Interviewer: Yes, I have seen it, it has a lot of information.

27
Interviewee: On our website we have a chart, where we explain what we do, why we do it, from
the beginning until the end of the stay of the guests, this is the message we try to pass. (Codes
3.4.2 & 3.1.5.)

Interviewer: How do you manage your customers feedback; can you describe some of the crucia
l feedback for your business you received lately?

Interviewee: Crucial feedback lately...99% of our feedback is positive, which we accept and we
are trying always to take out all of our customers, all the tips we can use to be better, to be more
ecologic, to be more in detail, to try to offer to them all the information and use all the
information we get, we try to become better through these information, with the bad experiences
we excuse ourselves of course and try to fix the problem for next time, but yeah, we are trying to
explain from the beginning until the end why are doing these kind of stuff, we want to be an
example for the world. (Codes 4.2.1&1.1.4. &3.1.6. &2.3.3.)

Interviewer: Is anything that you would like to change regarding the customers and if yes, why?

Interviewee: Νo, we just want to have more customers of course like everyone! No, but with the
customers we would like to have again more performance, more to go further again and again and
again with these experiences, but we are trying to get better, to go forward. (Codes2.3.1.&
2.3.2. & 2.3.3.)

Interviewer: Have you experimented with organizing activities for customers, like activities to
the nature?

Interviewee: Yes!

Interviewer: What kind of activities?

Interviewee: We have a garden of 2000 square meters, where we have medical herbs and kitchen
herbs and we are doing courses there and is someone who comes and to explain what it is, what
we do, we make our soap with some essential oils, which are really, yeah, natural and ecologic
and we do everything to show these to the people and we are not really guiding them, but we are
going with the people walk in the nature, to explain to them some stuff, not guide but we are
going with them to explain what they can see and what is there. (Codes 3.2.1 & 3.2.2. & 3.2.5.&
1.1.3.)

Interviewer: Nice, now I would like to ask you some questions about your experiences with the
booking
websites. What is your personal experience regarding booking websites? do you make use of any
so far or are you planning to do? Why?

Interviewee: We use some booking websites, like booking. com, like the regular ones but also
some smaller booking websites specially, ecological, we use them as a help, but usually we have
direct reservations which is quite well, and it is quite easy to take care. (Codes 5.1. & 5.1.1.)

Interviewer: Ok, what are the aspects you are looking for in an online booking platform?

Interviewee: Hm the visuality, that is the most important part. (Code 5.2.1.)

28
Interviewer: What is the USP (Unique Selling Point) of your business that should be highlighted
at an online booking platform according to your opinion?

Interviewee: Well, we have a slogan is "find your nature", so the point that we want to highlight
for the customers is to find the nature but also their nature! (Code3.1.1.)

Interviewer: What is your biggest concern regarding booking websites?

Interviewee: The biggest concern...Well we don't really have concerns, because we cover
ourselves with the guidance we get from the sales department, so we don't really be worried about
the booking websites. (Code 5.3.4.)

Interviewer: Ok, is anything else you would

like to add anything else regarding your expectations of an online booking platform that was not a
sked or mentioned? Regarding the pains and gains?

Interviewee:No , I don't think so that there is something directly. The most important part is to be
visual to the customers so to be easy to be found! (Code 5.2.1.)

Interviewer: That was the end of the interview, I would like to thank you for your time and to
wish you good luck with your accommodation, I can also inform you for the results of the
research if you want to.

Interviewee: Thank you too, yes that would be good also!

Interviewer: Thanks again and have a nice day.

Interviewee: Thank you also, bye!

Interview 2- La Marmote(Da velio)- Italy

Interviewer: How would you describe your experiences as a mountain accommodation host?

Interviewee: Yeah, we have a spread hotel on the mountains, yeah, it is not a regular hotel, but a
spread hotel, there are many apartments in the valley, the registration office is in the town, but our
apartments are spread all over the valley. It is working in the last two years, we open three years
ago and one of our apartments is Da Velio, which is the highest one on the mountain. (Codes
3.1.4. & 4.1.)

Interviewer: Ok, can you describe your experiences of the kinds of visitors who stay at Da Velio
apartment?

Interviewee: Most people who are visiting Da Velio are coming from abroad, especially from
Germany, from Northern Europe and Eastern Europe. The average of them is not coming for only
three days, but they stay longer, also because the location is not easy to reach, so the people come
and stay longer, many days. (Codes 1.2.1. & 1.2.2.)

29
Interviewer:
Nice, when a customer comes in/enters, how do you inform him/ her or provide advice? How is th
is process from entering until leaving (customer experience) going?

Interviewee: When people come they go to the reception, which is in the town for the check in
and during the check in we give them all the information, about the place, we give them maps and
information books about the territorial, the valley, the nature and also of course about restaurants
and the shops to buy food, to find what is out there. (Codes 3.4.& 3.4.1. & 3.4.2.)

Interviewer: How important do you consider the interaction with the customers and why?

Interviewee: Yeah, it is very important because eh when people are leaving, we ask them to fill
up a survey, because we want to let them tell their opinion for the accommodation in order to
become better in the future. (Codes 4.2.1. & 2.3.3.)

Interviewer: So, you are asking for

feedback...How do you manage your customers feedback, can you describe some of the crucial fe
edback for your business you received lately?

Interviewee: We put all the received feedback in a box and then periodically, every 2-3 months
we read everything and we try to make better the things in our apartments, so if someone is
complaining about anything, we try to take this into account for the future. (Code 4.2.1.)

Interviewer: Is it something that you would like to change regarding the customers- guests and if
yes, in what way?

Interviewee: No, we are not looking for changing something.

Interviewer: What makes your accommodation different in terms of special offers

(restaurant deals, something cultural or in nature) ?

Interviewee: We have discounts in all the restaurants in the valley, so the people who come at the
reception for the check in they get a card which give to them discounts when they are going out to
eat but also to buy food or anything else, they get discount because they are customers of our
spread hotel. (Code 3.2.6.)

Interviewer: Nice, so you are organizing also activities for your customers?

Interviewee: Well, not yet, because the hotel is open for two seasons and we still realize/ find
out/ explore the map of all the terrains around the town, we organized only one activity one
month ago about herbs and flowers around the town and we took the people to walk around to
learn some stuff about herbs for health and also for cuisine. The culture is also important for us, it
is a historical place and we are trying to let the people to know what is our history here and how
and why we have become in the way we are now. (Codes4.1. & 3.2.1. & 3.2.2.& 3.2.3. & 3.4.1.)

Interviewer: Ok, nice. Now I would like to ask you some stuff about your experiences with
booking-websites.
What is your personal experience regarding booking websites? Do you make use of any so far or
are you planning to do so? Why?

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Interviewee: Yeah, we are using tourism portals yeah, for instance booking.com and some others,
the booking. com is working very well. (Codes 5.1. & 5.1.1.)

Interviewer: What aspects are you looking for in an online booking platform?

Interviewee: Almost 90% of our customers are coming from booking.com and the other
platforms, that means that we want and think that booking platforms increase the visuality of an
accommodation. (Codes 5.1.1. & 5.2.1.)

Interviewer: What is the USP (Unique Selling Point) of your business that should be highlighted
at an online booking platform in your opinion?

Interviewee: We have 21 apartments and each one of them has it's own character on our website
and also on tourism portals, so the potential customers can see many many pictures, many
descriptions of where they are and what is the nature of each apartment, so they can choose what
they want. When they come they are ready, nobody complains about what they found on the
portals on the internet, comparing to what they really found when they come here. (Codes 3.1.4.
& 1.1.4. & 4.2.)

Interviewer: What is your biggest concern regarding booking websites?

Interviewee: As I told you, we don't have problems with booking websites, they are working
good for us and bring customers, so we are satisfied. (Code 5.3.4.)

Interviewer: Ok, is anything else that you would you like to add,
anything else regarding your expectations of an online booking platform that was not asked or me
ntioned?

Interviewee: No, it is fine!

Interviewer: Ok, thank you for your time and I will inform you about the results of the research
if you want to.

Interviewee: Ok, thank you.

Interviewer: Thank you again, have a nice afternoon!

Interviewee: Bye, bye!

Interview 3- Kokkinos Vraxos-Greece

Interviewer: How would you describe your experiences as a mountain accommodation host?

Interviewee: Our accommodation is working the last 8 years and we have many experiences
through the time. It is an interesting experience to get in touch with many people from different
social and cultural background, but at the same time it is really demanding as we have to offer the

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best services to them, in order to visit our accommodation again. Generally the hotel doesn’t have
only financial benefits, but also experiences and knowledge through the discussion with the
customers. (Codes 4.1. & 4.2.)

Interviewer: Can you describe your experiences of the kinds of visitors who stay at your
accommodation?

Interviewee: Families with children, couples but also companies of friends are visiting our hotel.
The majority of the customers are asking for relaxation but also for outdoor activities as ski at the
ski resort and horse riding. Moreover, many of them are willing to walk on the forest and to
discover or to hiking at one of the climber’s fields who are located on the Koziaka mountain. The
last years there is great interest about local gastronomy and the local culture in general. Most of
the customers are buying local products before they leave from the small shops at the entrance of
the village, where women produce and sell traditional products. (Codes 1.2.3. & 1.2.5. & 1.2.6.)

Interviewer: When a customer comes in/enters, how do you inform him/ her or provide advice?

Interviewee: When the customers come at our hotel we inform them about the services that are
offered, as for instance the breakfast, cleaning and cafe-bar. Additionally we offer information
about the activities that they can participate, as the hiking at the mountain and other kind of
activities as ski, the ski resort is close by. The hotel organizes also these kind of activities as also
herbs collection. Moreover we inform them about the traditional restaurants at the area, where
someone can try local food. All the worth to see places are also presented and we inform them
about the distances and the way to reach any of these places. Additional information are offered
on the website of the accommodation. (Codes3.4. &3.4.1 & 3.4.2.& 3.2.1. & 3.2.2.)

Interviewer: How important do you consider the interaction with the customers and why?

Interviewee: As I told you before, the contact and communication we have with our customers is
the most important part for our accommodation, as in that way the possibilities to visit the hotel
again increase. Moreover, they help us to get better. We are not aiming only to offer services to
the customers, but mostly to have contact with them, to discuss and to feel that we offer a nice
hospitality experience. We want our customers when they are leaving to be satisfied, informed
about the local culture and the place, as in that way we believe that they will want to come
back again. Through the interaction with the customers we can improve and develop our offered
services. (Codes 2.3.4. & 1.1.3. & 3.1.3.&2.3.3.)

Interviewer: How do you manage your customers feedback; can you describe some of the crucial
feedback for your business you received lately?

Interviewee: We are taking into account the comments and the complaints of the customers and
we try to adapt our services according to these. One of the most common comments we receive
from our customers is that the website underestimates the accommodation. (Codes 2.3.3. & 4.2.1.)

Interviewer: Is anything that you would like to change regarding the customers? What actions
are you planning to take?

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Interviewee: We would like to increase the number of the customers and especially the customers
from abroad. The majority of the international customers they don’t know that the Greece has a
great number of infrastructures on mountain areas, which worth to visit as the landscape is
beautiful. Moreover we would like to promote our accommodation through websites from abroad
and Greece, in order to make the area and the accommodation more popular. We have already
visited many tourist offices in different places in Greece, in order to be more promoted. We are
trying to get in contact with customers from abroad. (Codes 2.3.2. & 5.2.4 & 2.1. 3.)

Interviewer: Have you experimented with organizing activities for customers?

Interviewee: Yeah, of course, the business offers activities as forest tours, hiking activities
around the mountain and collection of herbals especially during summer. These activities attract
more and more people who want to participate, and the most of them are really satisfied at the
end. Although, we have observed that those who are more interested in the activities are coming
from urban areas. Many tourists prefer to do these activities by their own by using maps. (Codes
3.2.2. & 4.2. & 1.2.4. & 1.2.5.)

Interviewer: What makes your accommodation different in terms of special offers (restaurant
deals, something cultural or in nature) ?

Interviewee: Our accommodation, as I mentioned before, offers a lot of activities which are
aiming to bring the customers closer to the nature and to help them to relax and escape from the
everyday routine. Moreover, the hospitality is the most important part of our business as also the
direct contact with the customers, we want to make them feel like home. The breakfast consists
from traditional foods, which we produce. (Codes 3.1.1. & 3.1.3. & 3.2.5.)

Interviewer: What is your personal experience regarding booking websites, do you make use of
any so far or are you planning to do so? Why? Or Why not?

Interviewee: Yeah, we use many booking websites in national and international level, as
booking.com but also Greek websites. We are satisfied with our collaboration with the tourism
portals, and undoubtedly a great amount of our customers is coming from bookings through the
booking websites. The fact is that most of the tourists are seeking accommodation through
internet, that means that the visuality of our accommodation through those websites is very
important. (Codes 5.1. & 5.1.1.)

Interviewer: What aspects are you looking for in an online booking platform?

Interviewee: We are choosing an online booking platform based on different elements. One of
them, and maybe the most important is the way that our business is promoted, the most important
parts of the business must be promoted, as also for the area where the accommodation is. Of
course another one aspect is how popular is the platform on the internet and the fees that are
required for the promotion and marketing of the business. (Codes 5.2.3. &5.3.1.& 5.3.2.& 5.3.3.)

Interviewer: What is the USP (Unique Selling Point) of your business that should be highlighted
at an online booking platform in your opinion?

Interviewee: According to my opinion our business has a lot of characteristics that make it
unique, but if I have to choose only one, this is hospitality. The customers are really important for
us, all the activities and services we can offer to them and their satisfaction. We are taking care of
all their needs, that make us unique! (Code 3.1.3.)

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Interviewer: What is your biggest concern regarding booking websites?

Interviewee: One problem with the booking platforms is the cancellation at last moment. Many
customers when they have booked and they must pay in advance, then they cancel their booking.
That is a great problem, as it has happened many times, while at the same moment other
customers were interested in the accommodation. (Code 5.1.2.)

Interviewer: Can you describe or give an example how you solved it? What you needed in order
to solve it?

Interviewee: This specific problem was solved when the customers had to pay in advance at least
15 days before their arrival, so in case of cancellation other customers to be able to book the
accommodation. We needed the agreement of the booking websites and the comprehension of the
customers, in order to avoid the problems with the online bookings. (Code 5.1.)

Interviewer: Would you like to add anything else regarding your expectations of an online
booking platform that was not asked or mentioned?

Interviewee: No, not really!

Interviewer: Ok, thank you for your time and I will inform you about the results of the research
if you want to.

Interviewee: Ok, thank you!

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