Purpose Having the largest sandy beach in the world, Bangladesh is a highly potential tourism destination. Unfortunately, tourism sector does not contribute significantly to the gross domestic product of Bangladesh due to poor infrastructural facilities in the hospitality industry. Crowdfunding for joint ownership hotels has recently gained popularity in Bangladesh, and it may play an essential role in building the infrastructure in tourism destinations. The study examines the elements that impact prospective investors’ intention to participate in crowdfunding for shared-ownership hotels. Design/methodology/approach A sample size of 264 respondents (investors in hotels) is considered as the target participant group from the hospitality industry in the largest sandy beach tourism destination called Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh. Snowball sampling technique was used to reach the potential respondents as the population is unknown. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain primary data for this research. The survey was conducted online using Google form sent through email and social media. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed to evaluate the data. Findings Findings show that the fundraiser’s reputation (FRR) and age of crowdfunding platform (ACP) have a significant and favorable impact on perceived trust (PT). Again, at a 5% level of significance, PT and risk-taking mentality (RTM) of the investors significantly influence participation in hotel infrastructure crowdfunding (PHIC). The function of perceived trust in mediating the relation between PHIC and FRR, and PHIC and ACP found significant. Notably, all the factors collectively account for almost 47% of the changes in PHIC, which is substantial. Research limitations/implications This study is expected to play a significant role in assisting the hospitality industry policymakers. The integration of Trust Theory and Risk Theory in this research provides a solid foundation in assessing the factors influencing the investment intention in equity-based crowdfunding in the hospitality industry. Given the dearth of information and overall absence of academic literature on the shared-ownership hotel investment in Bangladesh, this study offers practical implication that might provide necessary information to the policymakers of hospitality industry. Originality/value This research advances the comprehension of the elements that motivate investors to invest in shared-ownership hotels under a crowdfunding platform, which is a unique endeavor in Bangladesh.
Mohammad Rokibul Kabir (Wed,) studied this question.