Rural homestays reviving culture and traditions: A study analysing expectation and satisfaction of homestay’s guests

Ritika Singh; Manohar Sajnani; Pawan Gupta

doi:10.21744/lingcure.v5nS1.1730

Authors

Ritika Singh
ritika5890.singh@gmail.com
Amity Institute of Travel and Tourism, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India
Manohar Sajnani Amity Institute of Travel and Tourism, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India
Pawan Gupta Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Keywords:

culture tourism, rural homestay, rural tourism, tourist’s expectation, tourist’s satisfaction

Abstract

In contemporary world, travellers are more inclined towards seeking peace and tranquility from vacation destination rather than mere travel. Travelllers indulge in travel experience that enables them to connect with locals, gets genuine insight into their culture and traditional lifestyles. Rural homestays are one such means to cater the needs of such tourists in all-inclusive. The purpose of the study is to evaluate variation between the factors affecting satisfaction and expectation of the homestay’s guests. The study is conducted in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh, India. The data is collected by close ended questionnaire method, in face-to-face interaction with 200 tourists staying in 20 rural homestays. The study is intended to evaluate various attributes of the rural homestay accommodation that leads to satisfaction/dissatisfaction among guests staying in the homestay and also to make homestay owners understand the needs and requirements of guests to improve upon the service provided. The study also analyses the relationship between guests’ socio-economic profile and their satisfaction. The result of the research supports the suggestions for the homestay owners and public administrators that further boost the level of satisfaction of the guests and contributes in extensive rural as well as cultural tourism development.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Agyeiwaah, E., Akyeampong, O., & Amenumey, E. K. (2013). International tourists’ motivations to choose homestay: Do their socio-demographics have any influence?. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 13(1), 16-26..

Al-Laymoun, M., Alsardia, K., & Albattat, A. (2020). Service quality and tourist satisfaction at homestays. Management Science Letters, 10(1), 209-216.

Alsharif, H. (2020). Phonology, phonetic and phonological aspects. Macrolinguistics and Microlinguistics, 1(1), 52–68. Retrieved from https://mami.nyc/index.php/journal/article/view/5

Bernard, L. (1994). What is rural tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 2(1-2), 7-21.

Boniface, P. (1998). Tourism culture. Annals of Tourism Research, 25(3), 748-750. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(98)00029-2

Cawley, M., & Gillmor, D. A. (2008). Integrated rural tourism:: Concepts and Practice. Annals of tourism research, 35(2), 316-337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2007.07.011

Dave, B., Thakkar, J., Shah, M., & H?n?d??, O. (2013). Prathaa: Kath-khuni Architecture of Himachal Pradesh. SID Research Cell, School of Interiour Design, CEPT University.

del Bosque, I. R., & San Martín, H. (2008). Tourist satisfaction a cognitive-affective model. Annals of tourism research, 35(2), 551-573. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2008.02.006

Dept of Tourism & Civil Aviation Himachal Pradesh. (2008). HIMACHAL PRADESH HOME STAY SCHEME 2008. Shimla.

Devesa, M., Laguna, M., & Palacios, A. (2010). The role of motivation in visitor satisfaction: Empirical evidence in rural tourism. Tourism management, 31(4), 547-552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2009.06.006

Edwards, D. C., Griffin, T., Hayllar, B. R., Dickson, T., & Schweinsberg, S. C. (2009). Understanding tourism experiences and behaviour in cities: An Australian case study.

Fedorchenko, V. K., Kutuev, P. V., Fedorchenko, N. V., & Vasilets, O. I. (2021). Tourism and education in formation of the human capital agency. Linguistics and Culture Review, 5(S2), 246-258. https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v5nS2.1343

Font, X. (1997). Managing the tourist destination's image. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 3(2), 123-131.

Gnoth, J. (1997). Tourism motivation and expectation formation. Annals of Tourism research, 24(2), 283-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0160-7383(97)80002-3

Hamzah, A. (2007). Malaysian homestays from the perspective of young Japanese tourists: The quest for Furusato. In Asian tourism: Growth and change (pp. 213-228). Routledge.

Hui, T. K., Wan, D., & Ho, A. (2007). Tourists’ satisfaction, recommendation and revisiting Singapore. Tourism management, 28(4), 965-975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2006.08.008

Ibrahim, Y., & Razzaq, A. R. A. (2010). Homestay program and rural community development in Malaysia. Journal of Ritsumeikan Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(1), 7-24.

Indian Brand Equity Foundation. (2013). Tourism and hospitality industry in India.

Ismail, M. N. I., Hanafiah, M. H., Aminuddin, N., & Mustafa, N. (2016). Community-based homestay service quality, visitor satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 222, 398-405.

Jamaludin, M., Othman, N., & Awang, A. R. (2012). Community based homestay programme: A personal experience. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 42, 451-459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.04.210

Kinnaur, H. P. (1932). Government of India.

Kulshreshtha, S., & Kulshrestha, R. (2019). The emerging importance of “homestays” in the Indian hospitality sector. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes.

Lane, B. (1994). Sustainable rural tourism strategies: A tool for development and conservation. Journal of sustainable tourism, 2(1-2), 102-111.

Luo, Z., & Qu, H. (2016). Guest-defined hotel service quality and its impacts on guest loyalty. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 17(3), 311-332.

Markovi?, S., & Raspor Jankovi?, S. (2013). Exploring the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in Croatian hotel industry. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 19(2), 149-164.

Ministry of Tourism. (2020). India Tourism Statistics at a Glance 2020. New Delhi,Inida: Ministry of Tourism.

Nadiri, H., & Hussain, K. (2005). Perceptions of service quality in North Cyprus hotels. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

Nur, A. C., Aslinda, A., Guntur, M., & Didin, D. (2021). Breakthroughs in the development of regional leading sectors: challenges and sustainability. Linguistics and Culture Review, 5(S1), 223-240. https://doi.org/10.21744/lingcure.v5nS1.1351

Oh, H., & Parks, S. C. (1996). Customer satisfaction and service quality: a critical review of the literature and research implications for the hospitality industry. Hospitality Research Journal, 20(3), 35-64.

Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of marketing research, 17(4), 460-469.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. 1988, 64(1), 12-40.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of marketing, 49(4), 41-50.

Peña, A. I. P., Jamilena, D. M. F., & Molina, M. Á. R. (2012). The perceived value of the rural tourism stay and its effect on rural tourist behaviour. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 20(8), 1045-1065.

Poria, Y., Reichel, A., & Biran, A. (2006). Heritage site management: Motivations and expectations. Annals of tourism research, 33(1), 162-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2005.08.001

Pratiwi, D. P. E., Sulatra, I. K., & Candra, K. D. P. (2019). Bali tourism advertisements: a linguistic analysis. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Culture, 5(1), 43-53. https://doi.org/10.21744/ijllc.v5n1.582

Qiao, H. H., Wang, C. H., Chen, M. H., Su, C. H. J., Tsai, C. H. K., & Liu, J. (2021). Hedonic price analysis for high-end rural homestay room rates. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 49, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.08.008

Santa-Cruz, F. G., & López-Guzmán, T. (2017). Culture, tourism and world heritage sites. Tourism Management Perspectives, 24, 111-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2017.08.004

Sharma, J. (2019). A Study on Acceptance of Homestays as an Emerging Trend in Alternate Travel Accommodation in India: A Case Study of Heritage House in Ahmedabad. Indian Journal of Hospitality Management, 11-19.

Sharma, S. K. (2020). An assessment and development of service quality framework of homestay in Sikkim.

Spencer, J. P., & Uys, C. (2015). Mega-sporting event legacies with reference to accommodation requirements of participants in the Two Oceans Marathon, Cape Town.

Sulistyadi, B., Wening, N., & Herawan, T. (2019). The Impact Of Site Attraction And Service Quality On Loyalty Through Satisfaction: A Case Study In Gunung Sewu Unesco Global Geopark, Indonesia. GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites, 25 (2), 509–523.

Suwija, N., Suarta, M., Suparsa, N., Alit Geria, A.A.G., Suryasa, W. (2019). Balinese speech system towards speaker social behavior. Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews, 7(5), 32-40. https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2019.754

Thapa, B., & Malini, H. (2017). Guest reasons for choosing homestay accommodation: an overview of recent researches. Asia Pacific Journal of Research, 1(4), 2320-5504.