Experiential Tourism and Homestays in Kerala

Abstract

When we undertake leisure travel, in most cases, we want to enjoy the history and civilization of a distant location, relax in an eco-friendly destination, or experience the beauty of local culture like dance, drama, theatre, handicrafts, or any other fine arts. These experiences become memorable and remain in our minds for longer duration. The interests for experiential tourism have gained more importance among young generations and scholars and tourism practitioners of late. This process or trend in leisure travel is also known as “Immersion travel”. Uniqueness of the destination and authentic experiences are the hall marks of experiential tourism. Tourism is a principal contributor to the State’s economy in Kerala. Kerala has topped the list of the ‘Most Welcoming Region’ in India, according to a survey conducted by leading digital travel platform Booking.com. Because of its uniqueness, National Geographic Traveler selected Kerala as one of the best 50 destinations of a life time and also as one of the thirteen paradises in the world. Of late, the Responsible tourism destinations in the state and the new STREET (acronym for Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic, Tourism hubs) projects have attracted many enthusiastic experiential travelers. Homestays in Kerala are an alternate accommodation option and they are part of the sharing economy. They also provide opportunities for Village tourism and authentic socio-cultural experiences. The homestays in Kerala are concentrated in those districts where there are a lot of destination attractions. The study concludes by saying that Experiential tourism is a special kind of tourism where the traveler and his/her direct experiences, are an opportunity for enrichment of cultural, social and emotional enrichment. Because homestays are comparatively economical and they provide security and warmth of a home and also provide to learn a new culture, they attract many experiential travelers. Keywords: Experiential tourism, Memorable Tourism Experience, Homestays, Socio-cultural Experiences