Predictors Influencing the Choice of Lodging Option: A Systematic Literature Review of Homestays

Abstract

In the tourism industry, lodging establishments play a crucial role. Each, more and more tourists look outside the typical hotel for their accommodation requirements. One of the fastest-growing segments of the hotel sector is homestays. This research aims to provide a more comprehensive view of the topic by consolidating the factors found in previous studies that lead tourists to select homestays. This study seeks to bring together the different reasons that have been discovered by studies that encourage visitors to choose homestay as a lodging option to gain a more in-depth understanding of the issue. In this research, the authors elected to conduct a review study in the form of a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). Seventy-four papers published between January 2000 and June 2022 were examined. This study examined Emerald, Sage, Elsevier, Wiley Online Library, Scopus, and Taylor & Francis Online databases. The PRISMA flowchart was utilized to conduct a comprehensive view of the topic. The SLR findings reflect that underlining factors like "feeling at home," "personalized service," "safety and security," "real, local touch/desire to engage in local culture," and "budget-friendly" are the primary motivating factors for visitors to choose homestay over other types of accommodation. This study can offer several suggestions to improve tourists' satisfaction with homestays,. Homestay owners, managers, and investors can use this study to create policies, directions, and recommendations for running homestays. Concerning motivations and attribute concerns, this study may give homestay destination marketing managers a more realistic picture of tourist satisfaction.