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Scholars most often adopt qualitative data-gathering methods, notably interviews, to access the lifeworld of "mixed" families. Nonetheless, when research questions require vivid details about their lives, other data-collection techniques may be needed. "Intimate" research methods, characterised by proximate contacts and interactions with "mixed" couples and their families, appear particularly useful in this regard. Drawing from ethnographic studies of mixed families of Filipino and Thai migrant women in Belgium and The Netherlands, the present paper unveils the heuristic value of three intimate methods—homestays, sleepovers, and commensality—in perceiving the realities of these women's couple and family lives. Homestays and sleepovers allow an in-depth understanding of ways of life within homes, interpersonal interactions, and their intricacies. Commensality (i.e., eating together) offers "snapshots" of the lives of mixed families, providing insights complementary to other methods such as interviews. Hence, the three intimate methods explored in this paper are social sites in which one can view details, otherwise invisible or unspoken, of the lives of mixed families, ranging from power dynamics to intergenerational relations, from the family's social class status and cross-border social ties to emotional situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant area of Social Computing is the Social Network Service (SNS), known as Social Network Applications. In recent years, researchers have commonly used SNS as an instrument for linking and communicating. Homestay travel has been prevalent for a long time with the rise of social media. The goal of this study is to examine the influence of Social Network Service functions on homestay travel intention in Vietnam. Fourteen Social Network Service functions were summarized from the literature review and used as the variables influencing the purpose of homestay travel to develop a five-point Likert scale questionnaire for convenience sampling to perform an online survey. For further study, two hundred and twenty valid respondents were included. The GM(1, N) analysis showed interest sharing, photo sharing, and video sharing as the first to third most principal factors in their highly seasoned weighting towards homestay travel intention. On the other side, helping decision, helping interaction, and helping planning as the last three lists of weighting scores. Besides, multiple regression analysis shows that offering recommendations, helping planning, and sharing interest simultaneously predict homestay travel intention while the others don't. That means consumers would heavily rely upon the functions of sharing interest of social network services to evaluate their traveling options. It is proposed that homestay traveling vendors should pay more attention to the marketing of previous travelers' experiential interests to provoke the awareness of customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new form of business, rural homestay inn is booming in China, boosting the transformation and upgrading of leisure tourism and promoting the sustainable development of rural tourism. This study firstly emphasizes the humanistic care in the service process through the content analysis of 30 short videos and the findings that such hotels highlight the word "warmth" in their marketing. Based on this, this study clarifies that in the Chinese context, encounter is essential for gaining warmth. Therefore, the study constructs a model with service encounter as the core concept and explores customer loyalty in rural homestay inns. A total of 450 questionnaires were distributed, of which, 407 were valid. In addition, descriptive statistical analysis, reliability test, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted on the collected questionnaires. Results show the following: (1) service encounter includes physical environment encounter, service personnel encounter, and other customer encounter; (2) experience value includes functional emotional and social cognitive values; (3) physical environment encounter and service personnel encounter significantly affect the experience value; (4) physical environment encounter and service personnel encounter significantly affect customer loyalty; and (5) functional emotional and social cognitive values positively affect customer loyalty, and social cognitive value affects more significantly. On this basis, this study introduces the following suggestions: (1) highlighting the characteristics of rural homestay inns and creating a unique cultural atmosphere, (2) paying attention to human care and deepening emotional communication, and (3) improving the customer experience to satisfy higher consumer demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of homestay accommodation, it is urgent to study the mechanism of satisfaction of guests as customers. We used value cocreation theory to explore customer participation and host–customer interaction as antecedents of customer perceived value, and how this then influenced their satisfaction. We analyzed data from 344 homestay guests using partial least squares regression and bootstrapping analysis. The results show that customer participation and host–customer interaction affected customers' perception of the functional, emotional, and social value of the homestay experience. Furthermore, perceived functional, emotional, and social value mediated the relationships of customer participation, host–customer interaction, and customer satisfaction. Our results have implications for the improvement of customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore the dimensions and sub-factors of Airbnb hosts' affinity-seeking strategies. It also aims to build a conceptual framework of hosts' affinity-seeking strategies and their impact on Airbnb guests' feelings of affection toward their host and/or the homestay and their behavioral intentions. Design/methodology/approach: Based on 150,161 Inside Airbnb online reviews in three major US cities, this study uses semantic analysis to explore processes through which hosts' affinity-seeking strategies are constructed. Findings: A conceptual framework is proposed to identify two dimensions (warmth and competency) and their sub-factors ("presenting friendly attitudes," "showing personality traits," "providing service and help" and "promoting social interaction and sharing") of Airbnb homestay hosts' affinity-seeking strategies. The framework shows a positive relationship between these strategies and guests' affection and behavior in response. Practical implications: The research findings provide valuable insights to hosts for improving their affinity and strengthening their competitive advantages. They also offer guidance to destination management organizations on how to build a positive destination image. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to conceptualize Airbnb homestay hosts' affinity-seeking strategies. It contributes to the literature by incorporating social cognition theory and service theory in the analysis of these strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We devised and assessed open recruitment of host families for medical student homestays in a rural area of Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, so that program organizers would not have to depend on professional and personal connections. The duration of the homestays was one night and two days, and they were conducted in August 2016, 2017, and 2018. The purpose of this community-based medical education program was to promote interactions between medical students and residents of Tamba area. The study asked one family member from each host family to complete a questionnaire after the homestay, and their experiences were evaluated in the study. The questionnaire results were analyzed using a visual analog scale (VAS; 0–100 mm). Thirty-three host families participated in the homestay program over three years. Results showed that VAS scores were high for enjoyment of homestays (VAS; 92.4 ± 13.0), continuation of the homestay program (91.7 ± 12.7), continuation of participation in the homestay program (89.2 ± 16.2), and desire for the homestay students to work in the area in the future (95.4 ± 6.3). The recruitment of host families through advertising was an efficient method for this community-based medical education homestay program. The results indicate that it is possible to attract more host families through open recruitment, which will contribute to the sustainability of the homestay program. Further research, including a follow-up of the students who participated and whether they chose a rural area or Tamba to practice is needed in the future. Since this is an ongoing program, further research in a similar format can be conducted in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we aim to investigate whether entity and incremental theorists' decision to choose/not choose homestay accommodation can be explained by their implicit self‐theories. Drawing on data solicited from in‐depth interviews with 44 travellers, we found entity theorists chose homestays because homestays align with their personal traits and offer outcomes they desired. Incremental theorists chose homestays since they perceived the act affirms their growth traits and homestays provide opportunities of learning about culture and gaining new skills. Besides the initial decision, consumers' implicit self‐theories are found to elicit some influence on their decision of choosing/not choosing homestays in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the implementation of lean practices in service operations of homestay establishments. The assessment is done in three ways – the assessment of lean knowledge, assessment of lean implementation, and assessment of community participation. Lean implementation includes four major constructs as waste elimination, transparency, quality management, and workforce empowerment & treatment. This paper uses a case study methodology and addresses five different establishments. Within case analysis, cross-case comparisons have been used as the techniques to analyze the data collected on the constructs and sub-constructs obtained from literature. The study has explored multiple scenarios of lean implementation with varying lean knowledge. It further observes three different practitioners of lean management as methodic, admirer, and sustained believer. The study has its implications for both researchers and managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using multi-ordered logit models dealing with influence factors on the homestay demands under collaborative consumption, and crawling the dataset of Airbnb listings from provincial cities or municipal cities in China, this paper concludes that the economic factor, the characteristics and locations of homestays are the fundamental factors. To be specific, the rental prices have significant negative effects on homestays demand in developed regions in China, while positive effects in underdeveloped areas. Meanwhile, the characteristics such as the count of bedrooms and types of homestays have significant impacts on the demand for homestays in most regions, and family-travelling is very popular in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives are exploring the impacts of geologic hazards on the construction of homestays, improving the safety of homestay buildings, guaranteeing the safety of tourists, and enhancing the disaster-resistance of homestays in scenery spots. The computer simulation system and Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology are employed to construct a geologic hazard prediction model for homestays. The model utilizes a time history method to establish a complete early-warning and monitoring system by learning the geologic disaster data. The detection of various geologic hazards has verified the effectiveness of the proposed model. The results show that the model can reduce the losses in the case of water accumulation and landslides during storms, and the BIM technology-based homestay buildings will suffer fewer losses. In the case of earthquakes, BIM technology-based homestay buildings have no noticeable shaking and displacement. Compared to traditional construction methods, the displacement is reduced by 49.15%. In the case of a spontaneous fire, the burning area of the BIM technology-based homestay building is only 270m2. The most severe factors affecting the construction of homestay buildings are earthquakes and landslide risks. The BIM technology generates 3D building planning; therefore, planners can fully understand the problems in the building. In the meantime, the multi-source monitoring data of multiple geologic hazards can be monitored and fed back, thereby improving the timeliness of early-warning of geologic hazards. The results are of considerable significance to the prevention of losses caused by geologic hazards, which can significantly improve the understanding of geologic hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In community-based medical education, opportunities for medical students to interact with local residents are important. To facilitate such interaction, we aimed to evaluate acceptance of a homestay program and attitude toward community medicine among medical students. Methods: The participants (n = 39) were allowed to stay in the local homes of residents for one night in August 2016, 2017, and 2018. Before and after the homestays, the students responded to a self-reported questionnaire using the visual analog scale (VAS; 0–100 mm). The questionnaire included four questions on homestay/community medical training and community medicine and four questions about attitude toward community medicine in the local areas of medical students. Then, we compared the VAS scores before and after training. Results: The VAS scores for all questions about homestay/community medical training and community medicine significantly increased: "Is it worthwhile for you to have experience in the field of community medicine," "Did you find the homestay enjoyable," "Does the homestay add educational significance to the program," and "Is direct interaction with residents meaningful?" For the two questions about attitude toward community medicine, the VAS scores significantly increased: "Is there a challenge to practicing community medicine" and "In the future, do you want to work in Tamba area where you stayed?" Conclusions: The medical students were extremely enthusiastic about the educational program for community medicine involving residential homestays, which improved their attitudes toward practicing community medicine. Moreover, the students appreciated that their training sites could become their future workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homestay is one of the approaches often sought in developing rural tourism. In developing homestays, many scholars reveal that a community-based tourism approach is an effective and successful way of leveraging entrepreneurs as well as homestay community. On another note, scholars suggest the cooperative approach is a successful means for homestay development. In fact, parts of the successful homestays which have achieved the Asean Homestay Standard are the homestays operated through cooperatives. However, how this approach is implemented is scarcely researched. This paper aims to uncover the mechanism on how cooperatives develop homestay programs and how they can sustain acceptance of members of the community. This study is based on the in-depth research and a survey of 122 cooperative members in three homestays, which have won the Asean Homestay Standard in Negeri Sembilan comprising the Pachitan Homestay, Lonek Homestay and Rawa Homestay. The findings reveal a cooperative approach that benefits the community in facilitating homestay development. The co-operatives and communities have embraced the cooperative approach well because its management is two-way, engaging and add values, homestay as a business. Members and communities are involved not only in the planning, development and implementation stages, but also in the assessment of their performance. Emphasis on the governance, business, promotion and evaluation as well as human capital development has made a difference for members and the community. This cooperative approach not only uplifts the hopes of members and the community, but also empowers them and proves that homestay is a successful community-based tourism development model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main economic issues faced by the registered Malaysian homestay program are the issues of competition from unregistered homestays, local community employment and the tourism multiplier effect of homestays. This research investigates the relationship between destination competitiveness, employment and multiplier effect and homestay sustainability from the homestay owners' perspective. The objective of this study is to measure homestay sustainability using destination competitiveness, employment, and the multiplier effect. Survey questionnaires were given to the 254 homestay owners using cluster sampling method. To analyze the data, Partial Least Square (PLS) approach to Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used. The findings of this study confirm the significant relationships between destination competitiveness and multiplier effect with homestay sustainability. The most important finding is that the homestay owner confirms that the unregistered homestays are not a threat to the competitiveness of the registered homestay program. Secondly, registered homestays do have the multiplier effect and provide a steady financial overflow to the homeowners' and the other stakeholders within the local community. The findings also suggest no significant relationship between employment and homestay sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous improvement of people’s living standards, tourism, especially the accommodation industry, is developing rapidly. As an important part of non-standard accommodation industry, it has developed rapidly in recent years, especially by the consumption of the new youth generation. Consumer buying behaviour is an important factor affecting the development of the house. This paper studies the status of Xi tang’s residential development from the angle of “consumption purchase behaviour” and passes the local residence to Xi tang. On the basis of the current status of the development of Xi tang’s residence and the theory of consumer purchase behaviour, the residents’ motivation of accommodation is investigated, including the adjustment of pressure and relaxation for most tourists to choose the consumption motivation of the Xitang lodging. From the aspects of relevant policies, service quality and living environment, the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this research encompass an investigative study on the alternative tourism concepts, issues and management in Thailand. The research examines the participative process of local community in home-stay tourism management, the obstacles and factors contributing to the management problems alleviation, the host's perception and awareness of tourism impacts on social, economic, cultural and environment dimensions. Attempts have been made to analyze related issues, i.e. visitors' motivation, travel patterns and decision making procedure. In addition, sustainability in managing home-stay tourism has been taken into consideration and discussed. The roles and responsibility of the tourism stakeholders, i.e., government, private sectors, the visitors, especially the local community are also covered. The research methodology employed includes an overview of a current tourism policy and planning of Samut Songkram province, visitor attitude survey, participative observation, content analysis of in-depth interview and focus group to accomplish a triangulation approach. Questionnaires were randomly distributed to 400 visitors at Plai Pong Pang Home-stay to find out the effectiveness of alternative tourism management. The research findings revealed that despite the positive attitude of visitors to Plai Pong Pang Home-stay, conflict of interests among the local community does exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alternative definition of tourism as an act of "gathering, building, dwelling, and learning" (Phipps, 2007) was enacted in a homestay program of Sariaya, a municipality in southern Luzon in the Philippines. The hosts, the student butlers or guides, and the tourism council contributed to the visitors' being able to "gather" sensory perceptions of Sariaya; "build," make sense, and understand these sensory perceptions enough to "dwell" and be part of the "visited" community from where "learning" and sweet memories of the municipality have become part of their personhood. More than photographs, these shared memories will probably be part of the discourse of tourism students. For a homestay program to be sustainable, however, the following must be done: change the paradigm among homestay participants by arriving at competitive pricing strategies, establish standardized pricing and more efficient homestay services, discover the potential of storytelling as a feature of homestay, address the issue of privacy among homeowners, and establish an acceptable return for participating in the homestay program. The last point is important because sustainability of the project is dependent not only on the fulfillment of sociocultural objectives but also on economic and financial objectives. Likewise, sustainability can be realized if there is a close coordination among the stakeholders, namely, the Sariaya Tourism Council, the local government, the academe, local businessmen, nongovernmental organizations, and national tourism offices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the motivations of international tourists for choosing homestay in Kumasi, Ghana. It says that an interview with the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has showed that homestay has been supported by international tourists. It states that international tourists have been given questionnaires, in which they have included their motivations for selecting homestay, which were evaluated through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software.