Perception of homestay owners towards the homestay scheme in Uttarakhand Garhwal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64171/JSRD.5.S1.15-21Keywords:
Homestay tourism, Stakeholder perceptions, Tourism policy support, Local economic development, Cultural exchange, Uttarakhand GarhwalAbstract
The research focuses on the opinions of homestay participants registered with the State Homestay Scheme in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. It focuses on key aspects of homestay operations, including financial benefits, government support, cultural exchange, marketing support, and prevailing sentiments. Understanding stakeholders’ perspectives is crucial to developing and implementing effective homestay tourism policies in hilly regions such as Garhwal. Due to geographic challenges, poor connectivity, lack of awareness, and time constraints, a questionnaire was distributed randomly to 300 homestay stakeholders, and 116 responded. Utilising Jamovi statistical software, this quantitative study analysed data from 90 stakeholders after removing some outlier findings. To perceive the connections between homestay stakeholder perceptions on the scheme, we applied statistical tools, specifically descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression. The results show that stakeholders’ understandings of the scheme are generally positive, and marketing support is considered to have the most significant impact on the overall perception of stakeholders. Regression analysis revealed that marketing support is the only statistically significant predictor that strongly influences stakeholders’ perception. The cultural exchange dimension was acknowledged but did not significantly influence overall perception. This study recommends improving marketing infrastructure, increasing government participation in outcomes, and promoting cultural aspects to enhance the sustainability and success of the homestay sector. This study provides quantitative evidence for the limited research present on homestay tourism in Garhwal and offers data-driven insights for policymakers and stakeholders.
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