| Author: | Kamisan, Bin Pusiran |
| Title: | Generation Y's perception and involvement in homestay programmes : a case study of Kampung Sarang Buaya, Muar, Johor, Malaysia |
| Advisors: | Xiao, Honggen (SHTM) |
| Degree: | DHTM |
| Year: | 2015 |
| Subject: | Tourism -- Malaysia Bed and breakfast accommodations -- Malaysia Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | School of Hotel and Tourism Management |
| Pages: | xiii, 251 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The homestay programme being one of the unique programmes that immerse the culture and way of life of Malaysian people, has become an iconic programme to promote Malaysia as a tourist destination. The programme, officially introduced in 1995, provides the opportunity for tourists to stay together with a host family and interact with the local community through various cultural programmes and activities. The Government of Malaysia has made much effort to establish the homestay programme through highlighting three objectives: (i) to generate income to local homestay operators/local communities in the rural areas, (ii) as a strategy to eradicate poverty in rural areas, and (iii) to promote Malaysia as a tourist destination by highlighting the culture of the Malaysian people. Homestays, which are normally located in the rural areas and countryside, have become the new mass tourism that attracts potential opportunity, and needs to be further explored. Many stakeholders are involved in the homestay programme as it is considered a cumulative effort in ensuring the viability of the programme. Although the local community is the main stakeholder in staging the homestay programme in their own village, the involvement of other stakeholders such as the government, rural development agencies, tour promoters, etc., also contributes to the programme's success in their own capacity. Despite the emphasis on the potential of homestays as a new rural tourism product, the issues of sustainability of the programme have been debated from various angles. Among the issues that have arisen is the involvement of Gen Y in the programme. Gen Y is expected to dominate the workforce in the near future since their numbers have been steadily increasing in recent years. Many studies have been conducted to analyze the effect of Gen Y in the workforce including the hospitality sector. Hence, the purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions and involvement of Gen Y for the sustainability of the homestay programme in Malaysia. This research adopted a case study approach and used a qualitative methodology to gather the data through in-depth interviews and participant observations. The data gathered from in-depth interviews with six stakeholders were analyzed with the aid of the QSR NVivo program. The results of the study indicated that generally all the stakeholders have a positive perception, and involvement of Gen Y in the homestay programme has been notable. However, the study also found some gaps and loopholes regarding the involvement of Gen Y in Homestay Kampung Sarang Buaya which can be further improved. Gen Y felt they have very limited voice in the operation of homestay programmes in regard to the planning, management, development and organization in the village site. Findings also revealed some issues related to Gen Y as well as issues related to the homestay programmes such as economic, socio-cultural and environmental benefits to the community. Theoretically, findings of the study on Gen Y's perception of homestay programmes lend support to the relevance of theories such as tourism area life cycle and social exchange in the case study site. This study had its limitations. Limited prior studies on Gen Y in a homestay programme have resulted in a lack of available literature to be reviewed as points of reference. Time and budget constraints prevented the researcher from spending more time in the study site. The gathering of information through personal observations was limited due to the declining number of tourist arrivals in the homestay area. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| b28329065.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 3.17 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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