The Analysis of Research Studies on Homestay in Thailand: Guidelines for Promoting Local Soft Power and Experience-based Tourism

Abstract

The objectives of this research were 1) to explore research studies related to homestays in Thailand, categorized into different groups; 2) to analyze tourism activities of homestays that have the potential to attract foreign tourists (soft power); and 3) to analyze tourism activities of homestays related to experience-based tourism. This research examined documentary studies on homestays in Thailand over the past 10 years from the TCI database and Google Scholar, using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage, along with content analysis to analyze the data.

The research findings revealed that 1) the Central region was the most popular area where studies on homestays were conducted, while qualitative methods were the most popular research approach, and the most commonly studied topic was the management and operations of homestays. 2) The tourism activities of homestays that have the potential to attract foreign tourists (light soft power) can be divided into five activities: a) activities related to Thai/local food, b) activities related to religion, c) activities related to Thai traditions and culture, d) activities related to traditional Thai massage, and e) dressing in local/Thai clothing. 3) The tourism activities of homestays related to experiential-based tourism can be categorized into six forms: a) experiential tourism focused on food, b) experiential tourism focused on culture, c) experiential tourism focused on religion, d) experiential tourism focused on health, e) experiential tourism focused on agricultural lifestyles, and f) experiential tourism focused on nature. These research findings will benefit relevant agencies in developing and promoting homestay tourism in Thailand.