Title: Future Possibilities For Home Stay Tourism For Students
Through Online Tourist Communities
Author (s) :
Abstract
We have initiated a research on section of students, who are interested in going abroad for
studies. Selection of country for studies involves important decisions. As like, source of tuition
fee, type of accommodation, food facilities, recreation facilities, safety and security. Among all
these decisions we found accommodation as crucial decision because of reasons like:
1. The type and quality of food is much associated with the type of accommodation.
2. The mutual interaction among the residents and social environment of living place.
3. Safety and security are directly influenced by accommodation.
4. The charges or fee for relative accommodation.
5. The means of recreational activities could be vary from one to another accommodation.
6. The level of control or check on the students could be varying in different types of
accommodations.
A student can stay in the hostels, lodges, with friends or relatives or in home stays. Good
number of Students is attracted towards home stay.
Home Stay tourism is a deal between the host and the guest. The deal may include only
accommodation or accommodation with meals. Host is the owner of the house or property,
who invites people to stay in his house for a specific duration at specific charges. The guest and
host have to fix the conditions terms in advance. With the acceptance of home stay tourism
various nations formulated the rules and policies. These benchmarks will help the guests to
indentify the appropriate host. Even though websites has provided information, but
authenticity disappoints students.
Online social communities has immersed as a new global source of information, which facilitate
people to share updated and authentic information. IgoUgo, VirtualTourist, TrackShare are
some of the famous online tourist’s community websites, which enable tourists to share their
own experiences and feelings. Tourists can give tips & destination’s review with photographs.
Trust and helping attitude are active motivation for information exchange among members.
Our attempts are to find the position of online tourist’s communities as source of information
for home stay deals, tips and reviews for students.
Methodology: it includes in-depth questionnaire survey with 200 students. All students are
from various department of Pondicherry University. We had developed software to mark the
opinions of students. The questions will enquire about respondent’s demographic profile and
their opinions about various features of home stay deals offered through online tourist
communities
