An Examination of Rural Homestay Operations through the Lens of the Sustainable Livelihood Framework: A Case Study of Phou Khao Khouay National Park Community-Based Tourism (PKK NP CBT), Lao PDR

In many developing countries, Community-Based Tourism (CBT) is regarded as a sustainable tourism development tool as well as a catalyst for rural community development through the involvement of local people and the improvement of the standard of living. To extend the involvement of the local community in CBT, homestay tourism is a form of operation unit and its concept aims to facilitate individual household social-cultural and economic benefit from CBT directly. Although homestays are widely regarded as providing better livelihoods directly to the homestay operators, it is not clear to what extent homestay operations actually contribute to the sustainable livelihood of homestay operators when considering the wider livelihood implications. This research seeks to explore this gap by analysing homestay operators through the lens of Sustainable Livelihood theory (Scoones, 1998). This research adopts a post-positivist paradigm with qualitative methodology. Taking a case study approach, semi-structured interviews and observations were employed to collect primary data from community leaders, heads and deputy heads of the tourist guides, and homestay operators themselves. Results of the study found that although homestay tourism was initially established by the government. The study also found the main characteristics of the homestay operation are in a small size with a limitation of bedrooms, and a few family members involved in hosting tourists, which are husband, wife, and an adult child. All of these people are unpaid labour but receive benefits from the sharing of food and shelter. The study also uncovered that cash-based income, gender empowerment enhancement, and environmental enhancement were the positive impacts of homestay tourism on the livelihoods of the homestay operators, and these positive livelihood outcomes were in line with the original sustainable livelihood framework. In addition, cultural revitalisation was found as an emerged indicator of the sustainable livelihood outcomes, which was used to extend the revised framework. However, the study discovered that opportunity costs, culture shock, and conflict with villagers were negative implications affecting sustainable livelihood outcomes of the homestay operators. The revised Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF) suggests that if these negative implications are mitigated, the overall livelihood outcomes will be even greater. The results of this study are expected to provide a deeper understanding of how the impacts of homestay tourism on the sustainable livelihood of the homestay operators.