The impact of homestay attributes and mediating role of tourist satisfaction on tourist motivation to revisit homestay in Kuching, Sarawak: the perspectives of local and foreign tourist / Bernard Stephen Jussem

Homestay programme is the alternative form of tourism product that significantly contributes to the economic growth in Malaysia. The ability of homestay business to success are highly dependent to tourist satisfaction and motivation for them to revisit the homestay. However, Malaysian homestays are not entirely competitive and unable to attract more foreign and local visitors to visit their homestay despite of increasing number of homestays. The major issue of declining homestay receipt in Sarawak is due to the poor quality of homestay service. The key factors that affecting the tourist satisfaction and their motivation to revisit are the homestay attributes such as accessibility, accommodation, amenities, tourist attraction, tourist activities, and food and meal. Therefore, this descriptive research aims to examine the impact of homestay attributes and mediating role of tourist satisfaction on tourist motivation to revisit homestay in Kuching, Sarawak from the perspectives of local and foreign tourist. The quantitative research through a valid and reliable self-administered survey questionnaire was conducted on 269 local visitors and 206 foreign visitors at four Kuching homestays located at Kampung Krokong Bau, Kampung Pueh Sematan, Kampung Annah Rais Padawan, and Kampung Santubong Kuching. The collected data were computed and analysed through SPSS 25 and SmartPLS. Only homestay attributes of tourist attraction, and food and meal are found to have significant relationship with tourist satisfaction. While, homestay attributes of amenities, and food and meal are found to have significant relationship with tourist motivation to revisit. The study proved that there is a significant relationship between tourist satisfaction and tourist motivation to revisit. It also proved that tourist satisfaction mediates the relationship between homestay attributes of tourist attraction, and food and meal on tourist motivation to revisit. The findings indicated that homestay attributes in Kuching, Sarawak need to be improved. Given the significant relationship of tourist attraction, amenities, and food and meal, as an index of tourist satisfaction and motivation to revisit, it is necessary that these homestay attributes to be improved. The limitation of this study is this data could not be generalised to the homestays across the Sarawak since this study covered only four homestays in Kuching, Sarawak. This study recommends that the homestay owners and operators to improve tourist attraction by beautifying their homestay according to a certain theme that represent the uniqueness of the homestay location, improving amenities by take extra care in maintaining the condition of their homestay, and keeping food preparation clean and hygienic as well offering the tourist the traditional local delicacies. The potential future research direction that could be done to improve this study is to expand the scope of the study by involving all homestays in Sarawak and for the next core step to include the whole Malaysian homestays. The implication of this study to the state government is to provide an understanding on the tourist expectation on the homestay and offers solutions to improve homestay service in Kuching, Sarawak.