Learning and Capacity Development Practices of Community Homestay Operators in Nepal: An Ethnographic Study

Abstract

Homestay has been an important local culture-focused, community-based tourism enterprise in Nepal, covering almost all the districts of Nepal. However, Nepali homestay operators' capacity-building processes and learning practices are less known, acutely explored and nominally discussed, and limited empirical knowledge is available in educational and tourism-focused literature in Nepal. This study, with an ethnographic case from one of the homestay destinations ("Mahabharat Hills") in Bagmati Province, Central Nepal, examined the learning practices of community homestay operators from three perspectives: a) How were they motivated to initiate cultural homestay and how do they feel about the homestay enterprising at present? b) What is traditionally learned and taught through different event-based interventions, and how does the overall learning happen in homestay teaching-learning and capacity development processes? And c) What were the key challenges faced and experienced by the community homestay operators, primarily the women operators? The qualitative exploration, with an interpretive paradigm, was focused on how "experiential learning theory" and the "capability approach-based principles" have worked in such learning and capacity enhancement processes and actions. For this, based on a prolonged stay (more than twelve weeks), the researcher primarily observed the daily social worlds of seven homestay operators in the study area. Bhalakusari, a way of conversation, along with other important tools of ethnography, was used. Field data were synthesized, highlighted the key information, categorized and analyzed, and accordingly, their meaning-taking and making process was adopted by aligning with appropriate themes/issues. The study revealed that the homestay operators of the study area were motivated and supported by the projects and programs organized by various types of organizations. The support continued through small grants, orientation workshops, exposure visits, social mobilization, and technical and managerial skills development. They were attracted to homestay enterprises to earn additional income and learn many things, such as social contexts, cultural values, environmental concerns, and educational practices. They got opportunities to refine their traditional knowledge and skills; they also gained new knowledge, ideas, and skills through peer-learning practices in their groups and networks as an actual form of Community of Practice (CoP). They also learnt from the guests (tourists), as well as from their kids. Similarly, increasing information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the area have gradually been occupying spaces as an alternative approach to self and facilitated learning and information-sharing activities. Lately, reduced levels of facilitation from different organizations, as well as limited promotional and marketing activities, have challenged the smooth running of community homestays in the area. Instead, "hometels" (more commercialized homestays) are growing. Thus, the research implies that the revitalization of community mobilization, more marketing activities, and local tradition and experience-based learning and capacity-building practices can be practical approaches to enhance homestay operators' overall capability for reviving authentic cultural homestays in the area. Equally, caring for local language, culture, tradition, environment, gender and inclusion issues, and enhanced intergenerational linkages can help revive the homestays of the site. In this vein, developing local technical facilitators through a community learning center (CLC) approach can be an alternative way to continuously enhance culturally-sensitive learning-facilitative processes in the area. More research on homestay's overall impacts, equity issues in learning and benefits-sharing, etc., are some of the important areas indicated by this exploratory study.