“My Home Is My Castle”: Defiance of the commercial homestay host in tourism

Abstract

The intrinsic nature of small tourism business provision has rarely been captured in previous literature, but it has recently gained momentum within scholarly discourse exploring the role of the “home” in tourism and hospitality. This article contributes an examination of the commercial homestay host in New Zealand with a particular focus on the hosts’ personal relationship with their “commercial home.” The article reports the findings of in-depth interviews conducted with commercial homestay hosts in New Zealand. Findings allude to the tyranny of the homestay hosts in their tourism hosting role, their oppressive social need, self-marginalization, and distinctive identity—one that is notably defiant of other commercial hospitality and tourism business norms. In contrast, previous studies rarely showcase the personal perspectives, conscious defiance, or marginalization of commercial hospitality provision. Consequences for understanding the tourism and hospitality phenomenon of commercial home hosting are thus discussed.