THE RISE OF THE SHARING ECONOMY: WILL IT AFFECT MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CULTURE HOMESTAY SUSTAINABILITY IN SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Could the sharing economy become a victim of its own success? “Sharing economy†services like Airbnb are convenient for the people who use them, but they can also have deleterious effects on the communities they operate in and spurring us to ask question about can we really condone uncertified homestay practices without harming practitioners who are certified homestay by Ministry of Tourism and Culture? Many studies done on homestay programme in Malaysia focused on measuring satisfaction level of tourists with regards to the services provided by homestay operators and sustainable rural tourism development from the perspective of local community. Study is rarely done on the supply side perspective which can guide tourism authorities and relevant government agencies in coming-up with better policies. Uncertified homestay practices are a long-standing issue because many complaints had been lodged against illegal service apartment providers. These uncertified homestay practitioners used the brand of ‘homestay’, projecting a false image of a true homestay experience to tourists. Increase in demand for homestay accommodation and greater government investment for tourism development, especially in rural tourism development, justify the needs to explore the issues of the mushrooming of uncertified homestays and the impacts caused by them. The question on how serious uncertified homestays will affect sustainability of certified homestays is a big concern. This study is exploratory in nature, using snowballing technique of collecting data. A qualitative approach was applied whereby in-depth interviews on respondents included officers from governing authorities, like MOTAC and local government, uncertified and certified homestay practitioners in Selangor, Malaysia. Hence, this study offers rich data which can improve existing guidelines on homestay business for authorities particularly MOTAC and local authorities who give out licenses for homestay businesses.