Exploring Guests’ Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction with Homestay Experiences: A Netnographic Study of a Rural Tourism Destination in Vietnam

Figures & data

Figure 1. Tourist map of Ben Tre province.

(Sources: Esri, USGS, NOAA)

Figure 2. A snapshot of a homestay in Ben Tre province on Booking.com, displaying the overall rating score and tourists’ opinions.

Figure 3. Top five homestays in Ben Tre province.

Table 1. Homestays in Ben Tre selected for analysis.

Name of homestay	Overall rating (1)	Total reviews (2)	Room rate (3) USD (1$ = 24,000 VND)
Mekong Home	9.7	185	$66
Charming Countryside	9.6	33	$50
Quốc Phương	9.4	237	$20
Nguyệt Quế	9.3	127	$17.5
Phúc Sinh	9.3	74	$27.71

1. Updated overall review scores as of June 2023 on Booking.com.

2. Number of reviews received by homestays from June 2022 to June 2023.

3. Room rates for one night for two people, including breakfast, as of July 2023 on Booking.com.

Table 2. Nationalities of tourists staying at the homestays.

Homestay	Europe	Asia	Americas	Oceania	Africa	Unknown Nationality
Mekong Home	144	22	9	10	0	0
Charming Countryside	23	7	1	2	0	0
Quốc Phương	176	38	15	7	0	1
Nguyệt Quế	47	14	9	2	2	0
Phúc Sinh	92	30	3	2	0	0
Total	482	111	37	23	2	1

Table 3. Main categories and sub-categories with related content.

Main categories	Subcategory
Host	Attitude and hospitality of the host family
	Ability to communicate in foreign languages
Facilities	Furniture in the bedroom and essential amenities
	External facilities such as flower garden, swimming pool, relaxation area
Cuisine	Food and drink provided at the homestay
Location	Geographical location of the homestay
	Surrounding landscape
Other services	Cooking course
	Sightseeing tour by boat, bike, or motorcycle
	Massage
	Bicycle, motorcycle rental
Price	Room rates
	Food and drink
	Sightseeing service

Table 4. Main categories contributing to satisfaction with the homestay experience.

Homestay	Host	Facilities	Cuisine	Location	Other services	Price
Mekong Home	140	121	116	76	88	1
Charming Countryside	25	8	19	10	11	1
Quốc Phương	146	106	91	116	99	17
Nguyệt Quế	51	37	40	22	25	1
Phúc Sinh	75	43	42	33	30	9
Total	436	316	308	257	253	29

Table 5. Main categories contributing to dissatisfaction with the homestay experience.

Homestay	Place				Facilities	Price	Other Services	Cuisine	Host
	Insects and vermin	Noise	Rural location	Pollution
Mekong Home	4	9	8	3	15	11	1	1	0
Charming Countryside	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	0
Quốc Phương	15	6	9	3	20	1	8	4	0
Nguyệt Quế	0	3	1	0	11	2	0	0	0
Phúc Sinh	2	18	9	0	6	2	4	2	1
Total	21	36	28	6	54	16	13	7	1
	91