The Functional Evolution of Rural Homestays of the Hometown Entrepreneurship Type: From Accommodation Space to Tourism Experience Space—Take Guizhou Province in China as an Example

Abstract

The article adopts the "grounded theory" of qualitative research method, and selects rural homestay operators in Zunyi and Danzhai, Guizhou as the interviewees to investigate their business management philosophy and management behavior as the core elements. Based on the data obtained, three data processing steps, open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, were used to refine key propositions, so as to construct a functional evolution model of rural homestays of the hometown entrepreneurship type. The conclusions show that the main functions of the hometown entrepreneurial rural homestays have a tendency to evolve from tourist accommodation space to tourism experience space, and most operators have perceived this change and made business response behaviors that can adapt to its evolution. In order to adapt to the upgrading of tourists' consumption in rural homestays, the functions of hometown entrepreneurial rural homestays should be continuously expanded through management. Therefore, the article proposes corresponding management countermeasures and suggestions from both the government and operators for the evolution of the functions of hometown entrepreneurial rural homestays.