Understanding Guests Satisfaction in Negeri Sembilan Homestays: The Role of Attributes

The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of perceived value on guests’ satisfaction with homestays in Negeri Sembilan. The study aims to establish the relationship between perceived value and key factors such as host provider, price, and establishment quality. Conducted in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, researchers adopted a quantitative approach in a non-contrived setting, surveying a sample of 416 respondents who completed the questionnaires. The sampling process was non-random. To analyze the data for this study, researchers employed frequency analysis, descriptive analysis, and correlation analysis. Theory used to underpin for this study adopted from the push and pull factors theory. The study's results revealed a significantly positive relationship between the independent variables (host provider, price, and establishment quality) and the dependent variable (guests’ satisfaction). This highlights the importance of factors influencing guests’ satisfaction with homestays. As such, the findings offer valuable guidance for homestay managers in devising effective strategies to attract more tourists to Negeri Sembilan homestays.


Introduction
Malaysia is widely recognized for its manufacturing industry; however, in recent times, the country has shifted its focus towards the flourishing tourism sector.Tourism has become the second-largest contributor to foreign exchange earnings for Malaysia.According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Malaysia was ranked 15th in terms of tourist arrivals in 2017, with a total of 25.9 million visitors.Additionally, the country secured the 24th position in terms of tourist receipts, reaching a substantial figure of USD 18.352 billion.The tourism sector now stands as a pivotal contributor to Malaysia's economy.One noteworthy facet of Malaysia's tourism landscape is the concept of 'homestays,' which allows tourists to delve into the country's rich culture and experience the daily lives of Vol 13, Issue 10, (2023) E-ISSN: 2222-6990

Literature Review Homestay
Homestay considers as a lodging system and rising economic activity in the tourism industry.It has been gaining the attraction of tourists who expect to interact and link with the host culture, lifestyle, social system, and especially community.The definition of the home-stay concept always depends on the situations and conditions of each country involved with it.The concept of homestay is not new; however, the term refers to a type of accommodation where guests pay directly or indirectly to stay in private (commercial) homes where interaction takes place to a greater or lesser degree with a host and/or family (Lynch, 2003).Generally, the homestay concept is a type of accommodation or a certain type of lodging facility where tourists have chance to stay and live with the host family where visitors have great opportunity to observe and experience the daily life of that family.it clarifies that the modern tourists consider homestay as an alternative lodging experience to the normal chain hotels due to its capability in creating a short relaxing break in a homelike atmosphere allowing them to experience host culture and pristine nature in more authentic way.(M.Yasami, K. Awang, K. Teoh, 2017) At the beginning of the homestay concept, it was identified as an alternative place where people selected to spend their vacation.It started in late 1970's Europe.Most homestays are in rural or semi-rural areas where the demand for accommodation services might not justify the construction and maintenance of dedicated hotels.(S.Rasoolimanesh, Norziani Dahalan, Mastura Jaafar, 2016).
Different countries have given different meanings for the home-stay concept (Yong, 2004).In Australia, the homestay concept interpreting as lodging for international academic students.It further explained that students from other countries can accommodate a local family until they graduate, and it is an ideal setting for the foreign students to expose to the local culture and language from within the intimate and safe family surrounding.It is very much clear that different countries have given different definitions for the home-stay concept, but the given experience is the same.

Guest satisfaction
Satisfaction can be defined as 'a judgment that a product, or service feature, or the product or service itself, provides a pleasurable level of consumption -related fulfilment, including levels of under or over fulfilment.Besides, satisfaction in the tourism context means that satisfaction is specifically referred to as a function of pre-travel expectations and post-travel experience.Besides, it is also identified as the component that influences the satisfaction experienced by the tourist and the tourist's sense that consumption provides outcomes against expectations and a standard of pleasure versus displeasure.The primary purpose of measuring and explaining customer satisfaction is to understand how well suppliers at a particular destination recognize and respond to the needs of its visitors, and to identify which elements of the destination's offer need improvement.Indeed, tourists' comments, complaints and suggestions are an invaluable source of ideas for improvements and innovations.(NK Aliman, SM Hashim, SDM Wahid, S Harudin, 2016).The key objective of measuring and explaining customer satisfaction is to understand how successfully providers at a specific destination recognise and respond to the demands of its customers.This will lead to positive feedback and thru word of mouth from one traveller to another traveller, it gives impact to the good image of travel destination in Negeri Sembilan.Additionally, Lastly, Parasuraman et al., (1998) concluded that customers' satisfaction is led by perceived service quality and concluded that service quality is highly correlated with satisfaction and loyalty.

Host Provider
Homestay tourism emphasises on the ecotourism and community-based products and services, in which visitors stay with the foster families and get involved with the normal daily activities to experience the lifestyle and local culture (Ismail, M., Hanafiah, M., Aminuddin, N., & Mustafa, N. ,2016).The host homestays are being encouraged to operate by the local communities to strengthen their economy, hence it will meet the needs of the tourist expectations.In addition to the standards that tourists demand of the host provider, they also value friendliness in the way hosts treat guests and high levels of satisfaction.Agyeiwaah, E (2013), the guests eating, cooking, and engaging in many activities together with their adopted families, thus allowing two parties with different cultural backgrounds to interact and learn from each other.Due to this, people from various cultural origins have a unique chance to engage, interact, and mutually enrich one another's viewpoints in this atmosphere.In term of friendliness, through homestay, tourists share meals with their homestay operators and are treated as members of the family (Gu & Wong, 2006;Kayat, 2010;Richardson, 2004).For the host, homestay is a source of livelihood, providing income, employment, and longstanding friendship between host and guests Agyeiwaah, E. (2013).This tradition creates lasting connections between the hosts and the guests in addition to generate income and possibilities for employment.Matzler et al (2006), although the get and give components are conceptualized in terms of benefits and sacrifices, most studies use quality and monetary prices as components of value perceptions.In this study, the second dimension of perceived value is the price, which is identified in sub-categories know as a price promotion, local product available prices, and overall cost of stay.The price promotion is the homestay package.As guests when visiting the destination, they frequently purchase domestic produced goods such as herbal medication and handicrafts as souvenirs, and this give a significant impact to the homestay program as promoting the homestay for the local small-scale producers to produce their good at the destination.Through this program, tourists will enjoy a relatively cheap vacation that is different (Ismail et al., 2016).It is not only souvenirs from tourist destinations that can be brought home by the guests, but also memorable, and unique experiences are the best and cannot be forgotten by guests in memory.The cost of staying includes the price of accommodation, food and beverage, transportation, products, and overall cost of stay.If the price of staying increases, the satisfaction of tourists will decrease.'Buyers' perceptions of value represent a trade-off between the quality of benefits they perceive in the product relative to the sacrifice they perceive by paying the price', (Monroe, 1990).

Homestay attributes
Requirements stated in the Ministry guidelines for the establishment of the homestay such as safety and attractive packages can be included as important sustainable criteria for the homestay program.Quality, variety, reliability, comfort, safety, prices, accessibility, durability, and many more are perceived value.Other indicators that traditional guest houses should pay attention to include guesthouse ratings, which for many guests, is based on price promotions, guest house cleanliness, quality of room facilities, and café and restaurant facilities.Guest satisfaction and perceived value have much in common, since the quality of the service is evaluated by visitors according to factors such as comfort, friendliness, security, cleanliness, accommodation, transportation, and infrastructure.RQ 2: How does the establishment and price influence the guest satisfaction?RQ 3: Does the homestay attributes influence guest satisfaction to stay at a homestay?

Research Objectives (RO)
The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of homestay attributes and how does guest satisfaction influence the decision to stay at the homestay.This paper focuses on threefold objectives.RO 1: To assess the impact of host provider attributes on guest satisfaction and their decision to stay at a homestay.RO 2: To analyse the influence of establishment quality and pricing on guest satisfaction.RO 3: To examine the correlation between homestay attributes and guest satisfaction levels.

Statement of Hypothesis
H1: There is a relationship between host provider and guest satisfaction to stay at homestay in Negeri Sembilan.H2: There is a relationship between establishment quality and pricing in guest satisfaction.H3: There is a relationship between homestay attributes and guest satisfaction levels.

Methodology
The quantitative technique was chosen as the research design for this study.The study setting would be straightforward.A questionnaire comprising 30 questions, including demographic questions, was distributed to the respondents.Due to limited movement during Covid-19, 420 self-administered questionnaires were circulated via social media accounts for fifteen days, from March 1st to March 15th, 2021.During this study, most of the sample size was determined by the number of individuals in Negeri Sembilan.In this study, guests who want to visit the homestay or have previously been in a homestay were chosen as a sample.

Results and Discussion
Frequencies Analysis Frequency analysis will be used for demographic section and the information were generated into table of frequency and summarize by using chart to be easy concise and easy to understand.Between RM500 to RM600 62 14.9 14.9 100.0Total 416 100.0 100.0Most of our respondents willing to spent at homestay between RM100 to RM200 with 57.9% and 27.2% of our respondents willing to spend between RM300 to RM400 at the homestay.A minority spend with only 14.9% respondents willing to spend between RM500 to RM600 at the homestay.

Descriptive Analysis
The descriptive statistic was used to examine the guest's overall satisfaction of homestay attributes.The respondents' scores are presented in the table below.

Analysis of The Host Provider at Homestay Negeri Sembilan
This section will highlight the respondents' evaluation towards host provider.Six items were used in the questionnaire that reflect to the host provider sub dimension such as friendliness, reliability of information provided, quickness of correcting problems, politeness, and responsiveness.The result shown in the table below.The outcome of the host provider at homestay Negeri Sembilan is seen in table 4.3.1.Overall, most respondents only moderately agree with all the highlighted items.This is shown by the variation of mean score rates, which ranges from 3.90 to 4.01.Based on the results, it can be concluded that the homestay in Negeri Sembilan fulfilled the respondent in terms of host provider at the homestay.According to the table, the most significant aspect is item number 4, "the host was responding quickly to the tourist dissatisfaction" with a mean score of 4.01 (SD=0.984).This is consistent with item number 3, "the host treated tourist with politeness" which received a mean score of 3.96 (SD=0.984).According to the results, most respondents believe that the pace at which the problem is resolved contributes to tourist dissatisfaction.It can be concluded that the host's behaviour in dealing with tourist dissatisfaction play a significant role in guest satisfaction with the homestay.Furthermore, the statement from item number 5 "host tried to help me as best as he/she can" earned a mean score of 3.95 (SD=0.985),followed by item number 2 "the host provide information accurately" with a mean score of 3.95 (SD=1.014).As a result, it can be concluded that tourists need correct details on a homestay as well as a host who would be attentive to the tourists present.

Analysis of The Price
This section will highlight the respondents' evaluation towards the price at the homestay.Six items were used in the questionnaire that reflect to the price sub dimension such as price accordance with perception, worth for money and price promotion.The outcome of the price at the homestay is seen in table 4.3.1.Overall, most respondents only moderately agree with all of the highlighted items.This is shown by the variation of mean score rates, which ranges from 3.68 to 4.01.Based on the results, it can be concluded that the homestay was fulfilled the respondents in term of the price offered at the homestay in Negeri Sembilan.
According to the table, the most significant aspect is item number 5, "The price of the homestay was fairly priced with the service and product offered" with a mean score of 4.01 (SD=0.969).This is consistent with item number 4, "Guest satisfaction is affected positively by price fairness" which received a mean score of 3.95 (SD=0.922).According to the results, most respondents believe that the fairness of price offered on the services and product was affect positively on guest satisfaction to stay at homestay.Furthermore, the statement from item number 2 "Paid less than what tourist planned for staying at homestay" earned a mean score of 3.80 (SD=1.056),followed by item number 3 "The homestay package at Negeri Sembilan was reasonable priced" with a mean score of 3.80 (SD=1.056).As a result, it can be concluded that tourists preferred to be paid less than what they decide for staying at homestay with the reasonable priced on the homestay package.In contrast, the homestay with a great value for money, can attract the tourist to stay at homestay and fulfil their satisfaction during vacation.

Analysis of Homestay Attributes
This section will highlight the respondents' evaluation towards the environment.Six items were used in the questionnaire that reflect to the environment sub dimension such as Safety security, environment, cleanliness, comfort of the place and space.The result shown in the table below.The outcome of the establishment at the homestay is seen in table 4.3.1.Overall, most respondents only moderately agree with all of the highlighted items.This is shown by the variation of mean score rates, which ranges from 3.65 to 4.04.Based on the results, it can be concluded that the homestay was fulfilled the respondents in term of the cleanliness, safety and the environment offered at the homestay in Negeri Sembilan.
According to the table, the most significant aspect is item number 5, "tourists feel safe when staying at the homestay" with a mean score of 4.04 (SD= 0.971).This is consistent with item number 6, "the sign and procedures on safety protection were spotted at the homestay" which received a mean score of 3.95 (SD=0.922).According to the results, it can be indicated that the homestay in Negeri Sembilan had been preserve and enhance the beautiful environment.Further, the homestay really safe to stay in due to safety and security such as the provided briefing on safety aspects prior to taking part in any related activity and leaflets on safety guidelines and tips to assurance that their safety is guaranteed.Furthermore, the statement from item number 1 "the homestay surrounding was quiet and peaceful" earned a mean score of 3.95 (SD=1.030),followed by item number 4 "the homestay was comfortable and restful" with a mean score of 3.95 (SD=0.969).As a result, it can be concluded that the environment and the comfortable of the homestay provided is one of the essential factors influence the tourist loyalty.Thus, it makes sense to offer the best possible experience and create the most comforting and clean environment possible.

Analysis of the Guest Satisfaction
This section will highlight the respondents' evaluation towards the guest satisfaction.Five items were used in the questionnaire that reflect to the guest satisfaction.The result shown in the table below.Overall, I was pleased with the homestay.416 4.00 0.953 The outcome of the establishment at the homestay is seen in table 4.3.1.Overall, the majority of respondents only moderately agree with all of the highlighted items.This is shown by the variation of mean score rates, which ranges from 3.67 to 4.00.Based on the results, it can be concluded that the tourist satisfied with the hospitality, environment and the price offered of the homestay was significant toward guest satisfaction.
According to the table, the highest mean score is item number 4 "overall, I was pleased with the homestay" with the mean score 4.00 (SD=0.953)while the lowest mean is item number 1 "I am satisfied with the service provided by the host of the homestay" with the mean score 3.67 (SD=1.310).The result shows that, the tourist truly satisfy with the homestay in Negeri Sembilan.

Correlation Analysis
Pearson Correlation was used to test hypotheses and to determine the strength of the association between independent variable and dependent variable.Satisfaction in the table below is the dependent variable and Host provider, price, and environment for independent variable.This test provides an indication of both the direction (positive or negative) and the strength of the relationship.A positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, so does the other.On the other hand, the negative correlation indicates that as one variable increase, the other decreases (Pallant, J, 2005).A perfect correlation of 1 or -1 indicates that the value of one variable can be determined exactly by knowing the value on the other variable.On the other hand, a correlation of 0 indicates no relationship between two variables.

Table 1.11 Pearson Correlation Analysis
Based on the result, a Pearson Correlation was run to assess the relation between Host provider and guest satisfaction.There was a positive correlation between the two-variable r = .986,n = 416, p = .000.The correlation is significant.Next, a Pearson correlation was run to assess the relation between Price and guest satisfaction.There was a positive correlation between the two-variable r =. 993, n = 416, p = .000.The correlation is significant.Lastly, a Pearson correlation was run to assess the relation between Establishment and guest satisfaction.There was a positive correlation between the two-variable.r =. 993, n = 416, p = .000.The correlation is significant.
Hypotheses Testing 1.There is a relationship between host provider and guest satisfaction to stay at homestay in Negeri Sembilan.The correlation was used to examine whether there is any relationship present between host provider and guest satisfactions.As shown in the table of correlation (table 4.3.9)r= .986 the impact at the 0.01 level shows host provider was statically significant to guest satisfaction.Thus, the alternat hypothesis is acceptable.

There is a relationship between price and guest satisfaction to stay at homestay in
Negeri Sembilan.The correlation was used to examine whether there is any relationship present between the price and guest satisfaction.As shown in the table of correlation (table 4.3.9)r= .993 the impact at the 0.01 level shows host provider was statically significant to guest satisfaction.Thus, the alternat hypothesis is acceptable.3.There is a relationship between establishment/environment and guest satisfaction to stay at Homestay in Negeri Sembilan.The correlation was used to examine whether there is any relationship present between the establishment/ environment and guest satisfactions.As shown in the table of correlation (table 4.3.9)r= .993 the impact at the 0.01 level shows host provider was statically significant to guest satisfaction.Thus, the alternat hypothesis is acceptable.

Conclusion
In concluded, understanding the purpose of perceived value toward guest satisfaction bring meaningful clues on developing homestay in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.The finding of the study indicate that tourists are overall satisfied with our independent variable which is perceived value (Host provider, establishment, Price) at the homestay in Negeri Sembilan.According to Ismail, M., Hanafiah, M., Aminuddin, N., & Mustafa, N. (2016)., majority of the homestay entrepreneurs failed to meet the requirements of consumers in a permanently changing competitive environment.For that reason, they should focus on the service quality that will influence the satisfaction, which, in turn, has an impact on a visitor's intention to repatronize.The statistical correlation analysis has shown that perceived value (Host provider, Price and Establishment) is statically positive influence the tourist's satisfaction to stay at homestay in Negeri Sembilan.Thus, it means with the high positive projection of the perceived value; it will be able to satisfaction and increase or maintain the business of homestay in any aspects and indirectly then, this perception will be able to maintain loyalty or existing and already brand exposed tourists.

Limitation of Study
Any study has drawbacks, so conduct this report.When we work to complete this research, we run into a few issues and limitations.The most pressing problem is a lack of time to complete the work; this analysis must be conducted in less than 10 weeks, and we are undertaking this analysis during the Covid-19 pandemic in our country.So, it was the biggest challenge for us at it prevent our team to interact face to face due to government (movement control order) procedure.There were some alternate methods to communicate such as video call, Microsoft team conference and WhatsApp call but those method meet with some problems as well such low internet connection, costly as it requires to pay the internet bills and others.Besides, we were (our team) unable to get other source material such as the journal.Research book and other raw materials.Basically, it gives us some challenges to collect our literature review as one of the important things that need to be done in research for us to widely understand and identify this topic.So, we were solely focused and relied on the online materials to refer for our project paper.Then, our team members also separate from each other as well all stay at different location which even further delays our direct conversation and discussion.According to the study's data collection process, data was gathered at a single point in time and not at several points in time.As a result, the outcome of this analysis was based on a onetime measurement from data collection.The independent variables and sub-dimensions selected can be a constraint since other sub-dimensions not included in this analysis may impact guest satisfaction.Furthermore, the study data was obtained only on homestays in Negeri Sembilan, limiting the generalizability of the research findings.

Recommendations 1. Homestay Host
The enhancement of the management's service level would affect guest satisfaction and will ensure tourist loyalty to the homestay in Negeri Sembilan.As a result, these findings have significant implications for homestay owners to draw more tourists by offering a decent service, increasing promotional and winning among the suggested strategies.They must also highlight the importance of continuous enhancement to meet the ever-increasing demands of tourists, both domestic and foreign.As a result, the coordinators of the homestay programme should take tourist perceived value into consideration as a powerful determinant of satisfaction.To make an overall positive impression among homestay guests, local authorities and the host of the homestay should consider the different dimensions of perceived value, including functional, emotional, and social value.From one perspective, it remains essential for individuals to acquire an all-encompassing comprehension of the surrounding ambiance of the accommodation, guaranteeing its attributes envelop elements of convenience, safety, openness, and tranquillity.Concurrently, the offered activities should be distinguished by their ability to offer enjoyment, while the demeanour of the host family should exemplify support and courtesy.Ultimately, the pricing framework should convey a distinct sense of rationality and equitability.The local community and homestay host families must strive to have fresh and unforgettable experiences for tourists while still developing positive connections and encounters with tourists.By implementing these measures, it can enhance the overall guest experience, thereby motivating tourists to revisit and recommend the homestay to their respective families.Consequently, homestay providers must prioritize a focus on the preferences and needs of guest's satisfaction in the homestay program.

Future researchers
There are few similar research studies have done in the past which have some relation regarding on the topic of homestay, however there is much lesser study has been conducted, which tried to investigate on the factor about guest satisfaction to stay at homestay.Given the study's geographical constraint to a specific Malaysian state, Negeri Sembilan, and its inherent limitation in assessing the perceived consumer value of tourism across diverse regions or the entire sub-sector, it is essential to conduct further analyses across different states, employing larger sample sizes.This extended research approach would enable a comprehensive exploration of how the perceived value of the homestay service evolves to successfully cater to tourists, ultimately exceeding their expectations.This research should be replicated in other accommodation types, to validate the model's overall reliability and validity and to generalise the results.Therefore, future studies must also complement the survey methods and broaden the reach of the survey subject, allowing for its practical use as well as more in-depth theoretical analysis and the advancement of new and improved models.Besides, future studies might look to focus on exploring the role of other variables such as emotional value and experiential value (activity, culture, or knowledge).

Figure 1 :
Figure 1: Understanding Guests Satisfaction in Negeri Sembilan Homestays: The Role of Attributes

Table 1 .
1: Frequency of Age From the output shown above, most of the respondent in the study are those less than 25 8% of the total respondents, followed by the group of age in 25 to 35 years old with 38.2% and 52 respondents aged 36 to 45 years old.A minority age with only 27 of the respondents are more than 46 years old.For purpose of visit, out of 416 respondents 55% of it is business trip.23.1% of it is vacation and followed by family gathering with 20.9%.only 1% of the respondents have other's purpose of visit.Table1.6Frequency of willingness to spend at homestay.
Table 1.3 Frequency of Race Chinese respondents are the dominant racial group in this study which represent 36.3%, followed by Malay respondents represent 34.9% and Indian respondents represent 27.4%.Only 1.4% of the respondents are Aboriginal.Table 1.4 Frequency of Marital Status More than half our respondents are single with a 52.6% out of 416 respondents.46.9% of them are married and only 5% of them are in others status such as divorce and complicated.

Table 1 .
7 The Numbers, Mean and Standard Deviation for the Host Provider The result shown in the table below.

Table 1 .
9 The Numbers, Mean and Standard Deviation for the Establishment

Table 1 .
10 The Numbers, Mean and Standard Deviation for the guest satisfaction.