Ecotourism for wildlife conservation and sustainable livelihood via community-based homestay: a formula to success or a quagmire?

Community-based tourism (CBT) is a popular approach to tourism development in developing countries. Community-based homestays are a form of CBT initiative that involves tourists staying with host families to experience local socio-cultural and natural resources. This study examined a community-based homestay in the buffer zone community of Bardia National Park (BNP), Nepal. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with homestay owners to understand their perceptions of the homestay programme. The interviews were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The findings reveal positive contributions from the homestay but with ongoing issues. Detailed findings and their policy implications on community-based homestays are further discussed.