Promoting Rural Tourism through Social-Media and Digital Entrepreneurship: Insights from Homestays Operators of Sikkim
Keywords:
social media adoption; rural homestays; opportunities; challenges; tourism promotion.
Abstract
In today’s digital age, social media can transform small rural businesses into globally visible enterprises. This study explored the adoption, perceived opportunities, and challenges of social media use among rural homestay operators in Sikkim, India. A qualitative research design was employed, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 homestay operators across all districts of Sikkim and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that social media adoption was highly strategic and uneven, with WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram being the most frequently used platforms by the participants. Operators strategically use WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram to promote homestays, build trust, and engage with guests, with video content being the most effective medium. However, adoption is limited by infrastructural constraints, digital skill gaps, operational time pressures, and exposure to online risks. This study contributes to the understanding of digital entrepreneurship in rural tourism and offers practical guidance for improving social media adoption by small-scale operators. The findings also provide policymakers with evidence to design targeted interventions for infrastructure development and capacity-building programs.
References
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Siti-Nabiha, A. K., Nordin, N., & Poh, B. K. (2021). Social media usage in business decision-making: the case of Malaysian small hospitality organisations. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 13(2), 272–289. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-08-2020-0276
Thakur, S., Sood, S., Singh, R. K., & Singh, R. (2024). Status of homestay tourism in Indian Himalayan region: Analysis of customer review and policy support for sustainable tourism. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 24(4), 588–601. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584231170578/FORMAT/EPUB
Tuten, T. L. ., & Solomon, M. R. . (2018). Social media marketing. SAGE.
Vimalkumar, M., Singh, J. B., & Sharma, S. K. (2021). Exploring the Multi-Level Digital Divide in Mobile Phone Adoption: A Comparison of Developing Nations. Information Systems Frontiers, 23(4), 1057–1076. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10796-020-10032-5/TABLES/7
Wang, H., & Yan, J. (2022). Effects of social media tourism information quality on destination travel intention: Mediation effect of self-congruity and trust. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1049149. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2022.1049149/BIBTEX
Yadav, S. C., Gupta, P., & Lama, R. (2018). Potential of Homestays as Tourism Product in Sikkim. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325076920
Bachtiar, Y., & Bernanthos, B. (2024). The Role of Social Media in Promoting Tourism Villages: A Case Study in Semarang Regency. Journal of Social Research, 4(1), 42–49. https://doi.org/10.55324/JOSR.V4I1.2330
Bhan, S., & Singh, L. (2014). Homestay Tourism in India: Opportunities and Challenges. In African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (Vol. 3, Issue 2). http//:www.ajhtl.com
Bhutia, S. G., Bhutia, J. W., & Mahapatra, S. S. (2022). Analyzing the Issues and Challenges of Homestays for Sustainable Tourism Development in Sikkim and Darjeeling Hills. Orissa Journal of Commerce, 43(4), 73–88. https://doi.org/10.54063/ojc.2022.v43i04.06
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Taylor & FrancisV Braun, V ClarkeQualitative Research in Psychology, 2006•Taylor & Francis, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706QP063OA
Cakmakoglu Arici, N., & Koc, D. E. (2024). Research hotspots, emerging patterns, and intellectual structure of homestay tourism: a bibliometric analysis. Quality and Quantity, 58(3), 2571–2589. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11135-023-01763-Z/FIGURES/7
Carlisle, S., & Dijkmans, C. E. (n.d.). The digital skills divide: evidence from the European tourism industry. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTF-07-2020-0114
Chatterjee, J., & Dsilva, N. R. (2021). A study on the role of social media in promoting sustainable tourism in the states of Assam and Odisha. Tourism Critiques, 2(1), 74–90. https://doi.org/10.1108/TRC-09-2020-0017
Chatterjee, S., & Kumar Kar, A. (2020). Why do small and medium enterprises use social media marketing and what is the impact: Empirical insights from India. International Journal of Information Management, 53, 102103. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJINFOMGT.2020.102103
Dahal, B., C, A. K., & Prasad Sapkota, R. (2020). Environmental Impacts of Community-Based Homestay Ecotourism in Nepal. In The Gaze Journal of Tourism and Hospitality (Vol. 11, Issue 1).
Dey, B., Mathew, J., & Chee-Hua, C. (2020). Influence of destination attractiveness factors and travel motivations on rural homestay choice: the moderating role of need for uniqueness. International Journal of Culture Tourism and Hospitality Research, 14(4), 639–666. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCTHR-08-2019-0138
Dong, Y., Li, Y., Hua, H. Y., & Li, W. (2023). Perceived tourism authenticity on social media: The consistency of ethnic destination endorsers. Tourism Management Perspectives, 49, 101176. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TMP.2023.101176
Guha, S., Harrigan, P., & Soutar, G. (2018). Linking social media to customer relationship management (CRM): a qualitative study on SMEs. Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship, 30(3), 193–214. https://doi.org/10.1080/08276331.2017.1399628
Gyamtsho, P., Lewis, C., & Bond, J. (2025). ‘Dependent on the relationship you maintain’: an exploration into the intermediaries within homestay social networks in Bhutan. Journal of Ecotourism, 24(1), 85–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/14724049.2024.2332248
Hussain, K., Didarul Alam, M. M., Malik, A., Tarhini, A., & Al Balushi, M. K. (2024). From likes to luggage: The role of social media content in attracting tourists. Heliyon, 10(19). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e38914
Kansra, P., Oberoi, S., Singh, N., & Choi, H. (2024). Role of Innovation, Policy, Social Media, and Environmental Munificence for Sustainable Ecotourism Development in Punjab, India. Sustainability 2024, Vol. 16, Page 9359, 16(21), 9359. https://doi.org/10.3390/SU16219359
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media. Business Horizons, 53(1), 59–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003
Kapri, S. S., & Sharma, A. (2024a). Digital marketing impact on rural Homestay booking and role of destination image. Anatolia, 35(4), 764–776. https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2024.2319075
Kulshreshtha, S., & Kulshrestha, R. (2019). The emerging importance of “homestays” in the Indian hospitality sector. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 11(4), 458–466. https://doi.org/10.1108/WHATT-04-2019-0024
Lama, M. (2013). Community homestay programmes as a form of sustainable tourism development in Nepal. https://www.theseus.fi/handle/10024/68913
Leung, D., Law, R., van Hoof, H., & Buhalis, D. (2013). Social Media in Tourism and Hospitality: A Literature Review. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 30(1–2), 3–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2013.750919
Lynch, P. (2005). Sociological impressionism in a hospitality context. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(3), 527–548. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ANNALS.2004.09.005
Sedalo, G., Boateng, H., & Kosiba, J. P. (2022). Exploring social media affordance in relationship marketing practices in SMEs. Digital Business, 2(1), 100017. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.DIGBUS.2021.100017
Shukor, S., Salleh, N., Othman, R., Pengurusan, S. I.-J., & 2014, undefined. (2014). Perception of Homestay Operators towards Homestay Development in Malaysia. Core.Ac.UkS Shukor, NHM Salleh, R Othman, SHM IdrisJurnal Pengurusan, 2014•core.Ac.Uk. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/33344925.pdf
Sikkim INSPIRES | Tourism. (n.d.). Retrieved July 30, 2025, from https://sikkiminspires.in/homestay
Singh, R., Sajnani, M., & Gupta, P. (2020). Impact Assessment of Digital Marketing Tools Application in Rural Homestays: A Case Study of Kullu District. ICRITO 2020 - IEEE 8th International Conference on Reliability, Infocom Technologies and Optimization (Trends and Future Directions), 929–933. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICRITO48877.2020.9198031
Siti-Nabiha, A. K., Nordin, N., & Poh, B. K. (2021). Social media usage in business decision-making: the case of Malaysian small hospitality organisations. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 13(2), 272–289. https://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-08-2020-0276
Thakur, S., Sood, S., Singh, R. K., & Singh, R. (2024). Status of homestay tourism in Indian Himalayan region: Analysis of customer review and policy support for sustainable tourism. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 24(4), 588–601. https://doi.org/10.1177/14673584231170578/FORMAT/EPUB
Tuten, T. L. ., & Solomon, M. R. . (2018). Social media marketing. SAGE.
Vimalkumar, M., Singh, J. B., & Sharma, S. K. (2021). Exploring the Multi-Level Digital Divide in Mobile Phone Adoption: A Comparison of Developing Nations. Information Systems Frontiers, 23(4), 1057–1076. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10796-020-10032-5/TABLES/7
Wang, H., & Yan, J. (2022). Effects of social media tourism information quality on destination travel intention: Mediation effect of self-congruity and trust. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1049149. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2022.1049149/BIBTEX
Yadav, S. C., Gupta, P., & Lama, R. (2018). Potential of Homestays as Tourism Product in Sikkim. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325076920
