Penang Community-based Homestay Tourism Driving Factor for Resources Conservation and SDGs: A Qualitative Study

Homestay tourism is popular among tourists for its uniqueness, socio-economic benefits and inclusive community-based collaborations. Community-based tourism (CBT) homestays’ natural settings, local cuisines, traditional culture, and authenticity have attracted many tourists to Malaysia. This study explores the critical success factors in developing CBT homestay programs in Penang, Malaysia, concerning its sustainability. Using a qualitative research approach, data were collected through focus group discussions, observations, literature reviews, document analysis, and semi-structured in-depth interviews to examine stakeholders’ perceptions of CBT homestays from the tourist perspective. The findings indicate that the sustainable nature of homestays, active local community participation, and cultural tourism attract tourists. Resource conservation contributes to sustainable tourism practices and benefits the host community financially. Consequently, it incentivises preserving cultural histories by promoting local crafts, heritage sites, and traditional activities such as local songs, dances, and oral histories. Hence, CBT promotes the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 13: Climate Action. Nevertheless, no standardised framework exists to address the diverse policy practices and challenges in balancing Malaysian homestay programs’ environmental, cultural, and socio-economic sustainability. The paper examines sustainable homestay policy strategies through the lens of tourist experiences to develop a framework of sustainable strategies that strengthen tourism policies within the Malaysian homestay framework. The finding advocates increased SDG policy awareness, education, and governance mechanisms to sustain the CBT homestay model. It also suggests standardising CBT homestay registration and governance to maintain sustainability and appeal to tourists. As an improvement to Penang’s homestay tourism sector, it is an integral part of Malaysia’s tourism industry.