Enhancing Tourists’ Experience Through Community-Based Home

Stay

The Case of Kampung Cireundeu, Indonesia

Rosita Rosita and Sri Marhanah

Universitas Pendidikan indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229, Bandung, Indonesia

{rosita1019, srimarhanah}@upi.edu

Keywords: Tourist Experience, Homestay, Rural Tourism, Narrative Analysis.

Abstract: This study aims to explore the possibility of homestay in rural area enhances its tourists’ experience. The

study take place at Kampung Cireundeu, a tourism village located in West Java, Indonesia. Data are

collected from stories of homestay experience told and written by participants. Narrative analysis is

employed to analyse participants’ narratives. The Sundanese ‘someah hade ka semah’ culture, belief, and

preserved traditions are three topics that are considered as culture experience obtained by participants

during their stay. This suggests that homestay is able to enhance rural tourists’ experience especially on

their understanding of culture and local values.

1 INTRODUCTION

Kampung Cireundeu located in Cimahi, West Java,

Indonesia is one of Indonesian traditional village

which became a cultural tourist destination since

2004. Its tourists are typical of rural tourists who

expect authentic experience of local culture and

natural village life. This village has traditional

culture as its main attraction. They still held

traditional ceremonies such as marriage, birth, death,

and celebration of Sundanese New year in traditional

way. Staple food in the form of cassava rice called

‘rasi’ which is an abbreviation from Indonesian

beras (rice) and singkong (cassava) is also became

what Kampung Cireundeu is all about since this

village is awarded for its food security by the

government in 1964. Kampung Cireundeu also has

natural attractions such as landscaping of cassava

garden, rocks, and protected forests that prohibited

to be entered except accompanied by indigenous

villagers.

This village is like other Indonesian village in

general, the houses are not the traditional ones,

except a hall that was deliberately built for cultural

ceremony. If tourists come to visit this village and

hope to get different experiences like being in a

traditional ancient village, then they will

undoubtedly be disappointed. Especially if the time

of visit does not coincide with the holding of cultural

events, then there is not much that can be enjoyed

beside having conversation with local people and

buying various processed cassava cookies. Unless

they have enough time and energy, they can walk for

an hour to get to the rock and see the view of

Bandung city from height. If this is the case,

Kampung Cireundeu may only be interesting to be

visited at any given moment.

Sukriah and Rosita (2013) revealed that there

was a gap between expectations and reality on the

local cultural aspects encountered by the tourists in

Kampung Cireundeu. This gap can only be fulfilled

if the tourists stay longer and interact with the local

community, especially on the days of traditional

ceremonies were held. In this case they suggested

community based homestay to cover the gap.

Purpose of this homestay is as tourist

accommodation as well as to extend the length of

stay of the tourist and helps them find the local

culture values and the real life of the villagers. This

study aims to explore further these possibilities by

knowing the experience of tourists who stay at

homestay Kampung Cireundeu. This topic is

selected because research on home stay in Indonesia

Rosita, R. and Marhanah, S.

Enhancing Tourists’ Experience Through Community-Based Home Stay - The Case of Kampung Cireundeu, Indonesia.

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Islamic Economics, Business, and Philanthropy (ICIEBP 2017) - Transforming Islamic Economy and Societies, pages 853-857

ISBN: 978-989-758-315-5

853

is very few in number, even less about home stay

experience in tourist village. While rural tourism in

Indonesia itself is now being encouraged to develop.

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

Tourism has now become one of the ways for rural

areas to build and develop their cultural potentials

since they can provide space for recreation,

interaction with nature and culture, and experience

of being in a distinct environment which able to

make tourists feel like return to the origins and the

autenthic (Kastenholz, 2012). Rural as a tourist

destination is the object as well as the subject of

tourism. As the object means that rural life is what

the tourists’ purpose to visit while as the subject

means that its local community are the organizer of

various tourism activities provided and the recipient

of the outcome (Hadiwijoyo, 2012) Beside

enhancing community development, conservation,

and poverty alleviation, rural tourism is also

designed for tourist that needs authentic experiences.

Authenticity itself has become a topic that draw

attention of tourism scholars (Mura, 2015).

Beginning with discussing on which one is authentic

and which one is not (MacCannell, 1976), then

continue on finding meanings of what tourists ask

for authenticity (Cohen, 1979) and questioning on

how it is represented now (Wang, 2007),

authenticity is debatable. However, it is often

associated with a certain nostalgia for the ‘good old

days’ (Kastenholz, 2012). That is why homestay as

accommodation types that allows tourists not only to

stay with the locals but also experience their culture

(Lynch, 2005) become tourists’ choice of getting

what is called authentic experience. Indeed,

homestay can provide ‘customized authenticity’

which combines three things at the same times, the

‘exotic other’, existential state of being and ‘sense of

home’ (Wang, 2007). However, one thing that need

to take as an account is that rural tourist experience

must be understood as overall experience consists of

diversity of resources, attractions, services, people

and environments offered by the destination

(Kastenholz, 2012). Social, emotional, and symbolic

experience associated with rural become important

determinant of tourist satisfaction (Kastenholz,

2012).

3 METHODS

Data used in this study were collected through

interview and stories written by participants. Four

participants were asked to stay for one night in two

different homestay. This was done because during

the time of data retrieval in September 2017, it was

not certain whether there would be guests staying at

any homestay or not. Each participant was given an

empty notebook to write down their activities since

arrival until their return, any event they experienced,

and their views on the experience. The interview

was conducted one week after their return to ask a

thorough impression of the homestay experience

they obtained and confirm several things related to

the story they wrote. Here are the characteristics of

the participants.

Table 1: Participant’s characteristics.

Sex

Age

Ethnic

Female

Sundanese

Female

Sundanese

Female

Javanese

Female

Javanese

The collected data was analyzed using narrative

analysis techniques. This technique was considered

suitable with the purpose of this study to analyze the

story written by paticipants during their stay at

homestay to explore whether homestay can provide

memorable cultural experience or not. Analyzing

data in the form of written story is divided into two

phases: the description phase and the interpretation

phase (Smith, 2008). The description phase is the

whole reading activity of the story, reducing and

coding, organizing and sorting the story

chronologically. While the phase of interpretation is

an activity to explain meaning and give

interpretation (Arifin, 2014).

4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 ‘Someah Hade Ka Semah’ Culture

‘Someah Hade Ka Semah’ is local wisdom of the

Sundanese society which means that the Sundanese

must be friendly to their guests. Being friendly is

also entertains, guards, nurtures, and seeks to please

their guests. This culture is depicted in the story of

the participants as they first arrive and meet the host

of the homestay.

The host is very friendly ... served us local

cookies and drinks ... served bananas as a

welcome to her house (P1)

ICIEBP 2017 - 1st International Conference on Islamic Economics, Business and Philanthropy

854

We were guests, but I felt like coming home ...

there were banana, traditional cakes, warm tea

seved for us (P2)

In contrast to hotels that we need to pay for a

drink, here we were treated to various snacks

(P3)

The treats given by the host to the participants in

the form of food (bananas and local cookies) and

drinks (warm tea) are the topic of the story about the

first arrival experience at homestay. Beside the food,

the hosts also welcomed them with friendly faces,

polite language, and welcomed them openly by

guiding them the entire part of the houses.

We were greeted kindly by the host. The owner

of the house guided us to every room and home

facilities (P1)

The host greeted us with a smile and a greeting

in a fine Sundanese language (P2)

Sundanese philosophy ‘someah hade ka semah’

has some markers of good intention to respect and

appreciate the existence of others in the

environment, attitude and body language that is open

in accepting the presence of guests, and expressions

of joy and happiness. Those three markers were felt

by the participants who were present as guests in the

homestay host environment. This became the

opening story of participants’ homestay experiences.

4.2 Belief

During the stay at the homestay house the

participants performed several activities performed

with the host, among others, following the host

attending the 7 month pregnancy rituals, tracking the

forest ban, following the daily activities of the host,

talking with the host, and discussing. Two

participants wrote stories about the beliefs of the

people in Kampung Cireundeu related to their

experiences when they both visited a house and said

‘Assalamualaikum’, Muslim’s greetings in Indonesia

when visiting or entering other people's house.

When visiting someone’s house, as usual we

unconsciously say ‘assalamualaikum’, then our

homestay host admonished and informed us that

people here in Cireundeu were not Muslims and

they do not say ‘assalamualaikum’ (P1)

The people of Kampung Cireundeu embrace the

beliefs of Old Sunda. Although they already

mingled with the surrounding Muslim

community, they remain firmly in their belief.

They consider Islam to be a new religion,

whereas their ancestral religion already exists

long time before. Therefore the greeting

"assalamualaikum" does not apply here (P2)

Neighboring villagers are already Muslims.

There is a mosque that call for prayer and its

sound is heard. But the Cireundeu’s people do

not pray five times a day, their belief is the belief

of their ancestors (P3)

7 month pregnancy rituals are also done by many

Muslims in Indonesia. And this is a debate ... it

means that Muslims also still maintain the

tradition of their ancestors, the same beliefs as

people here in Kampung Cireundeu (P4)

People of Kampung Cireundeu still hold firmly

their tradition and belief of their ancestor which is

called Sunda Wiwitan. This belief is known as the

ancient tradition of Sundanese people. They believe

in God and maintain their tradition as identity.

4.3 Preserved Tradition

People of Kampung Cireundeu uphold the principle

of life that is ‘Teu nyawah asal boga pare, teu boga

pare asal boga beas, teu boga beas asal bias

nyangu, teu nyangu asal dahar, teu dahar asal kuat’

which means does not matter for not having rice

field as long as having rice, does not matter for not

having rice as long as able to cook, does not matter

for not being able to cook as long as able to eat, does

not matter for not being able to eat as long as able to

withstand hunger. The meaning of this principle of

life is that human beings should not depend on only

one thing, they should find other alternatives for

achieving the same purpose. This principle describes

the existence of ‘rasi’ or cassava rice to this day.

Related to the topic of ‘rasi’ as staple food that is

believed to be the ancestral food of the Sundanese,

participants told their experience as follows,

They also eat rice beside ‘rasi’, but ‘rasi” is

what they store as food supplies. Not eating

‘rasi” means that they no longer respect the

ancestors (P1)

Enhancing Tourists’ Experience Through Community-Based Home Stay - The Case of Kampung Cireundeu, Indonesia

855

Unfortunately I could not see how cassava was

processed into flour, but I can see how ‘rasi”

was cooked that was not too much different from

cooking rice in tradition way. It can be said that

‘rasi’ is almost rice like if eaten with side dishes.

The tradition of eating ‘rasi’ is very special

because it is unusual (P2)

I think ‘rasi’ is like porridge, but it turns out to

be similar to rice. It just tastes more bland. If

only there was no belief in the ancestors, they

probably switch to eat rice like other (P4)

The features of ‘rasi’ are plainly told by the

participants as part of a tradition that has been

continuously maintained for generations.

Eating other foods such as rice is okay, but

eating ‘rasi’ is an obligation for the indigenous

people of Kampung Cireundeu. Obligations

arising from awareness of preserving the

ancestral heritage (P3)

Those three above are the topics of local culture

and wisdom that researchers found in the story

written by the participants. In the interview section

they were asked about their impression and

understanding of life from the homestay experience

they have obtained. The four participants responded

by their own language and thought. Nevertheless, it

can be drawn into themes of impression on

hospitality, traditional culture and beliefs, and a

sense of being pride to be part of a nation with

diversity but high in tolerance.

Friendly as typical of Indonesian that makes

guests comfortable. Chat without hesitation,

various treats. Stories of ancestors show that

Kampung Cireundeu is not like any other village,

it has history and it is passed on to the next

generation. Indonesia is extraordinarily diverse

cultures (P3)

Know a lot about traditions that are strongly held

by the people. Although originally in the

beginning of arrival I have not been able to find

something unique from this village, but now I

know why it is so hailed and get a lot of attention

especially from the government (P1)

Like coming home. The hospitality of the host,

the people around, even though they are different

in religion, their beliefs are free to be maintained.

As part of the nation with many different

cultures, we must have high tolerance of other

religions and beliefs (P4)

Eating staple foods other than rice is possible. As

a Sundanese I am proud for knowing that

Sundanese people have local wisdom that is still

preserved until now (P2)

It was written and told by participants from their

experience of seeing, listening, talking and

discussing directly with the homestay host and the

people living in the neighbourhood during their stay.

The hospitality, beliefs and traditions that exist in

Kampung Cireundeu may be seen or known by the

tourists when visiting Kampung Cireundeu, but they

probably will bring not a meaningful experience

unless they stay longer and interact with locals.

5 CONCLUSIONS

Culture is the main attraction of Kampung

Cireundeu, but the local wisdoms contained in it are

the attraction that not able yet to be obtained as an

experience in a few hours of visit. Findings in this

study showed that tourists visiting Kampung

Cireundeu are able to explore its local wisdom and

values when they stay longer by spend overnight at

the homestay. However, Homestay without any

guest-host-community interaction will not provide

such experience that gives understanding of local

culture and wisdom. This study is only a small part

of the homestay development research in rural

tourism that still in progress. Therefore, it is realized

that there are still many limitations especially in

term of data and interpretation.

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