Exploring Rural Homestays: Authenticity and Immersion and the Call for Rural Escapes

This study attempts to explore the complex and multidimensional nature of authentic experiences in rural homestays, focusing on how both contextual factors and critical incidents shape tourists’ perceptions. This research intends to provide a deeper understanding of authenticity by examining how key elements of accommodation experiencescape influence tourists’ perceptions toward authenticity through the lens of true-to-fact, true-to-self, and true-to-ideal. Using a qualitative method and multistage research design, this study employed the Critical Incident Technique to capture the dynamic interplay of the factors. The research involved three phases: exploration, comparison, and validation, with data collected through in-depth interviews from 47 eligible participants. The findings revealed that key elements, such as localness, entertainment, education, communitas, esthetics, serendipity, escapism, and personalization, significantly shaped perceptions of authenticity. Additionally, critical incidents, such as unplanned moments of cultural exchange, were found to be more important in shaping guests’ perceptions toward authentic experience during stay.