How Host-Guest Interaction Drives Visitor Experience, Satisfaction, and Support for Regenerative Tourism: Evidence from Homestays in Sapa, Vietnam

Abstract

Doan Trung Thanh and Hewaralalage Chethiya Raj Sampath

This study investigates how host–guest interaction shapes visitor experience, visitor satisfaction, and support for regenerative tourism practices within the context of homestay tourism in Sapa, Vietnam. Building on Social Exchange Theory and Service-Dominant Logic, the study views tourism experiences as emerging from meaningful interactions between hosts and guests, and examines how these interactions influence visitors’ behavioral support for regenerative tourism. Data were collected from 217 homestay visitors in Sapa and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results show that host–guest interaction plays a significant role in enhancing visitor experience, which in turn strongly influences visitor satisfaction. In addition, satisfied visitors are more likely to support regenerative tourism practices, including engaging in environmentally responsible activities and contributing to local communities. Notably, the findings suggest that the impact of host–guest interaction on satisfaction is largely indirect, occurring primarily through the experiences it helps to create. This indicates that interaction alone is not sufficient unless it leads to meaningful and engaging experiences. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of a sequential mediation process, in which host–guest interaction influences visitor-level support for regenerative tourism through visitor experience and satisfaction. By focusing on these underlying mechanisms, the study offers new insights into how interaction-based tourism experiences can encourage more responsible and regenerative forms of tourism development.

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