Guidelines for Homestay Management for the Elderly and People Mobility Disabilities in Laem Fa Pha Area Phra Samut Chedi District Samut Prakan Province

Abstract

          The objectives of this research was quantitative research were 1) to study the factors for selecting homestay accommodations for elderly tourists and people with mobility disabilities, and 2) to study homestay management guidelines to accommodate elderly tourists and people with mobility disabilities in the Laem Fa Pha area Phra Samut Chedi District Samut Prakan Province.  This research used a questionnaire on factors in choosing homestay accommodation, collecting data from 400 elderly tourists and people with mobility disabilities, and using the Delphi technique to collect data from 17 tourism industry experts.  The answers were analyzed to find the median, mode, absolute value of the difference between the median and mode, and interquartile range.  The median value must not be less than 3.50, the interquartile range must not exceed 1.50, and the absolute value of the difference between the median and mode must not exceed 1.00. In addition, the answers must not change by more than 15 percent.

          The research results found that ; factors in choosing homestay accommodation for elderly tourists and people with mobility disabilities had a high level of opinions, with accommodation and food and nutrition having the highest levels of opinions. Guidelines for homestay management for the elderly and people with mobility disabilities were divided into 10 parts :  1) Accommodation, the room size and bathroom must been wheelchair accessible, clean, and safe. Apply the Universal Design concept appropriately. 2) Food and nutrition, menus must been suitable for the elderly, using local ingredients to create local dishes. 3) Safety, First aid kits must been readily available, emergency management plans must been in place, and staffs ready to provide assistance. 4) Host and family friendliness, would been training service providers on service and attitudes in welcoming for the elderly and people with mobility disabilities tourists, and respecting privacy. 5) Tour programs, tour programs must been appropriate for the elderly and people with mobility disabilities tourists, and training service providers to develop their skills in guiding tours. 6) Natural resources and environment, emphasis should been placed on the conservation and use of local natural resources in homestays. 7) Culture, extension of activities from the unique cultural capital of the community. 8) Creation of value and worth of community products, community products should had unique identities and stories of their origins for tourists to remember and try. 9) Management of the homestay group, there should been a community center for contacting and coordinating with tourists and sharing benefits fairly. 10) Public relations, influencers should been found that match the target group, using social media that was interesting for the elderly and people with mobility disabilities tourists.