Impact Assessment of Digital Marketing Tools Application in Rural Homestays: A Case Study of Kullu District

Homestay tourism is predominantly dependent on marketing. Conventionally, promotion of rural homestays has been done through word of mouth; though with technology advancements, homestay entrepreneurs are using various forms of digital marketing tools for business growth and development. This paper aims to examine the behavior of homestay owners in adoption and usage of digital marketing for promotion of homestays in rural areas of Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India, through a widely accepted framework known as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), that forecasts estimation on voluntary usage and adoption of technology (Digital Marketing). Data has been collected through questionnaire method from 100 rural homestay entrepreneur in Kullu District. The study analyses various digital marketing techniques practiced by rural homestay entrepreneurs in the study region. The author found that online accommodation booking portals was the most preferred means of digital marketing followed by social media platforms. The result shows that social media too has a significant role in business development of homestays. It has also been found that digital marketing plays relatively a vital role in business development as well as improves brand image of homestays.