Tourist Satisfaction and Homestay Preferences in Leh District, Ladakh: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

Aims: To evaluate tourist satisfaction and accommodation preferences associated with homestay tourism in Leh District, Ladakh, and to examine differences between domestic and foreign visitors while contextualising the findings within contemporary homestay policy. Study Design: Cross-sectional mixed-methods survey using structured closed-ended items and limited open-ended questions. Place and Duration of Study: Leh District, Union Territory of Ladakh, India, during May to September 2025. Methodology: A total of 253 tourists who had stayed in a registered or recognised homestay for at least two nights were included (176 domestic and 77 foreign visitors). Descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square tests, Welch's independent-samples t-tests, standardised effect sizes, exploratory multiple regression coefficients, and thematic analysis of open-ended responses were used. Because recruitment was purposive and convenience-based, inferential results are interpreted as sample-based associations rather than design-based population estimates. Results: Homestays were the preferred accommodation type for 64.2% of domestic and 80.5% of foreign respondents; tourist origin was weakly associated with accommodation preference (X²(2)=6.69, p=.035, Cramér's V=.16) and rural-versus-urban preference (X²(1)=5.48, p=.019, Cramér's V=.15). Mean overall satisfaction was 4.1/5 among domestic tourists and 4.5/5 among foreign tourists (Welch t=-5.60, df=181.9, p<.001, d=.70). The largest between-group difference concerned cultural authenticity (3.9 vs. 4.8; d=1.38). Digital accessibility was the lowest-rated dimension in both groups (3.2 and 3.5). Open-ended responses most frequently identified transportation and connectivity constraints, while recommendation and revisit intentions remained high. In the exploratory regression, cultural authenticity (\(\beta\)=.38) and hospitality (\(\beta\)=.29) had the largest standardised coefficients. Conclusion: Homestay experiences in the surveyed Leh sample were generally rated positively, particularly for hospitality and cultural experience, but digital connectivity, transport access, hygiene, basic amenities, and communication barriers remain important service constraints. The results support differentiated service and marketing strategies for domestic and foreign visitor segments and are broadly consistent with the quality, capacity-building, cultural, and rural-development priorities of the Ladakh Homestay Policy 2023. The cross-sectional non-probability design does not establish causal effects or population prevalence.