ABSTRACT
This chapter adopts the commercial home as an investigative lens to examine wider debates surrounding personal experiences within the context of tourism. In particular, it considers the personal narratives of hosts to understand the nature of their personal relationship with their commercial home, and, specifically, the impact of hosting on their personal, private and family life. In contrast, previous studies have predominantly examined the role of the accommodation host as business manager, service provider or tourist guide. Instead, we seek to provide insight into the hosting experience, grounded in the personal narratives which hosts themselves describe and define in their own words. We seek to address the questions: How do hosts describe their relationship with their commercial home? What do they see as their responsibilities during hosting? What impact does hosting have on their daily life and life events? What impact does it hold for other life stakeholders? How do hosts manage these impacts?
