The Plot of Hospitality in Hostels: Gift or Scenic Work?

Abstract:

The purpose of this article is to understand the possibilities and limits for genuine hospitality to materialize in hostels, according to the vision of hosts who work in this type of accommodation in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The proposed theme is still incipient in the Brazilian context from the point of view of academic studies, government initiatives and market investments in this type of accommodation. The methodology used a qualitative approach and involved field research in three hostels selected according to pre-established criteria, in which observations and interviews were carried out with six hosts. The collected information was systematized by content analysis, with the support of the NVivo software. The main results show that the acts of receiving/welcoming and hosting are watered by a human warmth dedicated to the guests by the hosts of the studied hostels. This finding highlights aspects such as self-sacrifice for the well-being of the person being welcomed, revealing the fine line between the act of serving and servility in the hospital context. The posture of the hosts is in line with the so-called greatness behind the act of welcoming a person, a characteristic widely conveyed by studies on the subject, especially with regard to domestic hospitality. Hospitality in hostels is governed by the commercial tone, but the observations and interviews showed that the hosts open possibilities for genuine hospitality to manifest itself in this context, not being limited, therefore, to a mere scenic exercise. The research in question intends, in this way, to contribute to the studies on hospitality, in view of the embryonic debate regarding the manifestation of the gift in commercial contexts, which, for its realization, come into play senses and meanings that are, constantly challenged by limits and possibilities present in the hospitable plot.

Key-words:
Hospitality; Hostel; Gift; Hosts; Guests