Homestays are becoming popular in Kerala with many neo entrepreneurs jumping in the tourism bandwagon by opening the doors of their estate bungalows, heritage homes, farmhouses and even ordinary homes for tourists.
The state is targetting about 1,500 classified homestays with approximately 5,000 rooms in five years’ time, Tourism Secretary Dr V Venu said.
Homestays are literally a home away from home, allowing tourists get close to the host family and the community. Tucked away in the misty plantation hills, amidst coconut groves and backwaters, homestays offer visitors rich and varied experiences of the culture, lifestyles and flavours of the land and the people.
Many who have retired from service take it as a new vocation. Thankappan Kettarathil, who retired from LIC two years ago, started 'Misty Heights' homestay at Munnar in Idukki district, by letting out three rooms for his guests. About 30 guests from North India have so far been his guests, he said.
Tomy Joseph, who has a eco-friendly homestay in Munnar called 'Rosegardens' said he charges about $50 a day, which includes breakfast, dinner and sightseeing and lets out his rooms only to foreign tourists. Joseph said that the state government's eviction procedure and demolishing of illegal constructions at Munnar last year had dented their business to a great extent, as there were many cancellations.
According to him, the Kerala State Electricity Board's commercial tarriff is also eating into his returns.
The IT crowd from Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune are also among the guests. Houses owned by NRIs can also be let out for homestays.
Prospective homestays operators have to submit a police clearance certificate from the local Station House Officer. The miximum number of rooms offered is six and at least one family should be able to converse in English.
Dr Venu said that the tourism department also planned to bring out a new scheme for classification of homestays by bringing out clear guidelines on the required facilities, procedures for classifications, benefits to operators.
Though Kerala has 50,000 rooms for tourists in different categories, there are less than 10,000 quality rooms.
