Published by: Financial Express Jan 20, 2023

Licensing of Homestays: Easy process will enhance long-term growth potential of a new category in India Tourism

The Hospitality Industry took a battering due to the Pandemic but the one thing that emerged thriving from it was a new niche segment; the Homestay Segment! Given the current world scenario, India could see a significant increase in tourists (domestic and international), yet there isn’t enough accommodation for them. According to an ACMA report, stating a survey by the Ministry of Tourism, there are 2 lakh fewer hotel rooms available for tourists in India. Another more recent Noesis 2022 report stated a shortage of as many as 2.5 million rooms in the homestay segment, catering to potential growing foreign tourist arrivals. For any flourishing travel and hospitality industry, homestays hold significance not just as affordable lodging options, but — and especially for our country — carriers of the Indian ethos of warm and home-like hospitality. The issue of licensing is a crucial one that governs and regulates this arm of hospitality.