Homestay owners plan to set up national body

Aiming to coordinate homestay service providers nationally, the Kerala State Homestay and Tourism Association (KeralaHATS) is planning to constitute a national federation of homestay entrepreneurs. The idea was proposed at the annual conference of Kerala HATS that concluded here last Saturday.

Stressing on the need for a national body in the sector, Kerala HATS chairman P N Prasanna Kumar and director M P Sivadathan told ‘Express’ that despite being a growing business in almost all states, homestays remain unorganised.

Homestay entrepreneurs, except in Kerala, are struggling to get governement support, they pointed out.

“While the Central Government provides all assistance to the hospitality sector, homestay providers are often ignored. Business groups, which own hotels and resorts at major destinations, are the beneficiaries of government schemes announced for tourism sector. In Kerala, the state government provides assistance to entrepreneurs as KeralaHATS takes up issues with the government. But in other states, especially in Goa and Karnataka, entrepreneurs are facing different issues despite it being a fast growing business,” said Sivadathan..

The state government had recently lifted the 7A power tariff (commercial power connection) for homestays after the issue was taken up by the KeralaHATS.

“Now the government has promised to look into the demand for lifting luxury tax,” said Sivadathan.

He said that a meeting of entrepreneurs in South India would be convened in Kerala this year itself.

KeralaHats has been formed basically to serve as a consortium of homestay providers and tourism promoters for the effective co-ordination of tourism activities in Kerala, thereby ensuring qualitative and competitive service.

“KeralaHATS, while striving to enhance the working conditions of homestay providers and tourism providers, also join hands with the government department and agencies to promote tourism activities.

Research programmes on the hospitality sector, conservation of natural resources and environment, protection of heritage structures and monuments are the other activities carried out by the KeralaHATS,” Sivadathan said.