36 get home stay permits

SANGAM PRASAIN

KATHMANDU, DEC 03 -
The Industry Division of the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has issued operating permits to 36 home stay houses since Aug. 17 when registration became mandatory.

According to a Tourism Ministry official, most of the home stay houses are located outside the Kathmandu Valley.

With the tourism market growing and Nepal Tourism Year 2011 approaching, home stay operators are hoping that a larger number of tourists will participate in the programme. Under the scheme, foreign visitors will be provided accommodation and food in private residences equipped with tourist standard facilities.

According to the Industry Division, Kapan Home Stay in Kapan, Newa Home Stay in Tahachal, Swayambhu Home Stay in Swayambhu and Ichangu Home Stay in Ichangu are the home stay houses that have obtained operating certificates in the Kathmandu Valley.

Chitwan, Kavre and Kaski are the other places where the home stay programme is being implemented, said Niranjan Ghimire, section officer at the Industry Division. He added that the division was planning to issue notices to those operating home stay houses illegally. “We will not allow home stay to be operated illegally.”

Home stay houses began proliferating after the private sector floated a proposal to host tourists in private houses expecting a shortage of hotel accommodation with the projected rise in arrivals during NTY 2011.

The Tourism Ministry has allocated Rs 30 million to regulate home stay and make it sustainable. Under the programme, the ministry in coordination with the Nepal Tourism Board is preparing a manual for capacity building and providing training to home stay operators. Under the home stay guidelines, anybody who has a home with at least four rooms can use the empty rooms to accommodate tourists. The household should be able to give a taste of the local culture and food.