Homestay hospitality with a difference

SANGAM PRASAIN
KATHMANDU, JAN 13 -
Nepal Tourism Year heralds the start of a new kind of hospitality service in the tourism sector, homestay. Originally conceived as an alternative arrangement for an expected hotel room shortage during Nepal Tourism Year, homestay could become a permanent feature of Nepali tourism.

Though planned a decade ago, last year saw the commercialisation of homestay with the government bringing regulations allowing it to operate in urban areas too. Sirubari and Ghalegaon were the pioneer villages with regard to homestay. Another reason why the government is now promoting homestay is to decentralise tourism and boost rural economies. “The encouraging number of registrations has brought additional impetus in the tourism sector,” said Uday Bhattarai, assistant manager at the Nepal Tourism Board. The government has also allocated Rs 30 million to train homestay operators.

There has been a positive response after the government brought regulations governing homestay in August 2010. The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation says over 50 commercial homestay homes have been registered at the ministry and applications are coming in.

Kathmandu has more than 10 community-based and two private homestay homes. The homestay homes registered in Kathmandu have a combined capacity to accommodate over 300 tourists.

Nirajan Ghimire, section officer at the Tourism Ministry, said that Kavrepalanchok has over 26 registered community-based homestay homes. Similarly, here are 10 homestay homes operating in Chitwan, 11 in Makwanpur and 12 in Nuwakot. The ministry says districts like Gorkha, Ilam, Palpa, Syangja, Kailali and Kalikot are also opening homestay homes targeting NTY 2011.

Living in a Nepali village as a homestay guest is perhaps one of the fastest and best ways to know the real Nepal. Daily cultural activities are a major attraction of the homestay scheme. “All the homestay homes we inspected in different parts of the country have planned special events to launch NTY,” said Ghimire.

Community-based homestay involves seven to 10 homes. As per the homestay guidelines, one home can operate up to four rooms for tourist accommodation.

With a record number of tourists expected to visit Nepal in 2011, homestay operators are hoping that a larger number of them would stay with them. Hoteliers, however, are not complaining about the proliferation of homestay homes. Instead, they are now coordinating with homestay operators to provide their clients a truly Nepali experience. The private sector believes that urban homestay will be the perfect alternative arrangement for those who may not get accommodation in hotels in 2011.

Homestay operators are also hopeful that tour operators will incorporate homestay in their packages as a new product. “Homestay is a potentially good product, but adequate preparation has not been done to incorporate it in tour packages,” said Ram Kazi Koney, managing director of Gandaki Travels and Tour. According to Koney, this model can get a boost if it is incorporated in tour packages.

The Tara Gaon Development Board (TGDB) has been assigned to find unexplored destinations to develop this programme. “The NTY implementation committee and the TGDB are now working together to make homestay a professional and managed business,” said Bhattarai. The TGDB has identified some 10 potential places where homestay can be developed, he added.