The government is implementing the home stay as a part of its initiative to ensure local communities reap the benefits of tourism industry. The Home stay is a form of tourism where international visitors rent a room in the host's private home and experience daily life with their host family and their community, sharing a language and cultural exchange.
The government floated the home stay concept to do away with possible shortage of accommodation as the government have set a target of welcoming one million foreign tourists during Nepal Tourism Year (NTY) 2011 campaign.
“The government has decided to promote the home stay concept in rural areas as an additional source of income generation for the locals.” Udday Bhattarai, assistant manager at the Tourism Ministry, said. Individuals or communities interested to operate home stay facilities should register themselves with concerned district development committees“. The government bringing regulations allowing it to operate in urban areas too” he further added.
Apart from rural areas, the home stay guidelines also encourage private homes in urban areas to promote home stay facilities.
There has been a positive response after the government brought regulations govering hoestay in August 2010. The civil aviation says over 55 commercial homestay have been registered so far and the number is still coming in.
Kathmandu has more than a dozen homestay homes which are either community-based or private homes. Such community-based home stay involves seven to 10 homes. As per the homestay guidelines, one home can operate up to four rooms for tourist accommodation.
"There has been a positive response from hotel as well as tour operators and are coordinating with homestay operators" Kishor Thapa, secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) said. The guidelines envisage two modalities for home stay -- community home-stay and private home-stay. As per the guidelines, individuals or communities interested to operate home stay facilities should register themselves with concerned district development committees.
The ministry has decided to waive income tax for persons or groups operating home stay facilities.
Officials hope that the promotion of home stay facilities will help extend tourist´s length of stay in the country. Prachanda Man Shrestha, CEO of Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), said the home stay facilities would help promote domestic tourism and expand tourism activities throughout the country. Cleanliness, safe and secure environment, and basic services of toilet and bathroom are some of the criteria set by the guidelines. The management committee of community-run home stay facilities will determine the accommodation package and other charges. The guidelines has entrusted the responsibility of monitoring home-stay facilities to local bodies and Tourism Ministry. As per the guidelines, tourists should be given the food that the homeowners consume. But the food should be hygienic. “Tourists taking the service should pay only in Nepali currency,” Bhattarai said. The guidelines also include a separate code of conduct for the tourists. The code of conduct requires tourists to dress in an appropriate manner, promote host culture and tradition, not to enter and leave homes after prescribed time and stay away from drugs and narcotics.
1Ropani.com