The Telangana government has decided to start home stay establishments in the State on the lines of Delhi and Gujarat to provide clean and affordable rooms for domestic and foreign tourists in the households of Hyderabad, with a view to let them experience the local customs, traditions and cuisine.
Popularly known as Incredible India Bed and Breakfast Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism in other parts of the country, it envisages that owners reside in the establishments with their families and let out rooms on rent on a daily basis. The State governments are free to have their own schemes as they are voluntary in nature and there is no provision for financial assistance from the Centre.
The Telangana government on Friday constituted a seven-member committee with Commissioner of Tourism as the chairperson to register households in the scheme after calling ‘Expression of Interest’. An amount of Rs. Eight lakh was also sanctioned to take up the work.
Tourism Secretary B. Venkatesham told The Hindu that it was proposed to register 1,000 rooms in Hyderabad in the first year and scale up the number to 10,000 rooms in the next five years. A minimum tariff of Rs. 1,000 a day was proposed for rooms with minimum facilities and Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 for high-end accommodation as suites. The promoters have to provide breakfast for free.
He said the committee will take up identification of homes with focus on maintenance of standards, notify them and upload the information on websites. The effort is to provide a source of income for house owners and promote Telugu tradition and culture.
The type of breakfast to be offered will have to be specified, charges displayed and visitors informed in advance to avoid unnecessary disputes.
