Homestay rules may be tightened soon

With the mushrooming of illegal homestays in Kodagu district, the State government is mulling over the introduction of a law, which mandates the owners to take permission from the police department to run a homestay. The homestays in Kodagu district will feel the heat, if the law is implemented.

The bill is likely to be tabled in the coming winter session. If the bill is passed, then it will help in keeping a tab on the illegal homestays in the district.

The tourism department encouraged homestays to promote tourism in the district. The homestays were also given a few concessions. However, after the recent homestay attack in Mangalore, the State government has decided to tighten the rules pertaining to the setting up of homestays. Accordingly, the owners of the homestay should avail permission from the police department.

Till recently, the owners had to take permission from the local urban bodies and tourism department to start homestays. There are only 288 registered homestays in the district.
However, there are over 1,000 homestays functioning in the district. Though the tourism department and the CMC officials tried to curtail illegal homestays, they could not succeed owing to lapses in the homestay policy.

The names and the address of the registered homestays are published in the website of the toursim department.

Those who would like to know the details on registration for homestays can contact tourism department in Madikeri at 08272- 228580.