homestays and tourism

Homestay tourism: What is a homestay?

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What is a homestay?

Homestay is a relatively new concept that has been introduced to the tourism sphere. In fact, the very notion of ‘home’ seems somewhat contradictory when we talk about tourism, doesn’t it? I mean, we travel to get away from home…

Well, it turns out that homestay tourism has grown considerably is recent years. With the rise in budget travel and an increased interest in cultural tourism , homestay have popped up all over the world. But what is a homestay? And how does a homestay work? Read on to find out…

What is a homestay? The simple answer

What is a homestay the not so simple answer, a definition of homestay, characteristics of a homestay, homestay as a cultural experience, homestay as a commercial enterprise, where to book a homestay, homestay family, couchsurfing, other examples of homestay platforms, homestay app, advantages of a homestay, disadvantages of a homestay, what is a homestay to conclude, further reading on the concept of the homestay.

When you Google ‘what is a homestay?’ you will be given some pretty short and basic answers. However, anybody who has taken the time posit down and look deeply into the homestay industry will know that explaining this concept is anything BUT short and basic…

Below I have given you a basic explanation of a homestay. This is similar to what you will find elsewhere on the Internet. But you didn’t go elsewhere, did you? You came toTourism Teacher! And as such, I will proceed to discuss the concept of the homestay from a critical perspective, you didn’t really want simple – did you?

Put simply, a homestay is when you stay in another person’s home. Could this be your best mate’s home? Technically, yes. Could it be staying in the home of a rural villager in Laos? Yep, it could be that too.

According to Homestay.com , a homestay is when you are offered a spare room in a house that someone lives in.You stay there with the family. Whilst this may rank top on Google for obvious reasons (the website name), this is in reality a load of rubbish.

Homestay have popped up all over the globe in recent years, and most of the time you are not staying with the home owner (or renter), the homeowner does not live there and it is not the deep cultural experience that some might expect.

Want to know more? I knew the ‘simple’ explanation wouldn’t be enough for you… Read on…

Lets be real here- a homestay is far more than staying in a spare room.

A homestay is essentially the commercialisation of the home. This commercialisation has disrupted economies throughout the world, resulted in gentrification and globalisation, and is largely anything but ‘cultural tourism’.

Lets dig a bit deeper and find out what a homestay really is…

The homestay industry

A homestay forms part of the sharing economy . Homestay represent the notion of the commercialisation of one’s home for financial benefit.

Homestays typically provide a middle-ground for tourists- they are more intimate than a hotel, but offer more of a formal setting than staying with friends and relatives .

A homestay can offer the tourist with facilities that traditional types of accommodation may not be able to provide. This might include an authentic cultural experience with those who live in the home or it could be having an entire home, and all of its facilities, to yourself.

Generally, the term homestay hasn’t received a great deal of attention in the academic literature. However, there are similar terms that have.

Two terms that reflect the notion of using your home as a business are ‘home-based enterprise’ (Di Domenico & Lynch, 2007, p. 321) and ‘commercial home enterprise’ (CHE) (McIntosh, Lynch, & Sweeney, 2011, p. 511).

According to Lynch (2005);

A ‘Commercial home’ refers to types of accommodation where visitors or guests pay to stay in private homes, where interaction takes place with a host and/or family usually living upon the premises and with whom public space is, to a degree, shared. ‘Commercial home’ therefore embraces a range of accommodation types including some (small) hotels, bed and breakfasts (B&Bs), and host family accommodation, which simultaneously span private, commercial, and social settings.

Lynch (2005) goes on to identify several key characteristics of a homestay. These are;

• Family involvement
• Local community benefits
• Guest engagement with the property
• The sharing of space between guest and host
• The participation of owner-managers in the shaping of the accommodation product
• The involvement of ‘lifestyle entrepreneurs’
• The importance of gender, personal networks, social values, and family life cycle

As you can see from the list above, culture and connection between host and guest is, according to Lynch, an important part of the homestay experience. However, since his works written in 2005,a lot has changed. And I would now argue that financial gain is, in most circumstances, far superior to host-guest interaction.

Whilst there has been a clear move away from culture being the focus and towards economic benefit, a homestay experience can be a significant cultural experience.

There are many different ways that you can experience culture through a homestay, and this is largely dependent on the set up of the homestay itself.

Inevitably, if a guest is staying in the home of a local person, who regularly interacts with the guest, then they will receive a greater cultural experience than someone who is simply paying to rent a bedroom or entire property.

Some of the cultural experiences that a tourist may receive include;

• Learning a new language
• Tasting new food and learning to cook new recipes
• Learning about the local way of life
• Learning about local history
• Exposure to the local community
• Taking part in village, nature or workplace tours
• Learning about the religion and visiting religious sites
• Taking part in local events and celebrations

In recent years we have witnessed monumental growth in the so called ‘ sharing economy ‘. The sharing economy is a socio-economic ecosystem that is built around the sharing of human, physical and intellectual resources. Also known as collaborative consumption or peer-to-peer-based sharing, the sharing economy is a concept that highlights the way in which people rent or borrow goods and services rather than buying or owning them. In the context of homestay, this represents the sharing of one’s home.

This notion of ‘sharing’ has, however, has disrupted many traditional commercial operations. Hotel occupancy rates around the world are down as tourists opt for homestay options instead of hotel rooms. In addition, the income potential for homestay has driven up real estate prices in many areas, meaning that local people are struggling to get on the property ladder and gentrification is taking place.

The homestay concept has seen the rise of many budding entrepreneurs across the globe. People have transformed their homes in guesthouses, locals are offering culturally immersive tours and the wealthy have snapped up entire apartment blocks upon completion in the aim of building their Airbnb business.

Homestays come in all shapes and sizes, from sleeping on someone’s couch in a New York apartment to renting an entire island in the South Pacific. The possibilities are endless…

Homestays occur around the world.

A homestay can be organised via apps, social media, academic institutions and more. They offer the chance to integrate yourself into local society.

Below, I have outlined some of the most common ways to organise a homestay on your travels.

Also known as the ‘host family’, a homestay family are the people who own the house/accommodation where you’ll be staying. They provide board and lodging.

You will often find that you become close to the family, and they will have a lot to offer you in terms of local knowledge, connections and more.

Student homestay

Homestays are particularly popular with students.

For young people studying a language, international relations, business studies and other degrees, travelling abroad to immerse themselves in their studies is a huge part of the course. 

Students can find a homestay through their university or college. The institution will have access to a list of host families, and will match students accordingly to families in the right area.

A homestay is a great way for students to get involved with daily life in that particular culture, or to practise the language they are learning.

Generally, a homestay is incredibly beneficial to students and an overall enjoyable experience.

Couchsurfing is a concept that really seems to have taken off in the last decade or so. And the concept is simple- a home owner (or renter) allows a tourist to stay on their couch.

I say couch, it doesn’t have to be a couch. In fact, many hosts offer the tourists a bed, their own room and sometimes their own bathroom too.

When couchsurfing, no money is supposed to change hands. Instead, the tourist repays the host with interactions.

WWOOFING stands for worldwide opportunities on organic farms. It is a form of homestay tourism, whereby the tourist works on the farm in exchange for free board.

WWOOFING has grown as an industry in recent years and is particularly popular in Australia , where many international tourists undertake agricultural work in order to extend the duration of their working holiday visa. Other popular WWOOFING destinations include the USA, Ireland and various places throughout Europe.

WWOOFING is also popular with budget and long term travellers as it provides the tourist with travel opportunities at a reduced cost.

Airbnb is essentially an online marketplace that involves the renting of property to travellers. They have also recently started offering experiences too.

Airbnb does not own any of the properties. It simply provides a platform from which people can rent out their properties or spare rooms to guests.Prices are set by the property owners and monies are collected via the Airbnb app.

There are many different types of Airbnbs. You can rent a room in someone’s house or a  whole island  and everything in between! I have stayed in some pretty cool Airbnbs myself, take a look at some of them in this post-  7 reasons why Airbnb is my favourite accommodation option .

There are many ways that a homestay can be arranged. Amongst the biggest and most known platforms that I have already discussed, there are also the following companies offering homestays:

• Booking.com  (they now offer apartment rentals alongside hotels)
• SellMyTimeshareNow
• onefinestay

There is an organisation who call themselves ‘homestay. This company organises homestay experiences for tourists around the world and has a functional app to facilitate this.

Available on iOS and Android, there are over 55,000 homestay accommodations in 160 countries available to rent via the app. You can find the perfect homestay for you, see what previous guests though and connect with the host family. See which cities are popular with guests looking for a homestay, and book whether you’re travelling for study, work or just a fun time!

Homestay advantages and disadvantages

As with everything, there are both advantages and disadvantages of a homestay. I have briefly outlined some of these for you below.

• Ability to immerse yourself into a different culture
• Chance to taste new food
• Educational benefits- learn about the culture, religion and way of life
• Opportunity to live ‘like a local’
• Limited freedom- curfews, religious requirements, household preferences
• Limited choice of location
• Safety concerns

You should now be confident to answer the questions ‘what is a homestay?’. By weighing up the advantages and the disadvantages, you can decide whether this type of accommodation is for you or not. An important part off the sharing economy, I don’t think the concept of homestay is going anywhere anytime soon…

Interested to learn more about homestays? Here is some recommended reading on the topic…

• What’s Yours is Mine: against the sharing economy – The author, Tom, questions how did we get from the generosity of  what’s mine is yours , to the self-interest and greed of  what’s yours is mine ?
• The Business of Sharing: Making it in the New Sharing Economy – An insider’s guide for anyone thinking of entering the sharing economy and looking to make a profit.
• Platform Economics: Rhetoric and Reality in the “Sharing Economy” – An in-depth analysis of policy concern over competition, tax collection, consumers’ protection, privacy, and algorithms transparency, and the future of work.
• The Future of Airbnb and the `Sharing Economy’: The Collaborative Consumption of our Cities – a conceptual analysis of the `sharing economy’ and accommodation sector and Airbnb.
• Tomorrow 3.0: Transaction Costs and the Sharing Economy – Munger brings a fresh perspective on the ‘sharing economy’, assessing companies such as Uber and Airbnb in relation to economics and transaction costs.
• The Airbnb Story: How Three Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions of Dollars … and Plenty of Enemies – The remarkable story behind Airbnb and in-depth character study of its leader, Brian Chesky, the company’s curious co-founder and CEO.
• Airbnb Listing Hacks – The Complete Guide To Maximizing Your Bookings And Profits – Bestselling Airbnb host user guide.
• Optimize YOUR Bnb: The Definitive Guide to Ranking #1 in Airbnb Search – A culmination of Daniel’s five-year experience with Airbnb from being an employee and a guest, to a host, to Superhost, and to starting an Airbnb property management company.

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Home » Budget Travel » Homestays 101: The ULTIMATE Guide to Staying With Locals! (2024)

Homestays 101: The ULTIMATE Guide to Staying With Locals! (2024)

Some of my best nights spent travelling haven’t been inside of an Airbnb, a hotel, or even a hostel. They’ve taken place in local abodes, complete with home-cooked meals and heaps of connections.

If you’ve never heard of them before, the entire concept of homestays might sound confusing. Spending a night with a stranger? I get it. Homestays aren’t common everywhere, and it’s not an experience you can seek just anywhere.

But once you have your first real experience in a family homestay, I guarantee you’ll see what all the hype is about. Homestays give you a home away from home, and not just in the practical way that Airbnb does.

We all know home is so much more about “who” than “what” which is why staying with a real family can be so impactful. It directly immerses you into local life, and allows you to interact with communities in ways that aren’t possible otherwise.

But how exactly do you find these mystical homes that provide such unique travel experiences? In hopes to share the magic of homestays with other adventurous backpackers, I’ve put together this epic guide.

Here’s absolutely everything you need to know about homestay accommodation.

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What is a Homestay?

How to find travel homestays, the best countries to try a homestay, what to expect at a homestay, are homestays safe, tips for epic homestay experiences, homestays explained: faqs, final thoughts for your homestay-ing adventures.

If you’re wondering “what the heck is a homestay?” you’ve absolutely come to the right place. They’re my favorite kind of accommodation and have led me to some of the best travel adventures. But that doesn’t really explain the meaning of a homestay, does it?

In short, a homestay allows you to meaningfully connect with locals by staying with them in their homes. These days, such accommodations come in all shapes and sizes. But at their core, they involve an “authentic” stay at a local home. They’ve also become more and more popular according to holiday accommodation stats .

It could put you inside the house in the same room, in a guest room, or in a separate portion of their home built specifically for tourists; it varies wildly between homes. Staying in a homestay could be as casual as grabbing a living room couch or in the form of a long-term arrangement like what you’d find with WWOOF.

Regardless of the varying specifics, one thing is constant across all homestays across the world. Or should be, that is.

A homestay isn’t just a place to rest your head after a long day of exploring. It’s an experience. And at its best, can actually become a home-away-from-away.

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Why You Should Book a Homestay

Homestay bookings allow you insight into local life that you’d never find otherwise, all whilst fostering connections that can lead to real friendships. It doesn’t matter how authentic a killer street food is. The reality is that no type of food is more authentic than one cooked in a home kitchen.

And even if you stay in an Airbnb that gives you an idea of how a local home looks , you still won’t know how it feels. You won’t get to experience sipping butter tea boiled over a traditional bukhari . Nor will you feel the joy of getting to connect with someone born worlds away from you.

Whether you want to tend to crops on a rural Spanish farm or discover every corner of South Asian city via Couchsurfing , there’s a host out there for you! Unlike hotels which often provide quite stale experiences, staying with a host family is guaranteed to be more than just a place to rest at night. In fact, if you really do it right, you should come away from a homestay feeling like it taught you more about the destination than anywhere else you’ve visited.

Because that’s the whole point. Homestays give rare access into the daily lives and happenings of locals, and expose you to things you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Staying in homestays can lead to onward travel plans, hidden spots that only locals know, and real, long-lasting friendships!

Homestay vs Airbnb & Hotels: Homestay Advantages and Disadvantages

As with everything, there are definitely advantages AND disadvantages to staying in a homestay. 

Sure, Hotels and (private) Airbnbs might be able to provide you with more privacy and luxury. But they’ll never be able to compete with homestays when it comes to real, immersive travel experiences.

But while I like to think the positives of homestays far outweigh the negatives, here are some realities to be aware of before you book homes from local hosts.

• Cultural immersion like no other
• Homecooked meals
• Ability to make long-lasting friendships
• Getting to go to local spots you wouldn’t know about otherwise
• Usually budget-friendly or even free
• Language learning
• Little to no privacy
• Homestay families may set rules or curfews
• Some working homestays might require a lot from you
• Possible safety concerns
• Homestays aren’t available everywhere
• A host can cancel last minute

If you’re traveling in a country like Pakistan or India, finding a host family can literally be as simple as stepping outside or hopping on a local bus. Seriously, it’s happened to me dozens of times by now!

But for more traditional locales, using one of the following websites is surely the best way to find your homestay.

The Best Homestay Websites

The way you find your host family will be as unique as the stay itself as there are a LOT of different ways to discover homestays these days. “Official” local homestays are often listed on popular booking sites. However be extremely nitpicky with these, as it’s not unheard of for regular hotels to call themselves homestays these days.

Homestay.com

There’s also Homestay.com . This site functions very much like Couchsurfing, but for nightly rates instead of just a yearly fee. Homestay.com states that it has “over 33,000 homes in 176 countries” so there’s certainly a hefty dose of variety there.

Like Couchsurfing, Homestay.com has reviews available for each host and a full description of where and with whom you’ll be staying.

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is perhaps one of the best homestay websites to find “real” host families. For just $14 a year, you have full access to the platform, which can connect you with locals and their homes all over the globe.

Couchsurfers can be found all over the globe. And while you might have to stay on an actual couch, many hosts have separate private rooms for surfers.

What makes the platform so great is that it breeds authenticity. Hosts are not paid for accommodating travelers, so you can be sure that anyone on the platform is genuinely looking to make friends. Plus it’s a platform with slow travelers in mind. I once stayed with a host for over a month!

It’s important to note that “real” Couchsurfing is not possible everywhere. In most American and Western European cities, it’s become more of a hookup service instead of a form of cultural immersion. Couchsurfing is definitely at its best in offbeat travel destinations . 

Volunteering at Homestays

Worldpackers, Workaway, and WWOOF are the world’s most popular ways to find working homestay options.

These gigs tend to be semi-long-term, and usually include free food as well. Altogether, the 3 sites have such a wide variety of jobs to choose from that virtually any traveler will be able to find something appealing.

Booking.com

While primarily for finding hotels, you can also find traditional local homestays with signs and designated spaces for travelers on Booking.com. 

Make sure to read the reviews very carefully to ensure that the listing is ACTUALLY a homestay. Keep in mind that there are many destinations where you won’t be able to find any at all. In that case, Couchsurfing should be able to come in handy. 

Airbnb is unique in the travel accommodation game. And it’s yet ANOTHER way to find a homestay. “Private” and “Shared” room options sometimes mean you’ll be sharing the space with locals. You still have to carefully read reviews though–not all listings in these categories provide the type of stay you’re likely seeking.

Good, old-fashioned word of mouth is another way to find kick-ass homestays. The best homestay I’ve ever experienced was mentioned in casual conversation by another traveler. 

Types of Homestay Accommodation

No two homestays are the same, but there are definitely distinct categories of home stays you should be aware of. These days you’ll also find platforms like Fairbnb that are supporting social projects and local communities. Let’s get into it:

Ever heard of Worldpackers, Workaway, or WWOOF? If so, you know where I’m going with this. But in case not: let me explain. These three platforms connect travelers with jobs all over the world.

The set-up is simple: travelers get free food and accommodation in exchange for working an agreed-upon job. This type of homestay ensures you still get the local accommodation experience. It also helps you to contribute to a local project at the same time.

Local homestays can often be found on hotel booking sites . Most commonly function either as an addition or a guest room on someone’s property. The key difference between a homestay and a hotel is the home element. While a budget guesthouse might also be run by a local family, a homestay means you will undoubtedly get to spend some or all of your stay in a place where a family actually lives.

The original homestay was literally finding a host off the street, usually via invite. This still happens in numerous countries today and I’ve had incredible experiences with hosts in India and Pakistan in particular.

Finding random hosts is undoubtedly the most “authentic” type of homestay experience if we’re being honest. Although that doesn’t mean all the other types of homestays aren’t also awesome.

Aside from finding random host families, you can also try Couchsurfing, which is a (mostly) free platform. It recently began charging a $14 annual membership fee, but the nights with your host abroad are completely free. Couchsurfing is still one of the easiest ways to stay with locals around the world, and you can do it pretty much everywhere.

Personally, this is my least favorite type of homestay and the only one on this list I do NOT recommend trying. While homestays traditionally cater to backpackers, more and more bougie “eco-lodges.”

Unless this is what you’re interested in, make sure you read ALL reviews to ensure they’re not just borrowing the word ‘homestay’. It’s also a fairly solid rule that genuine homestay experiences are under $20 a night, often with food included. If you see a rate above that, be very skeptical!

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So you can book an Airbnb practically anywhere in the world. And you can live the hostel life almost everywhere. But local homestays (not working ones, which can also be found pretty much anywhere) are best experienced in a select few regions. 

Asia, in particular, is the Queen of Homestay accommodation. Though you can find hosts on other continents, too. 

Thailand is one of the best destinations to experience “official” local homestays. As I mentioned, these types of homestays can often be booked online, and usually include a private room for guests to stay in.

As Thailand is one of the most popular backpacking destinations in the world, its tourism industry is quite developed and homestays are not hard to find! You can also find various working homestay projects to get involved in all over the country. 

Another iconic South Asian locale, Nepal is filled with friendly people and unique traditions that are best experienced inside of a home! The “trekker’s paradise” has dozens of registered homestays all over the country, with additional options on Airbnb and Couchsurfing.

To make the most of your experience at a Nepal homestay, look for homes in remote areas that might be difficult to stay in or access otherwise. 

It doesn’t get much easier than this to find a host family. I’ve stayed with locals while backpacking in Pakistan through random encounters, Couchsurfing, official listings, and even friends (or family) of friends. Heavy on the random encounters though!

Pakistanis are extremely hospitable to tourists, and this is the number one characteristic of a good homestay destination. 

The mountainous regions of Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan have some fantastic local homestays to choose from. My favorite is the Tourist Garden Inn in Mastuj. It’s a separate portion of a family’s home and has been helping adventurous backpackers since the ‘90s. 

Since it’s so easy to meet Pakistanis, and so many speak English, receiving an invite from a kind stranger is all but a guarantee. 

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India is filled with the aforementioned local homestay option. You can find particularly great ones in scenic areas like Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, the breathtaking Southern state dubbed “God’s Own Country.”

Like its neighbor Pakistan, you can expect to find breathtaking hospitality in India, which makes it yet another top pick for completely random homestays. India also has a thriving Couchsurfing scene. I’ve personally stayed with surfers in numerous cities throughout the country, and each experience highly, highly beat out what I could have found in nearby hotels.

If you plan on backpacking India , you should deffs at least download the Couchsurfing app. Look for places on booking sites that include the word “homestay,” and BE SURE they have descriptions and reviews that can confirm.

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Each homestay is just as unique as those who run it. But here are some common amenities that make homestays so special–and so different from hotels!

• Homecooked food – One of my favorite things about homestays is that they almost ALWAYS serve homecooked food! Whether or not the food is included in the nightly rate depends on each specific host, but you can almost guarantee you’ll be eating straight from your host’s kitchen!
• Cultural immersion – Why choose a homestay over a hotel? If no other reason appeals to you, allow cultural immersion to be that reason. Homestays allow you to connect with locals in ways you would never be able to in other options. They give you a chance to see how locals really live, and provide insights into traditions and cultures you can only get inside a real home.
• Space to chill – Homestays often mean amazing outdoor spaces. From massive gardens to surreal mountain views, to cool rooftop spots, hosts I’ve stayed with have had it all and more. Unlike hotels that often have no “chill space,” homestays have a knack for keeping open areas inviting and often trendy, too! 
• Affordable rates – While some commercialized homestays might not be budget-friendly, authentic homes are often priced with budget backpackers in mind. Some platforms like Couchsurfing are completely free! Homestays sometimes include at least one meal or extras like tea in the nightly rate, which is another benefit over hotels. 
• Daytrips – One of my favorite trips while traveling was only made possible thanks to the amazing hosts of the homestay I was staying at. They helped me arrange travel to a very remote region while traveling in Pakistan and connected me with more homes to stay in deeper in the valley. Homestay hosts are also known to show travelers around or offer trips to more difficult-to-reach locales. At the very least, your host can certainly help you plan onward travel!
• Real friendships! – Due to their intimate nature, homestays should be your go-to if you’re looking to make genuine local connections. Whether they’re a Couchsurfing host or an owner of an established homestay business, don’t count out your host becoming a legit friend.

While homestay-ing is generally safe, there’s obviously a difference between staying with a random family you met on the street and a registered homestay house. Solo female travelers in particular will want to forego staying with single men for the most part, unless they have a plethora of positive reviews from other women.

To have the safest homestay experience possible, only stay with hosts who have great feedback. Ignore those on Couchsurfing especially with little to no feedback.

Of course, the ultimate travel safety tip: go with your gut. Even if a place has a million positive reviews, if you arrive at a homestay and feel unsafe or uncomfy in any way, get out! You won’t have to see the person again, and safety is always more important than saving face.

Staying Safe at Homestays

Whether you’re heading to an official homestay that’s been stayed in thousands of times, or taking a chance on a completely random family, you’re going to want to protect yourself (and your wallet) from any potential mishaps. Regardless of which country you’ll be exploring, or how long you’ll be there, it’s always a stellar idea to have some good travel insurance !

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After spending many incredible nights in various homestays all over the world, I’ve found there are a few things you absolutely SHOULD do before staying with locals while traveling.

• Read ALL reviews! – Not all homestays have an online presence. For those that do, you’re definitely going to get real familiar with the review section. This is especially important if you’re traveling without a travel buddy .
• Note the location – Staying with a host family on the outskirts of a city can still make for a great time, but it can also hinder your experience as well if there isn’t any transportation. Of course, this doesn’t really apply to rural areas, where the goal is to be far away from civilization!
• Get recommendations from other travelers – Online booking sites have revolutionized the travel industry, and they’re super useful for finding homestays. But some of the best homestays I’ve had the pleasure of spending time in weren’t found online, but rather in conversation with fellow backpackers. Facebook groups about your destination are great places to start when you’re planning your trip . 
• Know what you’re getting into – Each and every homestay is different. Some might give you a private room. Some may be home to children, and still others might have plenty of cuddly animals running around. For the most rewarding experience, make sure you’re choosing a host who fits your travel style!
• Take advantage of every opportunity! – The whole point of a homestay is to fully immerse yourself into a brand new culture, while hopefully making some friends along the way. Spend as much time as you can in shared spaces, try all the food, and if a host invites you on an outing–go go go! 

Work and Stay With Locals Through Worldpackers!

If you’re looking for a more long-term homestay situation, then look no further than Worldpackers! I’ve already mentioned the concept of working homestays. 

Here at The Broke Backpacker, it’s our number one choice for volunteering abroad . In exchange for accommodation, food, and real cultural immersion of course!

Worldpackers connects travelers with local hosts and projects all over the world and has unique community features that beat out all competitors. 

Alternatively, Workaway is another fantastic platform for finding working homestays abroad.

Worldpackers: connecting travellers with  meaningful travel experiences.

What is a homestay?

Homestay accommodation is when you stay in a local home. It, therefore, becomes a cultural experience too. A homestay can take many forms, and may or may not be free.

What is a host family?

A host family is the family that owns the home or runs the homestay you’ll be staying in. This may be a large family, a couple, or a single person.

How is a homestay different from a regular hotel?

While you might still have your own private room in a homestay, unlike a hotel, a homestay is either attached to or in someone’s home. You’ll get to have home-cooked meals and have unique local experience and knowledge you won’t find from hotels, where workers are often not even locals.

Can you live in a homestay?

If you find a homestay you really like, you can certainly stay there as long as you’re allowed to stay in the country. Working homestays also provide a more long-term live-in experience.

What kinds of homes can you stay in?

Homestays come in all shapes and sizes. You can find homestays in the forms of mansions, shared rooms, and everything in between.

Homestays aren’t just a place to rest your head at night. They’re a place to truly get to know the people and the place you’re visiting in ways that could never happen from a hotel room. 

In 2019, I found a homestay in the nether regions of Pakistan’s Chitral district. What I thought would just be a short stay turned into an entire adventure with my host, along with a follow-up visit more than two years later. Now that’s the magic of homestays .

On yet another occasion, I ended up spending a total of 6 weeks with a host I met from Couchsurfing, which allowed me to experience some truly epic Pakistani festivals that I never would have known about otherwise. 

It’s for these exact reasons why homestays are so sweet. At their best, they allow you to genuinely connect with locals, and take part in aspects of their lives that hotels shield you from. Discovering amazing homes, and making lifelong friendships within them, have made for some of my favorite experiences on the road.

As great as hostels, traditional hotels, and private Airbnbs can be, they can’t quite beat out a killer homestay. Because if you do it right, a homestay can easily become a second home and the people who run it can turn into a second family. 

Now what are you waiting for?

Get out there and find an amazing homestay today! And don’t forget to be present once you get there. There’s so much to see and learn!

Samantha Shea

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I just experienced homestaying in the north region of Pakistan, i.e. Swat, Chitral, Gilgit, Hunza and Skardu and i have gathered heaps of experiences, tastes all traditional cuisines, made so many meaningful connections with people, land and culture. I am going to adapt it as my travel-style onwards. thanks for very kind words about Pakistani hospitality, it’s true worth-experiencing

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• INTELLIGENT TRAVEL

Homestays: The Joys of Exchange

I’ve only just begun to settle into my room in the Ecuadorian village of Tunibamba when I hear   a quiet knock on the door.

My host mother for the week—a middle-aged woman named Carmen Taya with glowing brown eyes and long black hair pulled back into a braid—stands outside in full traditional Kichwa dress, and she has a question: Would I like to help her with something?

I slip on   my sandals and follow Carmen into her concrete courtyard, where a huge pile of dried beans has been spread out on a sheet for us to sort. As we sit on the ground sifting and swapping stories, I assure her that during the four days   I have come to stay with her family, I would like to help out   as much as possible. Little do I know what she has in store.

Carmen and her husband Alonso Estrada are   one   of more than two dozen families from four indigenous Kichwa villages surrounding the city of Otavalo, Ecuador, that   are part of the homestay program of locally based tour operator Runa Tupari , which fittingly means “encounter with local people” in the Kichwa language.

The   Dutch nonprofit Agriterra helped Runa Tupari establish its first homestays, starting with eight families, in 2001. The aim was to create a way for travelers to stay in local communities, instead of merely passing through on their way to other parts of   Ecuador.

“Back then,” shares Runa Tupari’s marketing director Martin Baumann, “families had to be persuaded to take part. They couldn’t understand why anyone would want to come to their home. It took a lot of convincing for them to believe that people like getting their hands dirty.

“In 13 years, there’s been a complete change in attitude,” Baumann maintains. “It’s not only the extra income; it’s also that people are now much more confident and proud of their culture.”

For travelers looking to immerse themselves in a destination’s traditions and ways of life, homestays are a perfect entry point. They are the very definition of local travel, getting visitors on the ground as soon as possible and plunging them into the deep end of a new place.

In the past few years, I’ve stayed with several families around the world—from India to Turkey to a small island off the coast of Bali. Each time, the opportunity arose   spontaneously, after I arrived. Travel serendipity, I guess.

My homestay in Tunibamba would be the first I had sought out ahead of time. In the days leading up to my trip, I wondered if the experience would yield   the same sense of authentic connection.

I needn’t have worried. When our bean-sorting session concludes, Carmen leads me around her family farm, revealing   her endearing sense of humor and the bevy   of animals that call her fields home.

My Spanish skills leave much to be desired, but I’m grateful to understand a good deal   of what she’s pointing out—the guayaba and granadilla trees in her garden (guava and passionfruit), the three chickens and trio of cows patrolling the yard, and a snorting little pig named Chancho.

Only one thing puzzles me. “We have many cuy ,” Carmen   reports, a fact I dutifully note in my book, though I   have no clue what cuy means—perhaps the word for ‘chore’ I’ve yet to learn.

“Now we are going to collect herbs for the cuy,” Carmen continues in Spanish. Still, I remain in quiet confusion as   we fell a huge swath of   alfalfa with a sickle.

Only when we carry the basket overflowing with the flowering herbs into a brick-walled shed   do I come face to face with the mysterious cuy—no fewer than 40   guinea pigs stirring in their wire pens and squealing at the sight of dinner.

The   best part about homestays is that they’re a constant education—a chance to see another way of life in its natural expression, to pick up on rhythms   and   routines, and to be a part of them, if only for a time.

On my third morning in Tunibamba, I accompany Carmen and Alonso to a regular occurrence: a village-wide gathering called a minga . Held nearly every Saturday in a Kichwa village, mingas require someone from each household to work on a project that benefits the entire community.

“You never miss a minga,” Carmen says, explaining that mingas can involve building houses, cleaning streets and irrigation channels, or, as on this day, tending the town’s communal cornfields.

There are already at least 50 people at work when we arrive, spread out in groups across the furrows of fertile soil. The women wear hooded sweatshirts over long skirts and headscarves to protect them against the strong Andean sun, chatting away in Kichwa.

Armed with a hoe I’ve brought from Carmen’s house, I join the swiftly moving ranks. We work up and down the rows of young plants, teasing weeds away from the crops’ roots, so that at any given time we are moving toward one of two towering volcanoes—Mount Cotacachi to the west   and Mount Imbabura to the east.

As my bare feet sink into the cool, dark earth, my connection to this place and these people   takes root and begins to grow. By staying with Carmen and her family, I have been gifted the chance to step out of the shadows and play an active role in their community.

It’s hard to believe that just days earlier I’d never heard of Tunibamba. Now, with skin covered in dirt and dust and sunscreen and palms burning with blisters, I’m finding it harder to imagine ever leaving.

These experiences are not always comfortable or easy; indeed, as I spend the week pulling weeds, peeling potatoes, and feeding the cuy, I’m struck by how eager I am to help out with tasks I actively avoid back home. Each   chore and conversation brings me a step closer to understanding their culture—and better yet, by participating and engaging, I slowly transition from outsider to included guest.

And just as I am eager to drink up every detail of daily life in my temporary home, so too are my hosts curious about me.   Throughout my time with them, Carmen and Alonso frequently ask me about life back in Virginia,   where I am from.

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“Do you also grow corn there?” Alonso asks as we work in their fields one afternoon, and I am delighted to tell him that I grew   up helping my grandfather with his garden.

Baumann   emphasized that one of the most valuable byproducts of homestay programs is cultural exchange. “One day someone from Finland comes, the next day someone from Japan,” he said. “These families don’t have a chance to travel very often, but this way, they have the world in their home.”

They have the world in their home, and then we bring home the world—memories of showering in rainwater   in Bali, preparing dinner in Turkey, or tending a cornfield in Ecuador, as well as the families who opened these worlds to us.

On my final night in Tunibamba, I sit with Carmen and Alonso around their kitchen table, a pot of verbena-infused tea steeping between us as we reflect on the week.

“The next time you return to Ecuador, you have a home,” Alonso says. “You go from Quito to Otavalo to our house, okay?”

I raise my cup of tea to him and Carmen with a smile and say, “Okay.”

Candace Rose Rardon   is a writer and sketch artist with a passion for storytelling who   recently released her first book,   Beneath the Lantern’s Glow . Follow her story on her blog,   The Great Affair ,   on   Twitter   @candacerardon ,   and on Instagram   @candaceroserardon .

> More From Candace:

• Discovering Colombia’s Lost City    
• The Power of (Not) Unplugging  
• Travel Sketching: A Manifesto

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The Rise of Homestays: How They’re Redefining Travel Experiences

Over the last decade, homestays have taken the...

Erica De Silva

January 5, 2024.

Over the last decade, homestays have taken the world by storm. What was once a niche idea has since become a popular form of lodging for thousands of eager travelers. Individuals from the biggest and most exciting cities in the world are opening their homes and embracing human connection like never before.

Whether you’re traveling for work, leisure, or school, a homestay is a great way to create friendships and get to know a new town. They offer a unique and intimate insight into a new place at a fraction of the cost of most hotels, Airbnbs, or apartments.

This article will explore the many benefits of homestays and how they’re redefining the travel industry.

What Makes a Homestay So Special?

Homestays offer an opportunity for individual or group travelers to stay with a local family for an affordable fee. This allows travelers to not only experience a new place but it allows them to build new relationships. While the idea of a homestay is hardly a new idea, it has become increasingly popular within the mainstream travel industry.

But what makes choosing a homestay so special for travelers? Here are just a few reasons.

Learn About a New Culture

One of the most interesting parts about traveling is getting to experience life from a different perspective. When traveling abroad, it’s easy to experience a bit of a culture shock. New food, new social habits, and new expectations can be jarring for some.

By staying with locals, you have a unique opportunity to learn all of the unique details that make their culture great.

Experience Great Home Cooked Meals

Unlike staying at a hotel, Airbnb, or apartment, homestayers could potentially experience delicious, home-cooked meals from their hosts.

When traveling, it can be difficult to find good local food. Most people become dependent on internet reviews or walk into a random restaurant. While you might get lucky, it’s unlikely that you get a true understanding of the local cuisine. Eating out every night can also prove to be a very costly endeavor.

Learn a New Language

Traveling abroad often means learning a new language. Most people can pick up a few key phrases while they travel, but most fail to practice the language conversationally. Therefore, staying with a local family offers a fantastic opportunity to hone your language skills.

Evidence suggests that the best way to learn a new language is to use it in various contexts. Practicing daily with people who know the language intimately is a great place to start!

Homestay Travel is Much Less Expensive

One of the biggest selling points of homestay travel is the price. While some travelers prefer the privacy of a hotel room or apartment, they tend to be a much more expensive form of lodging. In many cases, choosing to rent a place comes with additional expenses like wifi, room-meal packages, cable/electric, laundry, and much more. Additionally, food costs can also pile up, causing you to have a shorter trip than you might have hoped.

Staying with a host family allows you to spend money in other ways, effectively making your trip longer and more eventful.

A Homestay Can Make Everyday Life Easier

A homestay can help travelers adjust to everyday life more quickly. Simple necessary things like doing laundry, going grocery shopping, acquiring transportation, or finding a drug store can be a hassle on your own. When at a homestay, your host family can offer suggestions and even help you acquire what you need.

While these things may seem straightforward, they are often more difficult in a new place. Ultimately, host families can be your business support system while you make the transition.

You Can Build Lifelong Friendships

Living with people you don’t know can create a special bond. By sharing space, food, and stories, choosing a homestay may give you much more than you anticipated. Unlike more conventional lodging, a homestay offers more than just a place to stay. It can create unexpected experiences and help to form new friendships.

Another unintended consequence of staying with a local family is that you could create a home away from home. Overall, the friendships you build during your stay may awaken opportunities for future stays.

Are You a Student Looking for a Homestay? Choose StudentRoomStay Today

Are you looking for a new adventure? Are you a student seeking a soft, supportive landing spot in a new place? Let StudentRoomStay be your guide!

At StudentRoomStay, we aim to help travelers and students find homes in an unknown land. We are devoted to finding the perfect host family for you – one that will welcome you with open arms and make your transition smooth and easy.

We understand how stressful traveling can be. That’s what makes a homestay so special. Rather than being alone, a host family can ease you into the new culture, show you the best restaurants, and so much more. With StudentRoomStay, you can create a beautiful home away from home!

Ready to get started? Explore our homestay options and start your journey today!

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What is a homestay? Unlocking the local experience with Worldpackers

Explore the world of travel with us as we delve into 'What is a Homestay?', its benefits, how it works, and tips for an amazing stay.

Worldpackers Worldpackers

Mar 12, 2024

Ever wondered what is a homestay? Picture this: you're exploring an unfamiliar city, but instead of staying in a sterile hotel room, you're sharing meals and stories with a local family. 

It's not just about having an affordable place to sleep—it’s about cultural immersion and genuine connections .

Your hosts are eager to share their world with you—local cuisine at the dinner table, secret spots off the tourist trail—and help guide your journey. 

It transforms more than just staying; it's about truly living and experiencing life like a local. Keep reading to discover what a homestay is and everything you need to know about it

• Also, take a look at:  Explore house sitting jobs for affordable travel  and  Japanese homestay: live a cultural immersion for free .

What is a homestay?

Staying with a local family while you travel is what's known as a homestay. But it's more than just an accommodation option. It’s about making friends and getting immersed in the culture of the place.

In a nutshell, a homestay involves spending time living with host families who open their homes to travelers from around the world. 

These can be individuals or even entire families wanting to share their home and lifestyle with guests seeking genuine travel experiences. This immersive experience allows one to gain valuable insights into local customs . 

It also provides firsthand knowledge of language skills when traveling abroad to places where English isn't commonly spoken, helping to break down potential language barriers. 

Benefits of a homestay

Now that you know what a homestay is, let's explore its advantages. Homestays offer a myriad of benefits for travelers , whether they're on vacation, relocating, learning a language, or seeking a long-term "home away from home." Let's delve into these advantages:

Genuine travel experience

Homestays offer more than just affordable accommodation; they provide real experiences that typical tourist trails miss. 

Staying with a local family allows guests to delve deep into the local culture and lifestyle . Plus, hosts often have unique interests and hobbies, adding another layer of richness to your journey.

It lets you taste homemade meals not found on city break menus while gaining insights about hidden gems around town from people who know it best.

Building relationships

Staying with a host family offers a unique opportunity for travelers to forge lasting relationships and friendships with locals , significantly enhancing their overall travel experience. 

Local knowledge

Your homestay hosts serve as living guidebooks brimming with knowledge about their locale. 

From advising on lesser-known attractions off the beaten path to helping navigate currency exchange rates or language barriers - they've got you covered.

Their recommendations are far more personalized than any internet browser could give. 

They'll tell tales behind historic sites, share their favorite eateries away from crowded hotspots and even teach some phrases in the foreign language spoken locally.

Cost-effective

Homestays can be more budget-friendly than hotels or serviced apartments, making them an excellent choice for travelers seeking affordable long-term accommodation.

Language learning opportunities

For those looking to improve their language skills, homestays are an excellent option. 

Living with native speakers allows for constant language practice and faster language acquisition .

Safe and secure

Homestays are typically safer and more secure than some other forms of accommodation , as travelers are living with a local family who can provide guidance and support.

How to choose a homestay

Selecting the right homestay is a crucial decision that can greatly influence your travel experience. To help you make an informed choice, consider the following factors when deciding on a homestay:

• Research the location: Determine where you want to stay. Consider factors like proximity to attractions, public transportation, and safety .
• Understand your goals: Define your travel goals. Are you looking for cultural immersion, language learning, or a comfortable place to stay?
• Read reviews and ratings: Check online reviews and ratings from previous guests. This can provide insights into the host's hospitality and the condition of the property.
• Evaluate host profiles: Review the profiles of potential hosts. Look for details about their family, interests, and expectations from guests.
• Communicate with hosts: Reach out to potential hosts with questions about the homestay. Clear communication is essential to ensure expectations align.
• Check amenities: Consider the amenities offered, such as Wi-Fi, meals, laundry facilities, and private or shared accommodations.
• Cultural compatibility: Assess whether the host family's lifestyle and values align with your own. This can contribute to a more harmonious experience.
• House rules and expectations: Understand the house rules and expectations set by the host, including any curfews, guest policies, or specific responsibilities.
• Trust your instincts: Ultimately, trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right or if you have doubts about a particular homestay, consider other options.

Stay in a homestay for free using Worldpackers

You might be asking, "What's the secret sauce that lets me stay at homestays without breaking my bank?" Well, let us introduce you to Worldpackers , your golden ticket to free homestays .

Understanding work exchange opportunities

The magic behind this idea is simple: work exchange . You offer some of your skills and time helping out around the place and voila! Your accommodation costs are covered.

No matter if it’s gardening, teaching languages or social media marketing – there’s a chance someone needs exactly what you can give. 

Remember though- as amazing as this sounds, Worldpackers isn’t just a free ticket to travel. It’s about cultural exchange and making connections with your hosts. This means spending time getting to know them, their routines and even learning from them.

Note: The type of work required varies greatly depending on the host family but generally includes light tasks like housekeeping or cooking meals.

Exploring homestays through Worldpackers

A world full of options awaits as you dive into the diversity offered by WorldPackers' platform. Whether it's living with locals in a quaint Italian village or experiencing life off-grid on an organic farm in Australia - these opportunities abound.

In addition to international travel experiences, there are also countless local options available right within our own country . Perfect for those who want to explore more domestically while keeping their wallets happy.

Are you curious about the homestay opportunities you can find with Worldpackers? Here's a glimpse of 10 exciting opportunities around the world:

1. United States

Immerse yourself in American culture by staying with a host family in the heart of the U.S . Spend your time assisting with daily tasks and looking after their dogs while living with a family in Seattle. 

Seattle is a wonderful city to use as a base for exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest. The family resides in the University District, which is conveniently within walking distance of parks, grocery stores, and public transportation.

The exchange consists of 16 hours of volunteering per week in exchange for accommodation and all meals .  Check more details here .

Experience India's rich and diverse culture through a homestay with the Bihar Project. The project's primary objective is the development of an affordable, sustainable housing prototype in a town dealing with waste management and a rapidly expanding population.

In this role, participants have the opportunity to contribute their skills in childcare, animal care, gardening, and maintenance. 

The exchange program involves 20 hours of work per week in exchange for accommodation and meals . For more details, click here .

3. Australia

Explore the Land Down Under while living with an Australian host family. 

If you're interested in renewable energy, water conservation, and sustainability in general, consider staying with that family that resides in the heart of the Australian rainforest . 

There, you can assist with maintenance, construction, and painting. The exchange involves 25 hours of volunteering per week in exchange for accommodation and all meals .  Check more details here .

4. United Kingdom

Discover British traditions and way of life through a UK homestay. Volunteer in Family Home with many dogs and a productive garden. 

Their home is a wonderful place to reside as part of their family. They spend ample time together, both working and socializing. 

For dog enthusiasts, their home is a paradise , and for those who cherish the countryside, it's a perfect match. If one enjoys staying active and engaged, their home is an excellent fit.

The exchange involves 25 hours of volunteering per week in exchange for accommodation and all meals . For more details, click here .

Enjoy the beauty of Canada and connect with Canadian hosts. Assist with household tasks while living in a rural home situated on a small lake with a Canadian family. 

They also have a diverse array of animals, including pigs, chickens, dogs, cats, and bunnies, making a love for animals a crucial quality for anyone interested in becoming a part of their household.

The exchange involves 18 hours of volunteering per week in exchange for accommodation and all meals .  Check more details here .

How about living in the heart of Puebla, Mexico, while working in a 17th-century mansion ?

This homestay is located in the Historic Center of the City of Puebla, a highly culturally rich area with all types of businesses, making it an ideal place to live. 

In this position, you can assist with various skills such as cooking, painting, organizing, among others. In exchange, you will receive accommodation and breakfast . Liked? Know more here .

Immerse yourself in Brazilian coastal culture. Assist with various tasks in a homestay and enjoy the nature around you. 

Over there, the volunteer would have plenty of activities to enjoy during their free time, such as hiking and exploring the nearby beaches .

The exchange consists of 25 hours of volunteering per week, and you receive accommodation, breakfast, and free hiking tours . For more details, click here .

7. Thailand

Experience an authentic immersion in Thai culture . Teach English to children and live life with a Thai family. 

This unique position offers an immersive experience for learning the Thai language, immersing in the local culture with monks , and assisting others in English empowerment within a community context. 

Furthermore, it provides an affordable and joyful way to travel and gain new experiences, conveniently located near Donmuang Airport for day trips to cultural destinations like Bangkok, Prathumthani, and Ayutthaya. 

In this opportunity, you can contribute with various skills such as teaching English, assisting with social media, and gardening for two hours a day. In return, you will receive accommodation and meals , in exchange for a fee to support the project.  Check more details here .

8. Guatemala

Experience a tropical paradise in Guatemala by living in a homestay while assisting at a local bar. 

It's a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the culture and beauty of this stunning destination.

In this position, you'll assist at the bar and reception for 30 hours a week, and in return, you'll receive accommodation as well as discounts on parties and drinks .

Check for more details here , or explore other opportunities in Latin America .

Dive into African culture and hospitality through homestays in different African nations. How about a homestay where you can help at a children's shelter in Kenya? 

If you are seeking a tranquil place abundant with natural beauty, Upendo Face Orphanage is an ideal choice for you. They are situated in a rural village, surrounded by nature and immersed in Maasai culture .

In this environment, you can assist with various tasks, including animal care, teaching English, childcare, and more. In return, you will receive accommodations and meals .  Check for more details here .

Ready to experience a homestay?

Now that you know what a homestay is and how it works, what do you think about experiencing it?

It's more than just an accommodation option. It’s about cultural immersion and making friends with locals . Your hosts are your guides, helping you navigate the local area while sharing their unique interests and insider knowledge. 

But it doesn't end there! You also get to experience life as they do , away from the tourist trail, and pick up some foreign language skills along the way.

Embrace this affordable accommodation alternative! Subscribe to the Worldpackers Community for free and start saving your favorite volunteer positions until you are ready to get verified.

Join the community!

Create a free Worldpackers account to discover volunteer experiences perfect for you and get access to exclusive travel discounts!

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Travel and Connection: What Homestays Have Taught Me About Responsible Tourism

I have a private Pinterest board of droolworthy hotels. A bucket list of cool designs in hip neighbourhoods. Each residence is an Instagrammable destination – could a visit to one of them finally blow up my reels?

They’re the quintessential places social media encourages us to desire, the type of haunt that entices one to splurge on a credit card to get ‘The Shot.’ But what’s a photo without real memories?

When I look back at the last few years of my colourful travel adventures, the trips that have connected with my soul on the deepest level, that I catch myself thinking about the most, and I’m not ashamed to admit: the trips that ‘changed my life’, are the days I spent at homestays, in the abodes of ordinary families.

Shared rooms, bucket showers, home-cooking, villages in the middle of nowhere with huge spiders, rich handicraft traditions and grocery shops that operate from the back of a van – this is what makes my travel pulse beat.

A homestay is an opportunity to have a real change of scenery to break up the routine of everyday life.

You’ll step into what feels like unfamiliar territory, yet turns out to be completely natural. For human connection is the most natural of urges.

When you stay over at a stranger’s home that welcomes you into their family, feeds you their signature recipes and ensures your comfort is put above theirs, that experience affects you on a deeper level so it’s no surprise that this type of travel is also referred to as ‘deep travel’ – it’s more special, more real, and more a real flavour what what day-to-day life is really like, something which isn’t possible in a hotel.

These encounters also birth new friendships, ones you’ll treasure. On the surface, it may seem like their lives are different to yours, but their values may be similar.

My own values are to learn, grow and experience with every travel adventure I embark on. I don’t want to leave behind a footprint that dries in cement and changes the landscape. I want to give what’s helpful and respectful to the environment and its people, and not leave anything behind but warmth. 

It’s a value that aligns with the ideals of responsible tourism which I discovered when I spent some time living with two hill tribe communities in Northern Thailand.  

The value that comes from a homestay is economical, ecological, socially satisfying and rich in responsible tourism.

The first thing to admit was that homestays didn’t appeal to me until I ended up at one. My reason was selfish.

In my blog post Why I Travel, I explain that as a child I didn’t travel, except the odd daytrip and a couple of family visits to Bangladesh. My memories of those trips are sleeping surrounded by mosquitoes, using floor toilets and being fed unappetising local specialities like cow brain (which looked like scrambled eggs but tasted rotten.)

I felt like I’d done my duty of ‘roughing it.’ In my defense I was a kid oblivious to the fact I was insulting my own family’s way of life.

When I first embarked on my solo travels though I initially stuck to backpacking on a budget, I couldn’t bring myself to stay in a homestay.

Turns out this was one of my foolish phases. I’ve since realised the flaws in my thinking. The benefits of staying in a homestay while you’re travelling far outweigh any concerns.

It was looking back at the pages of my travel journal that led me to realise how enriching and powerful a homestay experience can be, so it’s only fair to share…

5 things I learned from staying at homestays

What is a homestay.

Not sure what a homestay is, wondering how one works or whether it’s for you? Well, grab a cuppa’ and get comfortable. I’m about to take you on an adventure that involves culture, crafts, food, rituals and even a wedding.

1. EAT LOCAL – the joy of sustainable home cooking

When I got wind that winter melon was on the menu for lunch I hotfooted it straight to the kitchen. I first sampled the juice at an airport in East Asia and since then, every time I see a carton, I reach for it. Its sweet dark, earthy flavour served cold conjures up holiday memories.  

Just like it’s been reported that some British children don’t know that meat comes from animals, I hadn’t realised winter melon was an actual edible vegetable.

Being in Thailand, I assumed I’d be eating Pad Thai most days. On the flight over I watched a film by the tourist board about the dish which claimed you’re never far from one because it’s eaten everywhere. Talk about naivety.

Nothing I ate at the Akha or Dara-Ang homestays was Thai in origin. The Akha have Chinese roots and the Dara-Ang mostly come from Myanmar. Their meals didn’t contain any form of processed ingredients. This was organic feasting at its finest, eating seasonal produce from the garden. Green leaves and vegetables were the staple, served with plump rice grains.

Because it’s grown on-site in the homestay gardens, only what’s needed is picked and shared.

The winter melon slices floated in a slightly seasoned broth which tasted delicate and clean. Though we ate as a group, tucking into a spread of healthy home cooking, I kept the winter melon in close proximity to me, savouring every mouthful before polishing it off.

Eating in season hits differently. It’s food that’s meant to be consumed in the here and now so it tastes how nature intended. Because it’s grown on-site in the homestay gardens, only what’s needed is picked and shared. This is one of the takeaways I took from my visit – being aware of food waste – something I want to be more conscious of.

Items that need to be bought are delivered by van each morning so there’s no requirement to go to the shops; they come to you. Bread and cans of condensed milk are sold from the boot. The more mouths there are to feed when tourists like me come to stay, the more rewarding the business becomes for the local entrepreneur who sets off early each morning to ensure neighbouring villagers have their breakfast supplies.

Most villagers, including the family I’m staying with work in local banana plantations; the homestay income is additional to their regular salary, boosting their finances and the village’s too – which means a Wi-Fi connection. We might be in the middle of nowhere, but communication with the outside world is available when it’s needed.

2. SLOW LIVING – pondering life while waiting for water

Kit who up until now had been our faithful and quiet driver for the week suddenly came into his own when he arrived at the village. It’s a place he regularly brings visitors to so though he’s not an original resident, he’s been adopted.  

He captivates us each morning with his pineapple carving skills, and at night when the rest of my tour group head to bed early, he takes me to sit and hang out with the locals, inviting me into their homes and insisting I try various snacks. Sometimes we communicate in mime and other times, he surprises me with his broken English.

The bonus of a bucket wash is that you only ever use the exact amount of water you need

He also adopts the role of being the shower assistant, each morning overseeing the boiling of the water, carrying the kettle to fill buckets and then double-checking the outdoor showers for cockroaches before I step inside.

It’s slow travel for those not in a rush and it’s welcomed. It’s also so far removed from the ‘dash in, dash out’ washes I usually start my day with, where more hot water is heated than I’ll ever need. Here, bathing in cold water carried from pumps is the norm but there’s no feeling of shame about being the outsider wanting hot water.  

The bonus of a bucket wash is that you only ever use the exact amount of water you need – there’s no waste,  so no extra pressure is put on the village’s resources. They share what they have and it’s enough.

3. PRESERVING CULTURE – exploration, not exploitation

When you’re a tourist or traveller, the foreign gaze is amplified in certain situations. One of them is when you attend a cultural show like a dance. It’s hard to know whether performances are laid on simply as a tourist attraction or whether they are genuine traditions. Regardless of the answer, I can’t help but be drawn to the costumes, outfits and accessories. I love arts, crafts, fashion and style so dress-up and seeing people dressed up will always appeal, but I still have to stop and think whether I’m doing a positive thing by going to an event.

For the Akha community there’s a genuine pride and excitement in dancing and while it’s clear they organised an evening of entertainment to coincide with the trip I was on, it wasn’t just for our benefit.

Sharing cultural traditions without modifying them for visitors is a way of staying connected with roots and each other, and that’s what I experienced one Friday night in the Akha village where all the women and girls dressed up, lit a bonfire, sang songs and danced around it, inviting female visitors to do the same.

Giving people an opportunity to show their skills publically is beneficial on so many levels from raising confidence to boosting knowledge and if tourism can help that happen it’s a positive outcome.

4. SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS – economic growth at ground-level

After explaining at the beginning that I wasn’t keen on homestays when I first started travelling, I finally stayed at my first one after seeking out an opportunity to visit somewhere I could also learn about a local craft. The two hilltop homestays in Northern Thailand that I chose offered craft classes where I could learn traditional jewellery-making and weaving techniques. These are both skills practised by the communities. They haven’t been designed to occupy tourists, they’re local knowledge that’s being shared regardless. It’s a bonus that outsiders want to participate, it contributes to a secondary income in the form of workshops and the selling of handmade goods.

This creates a cycle of sustainability: teaching a skill keeps knowledge alive which conserves culture while boosting the economy. It’s one way to be a responsible tourist, being of tangible use to the community.

I explain more about the benefits of supporting local artisans by shopping for handmade crafts directly from maker/designers rather than at the airport in a separate blog post – do have a read to get a better understanding of why supporting crafts is so valuable.

At the Akha homestay, I wonder in awe at the intricate metal accessories worn by the women as part of their indigenous costumes. We’re shown how to make a pair of beaded earrings using coins and an intricate homemade device which consists of a thin wire attached to a wooden frame which when spun around, twists feathers into more manageable materials. I’ve never seen a contraption like it. It’s homemade like many of the innovations I see during my visit. Another example of learning how to be more responsible in my own life, making do with materials I have at home rather than buying new.

teaching a skill keeps knowledge alive which conserves culture while boosting the economy.

At the Dara-Ang homestay, I spend two days weaving a bag using a backstrap loom. My mind is blown by the choice of colours and embellishments on offer. The vibrant pompoms and glass beads look like high-end couture but this isn’t a design devised for tourists, these are the actual temple bags won by men and women in the village.

Showing tourists how to make them is a way for the women to take control of the finances. Selling products to passersby and tour groups has allowed the women to purchase a sewing machine which assists them with product development.

5. CELEBRATING COMMUNITY – connection makes the world a better place

Staying with two indigenous communities that have their own language meant that translation apps were redundant and that’s a good thing. Observing and finding your own way to communicate is far more enjoyable than trying to have a conventional conversation.

The day I arrived at the Dara-Ang village, preparations were underway for a wedding, due to take place the next day. It turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, to witness the entire community come together to perform a ritual that has been witnessed by few.

I think back to all the quintessential tourist activities I’ve done, like watersports, dolphin-watching, trips to flume parks and horse-riding – activities that can come at a cost to the land. They provide jobs and opportunities but they also put pressure on resources.

Alternatively, staying at a homestay was giving me an insight into a way of life I’d never seen before, where no concessions for made were made for visitors, the spectacle simply unfolded.

You can’t ask for a more rewarding travel memory than that.

Homestays for beginners

How to find a homestay.

You’ll typically find homestays in remote destinations, further out from cities, ‘off the beaten track’ if you will, but they’re easier to find than they sound.

Here are some ways to find a homestay:

Book with a tour operator

Smaller, local tour operators in the destination you’re visiting tend to offer the chance to stay in a private home, but you’ll need to do the research on this depending on where you are. If you’re booking with a larger tour operator like Intrepid Travel or G Adventures some of their trips include homestays, check the itinerary before you book.  

Use accommodation websites

Airbnbs and Booking.com have homestays listed along with more traditional accommodation like hotels and apartments. Search by location and accommodation type to see the options. 

Explore travel networking communities

From Couch Surfing to BumblebeeFF and Host a Sister, there are a host of ways to find a ‘host’ to stay with in their own homes. It suit travellers who are open and flexible. Some people like to plan their itinerary in advance, others like me don’t. If you’re happy to be flexible and go with the flow, when you connect through a community, you won’t just find somewhere to sleep, you’ll also be invited to spend time with them, experiencing local life through their eyes.

Chat with people at your destination

Again, this works best if you have space in your itinerary for a change of plans. Speak to locals and get recommendations from other travellers. This type of approach can lead to all kinds of unexpected experiences. In Kenya I was having breakfast in a café when I got chatting to a gentleman who insisted I come to his family house for a traditional meal, cooked by his wife. It was the most delicious meal I had on the trip.

What to expect at a homestay

The best experiences happen to those who are open-minded and willing to step out of their comfort zones. This includes sleeping arrangements which will most likely be communal, washing facilities, you may have to get by without a Western-style toilet and are open to new flavours – get ready to try food you may not have eaten before.

You can’t rely on timings going to plan or there being transport; there may not even be electricity. What you will get instead is companionship and communication. You may not know someone’s language but you will experience their love language to strangers. If you’re willing to sit, observe, join in and take part, the rewards are far greater than an entrance to a tourist attraction.

Mixing up homestays with hotels or other types of accommodation is a great way to get accustomed to how they work – but take it from me; no hotel will ever have the charm, character and connection that you’ll feel when you decide to book a homestay. There’s nothing else like it.

Happy travels.

PHOTOGRAPHY: NOEL BESUZZI

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City breaks with a twist: the world's best homestay experiences

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1. New York City

5. melbourne, 8. los angeles, 10. auckland.

Why struggle as a stranger in a foreign land when you can opt to travel as a friend in a familiar city? Homestays offer a more intimate alternative to traditional hotels that, with the help of a friendly host, can showcase the soul of a city shielded beneath the mask of a modern megalopolis.

In our last feature, we revealed the best cities in Europe to try a homestay . Here, we look at the best cities from around the world, from Toronto to Tokyo, and what to look forward to when you're prepared to swap the hotel mod cons for a spare room in a local's home.

From Brooklyn to The Bronx , The City That Never Sleeps strikes an electrifying chord composed of the shrieks of sports venues, cries of concert halls, whines of office workers and the drunken babble seeping from the city’s bars. A homestay in the Big Apple can help you escape from the claustrophobic cluster of hotels surrounding Midtown Manhattan and have you dancing to your own beat. Options include the arty maritime neighbourhood of Red Hook , the bustling backstreets of charming Chinatown or slow-paced Inwood , home to acres of peaceful parkland where the city’s howl dims to a pleasant hum.

That iconic snap of Sydney – the sun spilling over cocktail-swilling crowds swarming the hallowed harbour that reflects the resplendent opera house in its calm waters – can promote an image of Australia’s largest city as somewhat one dimensional. Mixing with locals in a homestay can awaken guests to the city’s myriad of exciting activities. Visitors can sink into a salt-water swimming pool, swerve through the city on a Segway or attempt that most archetypal of Aussie activities: surfing (not barbecuing).

Canadians are renowned for their hospitality, and in Canada’s largest and most multicultural metropolis it can be beneficial to have a host help cut through the city’s modern veneer. A recommendation for the best exhibits in the monolithic Royal Ontario Museum, one of the largest museums in North America, could very well turn into a day out that sees you sampling Queen Street ’s sloppiest poutine and scoring rink-side tickets to witness the Maple Leafs, Toronto’s professional ice hockey team, carve up the ice. You’ve been warned.

Royal Ontario Museum © Gary Blakeley/Shutterstock

Culture shock is Tokyo’s forte. From sumos to kimonos, the megalopolis revels in reducing even the most accomplished globetrotter to a trembling timid tourist. A homestay can really ground the experience and offer an intimate insight into modern Japan, with friendly locals keen to showcase their unique culture to visitors. Expect to be shown the correct way to slurp soba from stalls at Ameya-Yokochō market, debriefed on the history of the Meiji Shrine , Tokyo’s most renowned Shinto structure, and, come nightfall, encouraged to sip sake and sing karaoke – the newest of Japanese traditions.

A hipster nirvana, Melbourne is continually crowned one of the world’s most liveable cities, and its stylish streets, swarming with bearded gents and girls garnered in vintage threads, has started to attract an increasing number of tourists over the last few years, enticed by the city’s idiosyncrasies. Things change quickly here, and securing the expertise of a local means you’ll have a greater chance of sampling the town’s trendiest venues. A glampsite on a rooftop? No problem. A charitable whisky bar? Of course. A vegan coffee shop filled with owls? Probably coming soon.

Melbourne's famous skyline from Southbank towards Flinders St Station © FiledIMAGE/Shutterstock

Part of LA’s appeal is the chance for the average traveller to rub shoulders with America’s high and mighty, and while your host is unlikely to be a movie star – at least a professional one – they are probably familiar with the city’s chief celeb hangouts. The Sunday morning Studio City Farmers Market is a good place to start, while a run around Runyon Canyon , popular with celebrity joggers, may result in sweaty small talk. If all else fails, see the stars of tomorrow at the excellent Upright Citizens Bridgade Theatre, where a number of America’s biggest comedic names started out.

Planning a trip to Los Angeles? Start preparing for your trip with our guide to the best accommodation options in Los Angeles .

Sandwiched between two handsome harbours, the City of Sails manages to squeeze a cultural cornucopia into its concentrated centre. Displays of Maori culture are on offer at the Auckland Museum, while ever-changing contemporary collections span the Wallace Arts Centre. But it is in its outskirts that Auckland excels, and with the luxury of private transport, a plethora of pilgrimages awaits. Chief among these is a visit to the wild and desolate West Coast surf beaches (and its wondrous wineries), just one hour from the city.

© Andrei Diomidov/Shutterstock

If you are looking for some ideas for your city breaks in Europe, explore our guide to the best European city breaks with rural escapes .

Homestay.com is a global homestays booking platform with a community of hosts and guests from around the world. They aspire to provide authentic travel experiences, where the hosts at the heart of a homestay offer the chance to live and breathe the local culture, make friends as well as memories, and explore destinations in a truly authentic way.

This feature was sponsored by Homestay.com; all content is editorially independent.

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A Sustainable Homestay Tourism and Its Prospects

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This chapter examines the sustainable homestay tourism and its prospects in the Uttarakhand Himalaya. Data on homestay facilities—registered units, total rooms and total beds at the district level, from 2017 to 2019, were gathered from secondary sources mainly from the UTDB, Dehradun. The income earned from homestay tourism and change in the homestay facilities was analyzed. The homestay facilities in urban and rural areas were separately discussed. The study reveals that the present status of the homestay facilities is very less however its potential is high. It has been observed that the development of homestay tourism in the Uttarakhand Himalaya will generate income, augment employment, and enhance rural livelihoods. This study suggests that the homestay facilities can be provided to the tourists/pilgrims in the tourists’ places/pilgrimages, mainly along the trekking routes, which are leading to the major highland pilgrimages and natural locales.

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Sati, V.P. (2020). A Sustainable Homestay Tourism and Its Prospects. In: Sustainable Tourism Development in the Himalaya: Constraints and Prospects. Environmental Science and Engineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58854-0_9

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Navigating Sustainable & Experiential Tourism

In a world grappling with the challenges of over-tourism and unsustainable travel practices, the need for responsible and community-led tourism has never been more evident. Recently, our team at CHN had the privilege of hosting a highly engaging session at Traditional Comfort, with PUM International Senior Expert Paul van Hek. As a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with 30 years of experience, Paul’s expertise in sustainable tourism development, particularly in India and surrounding countries, makes his insights invaluable. With the support of PUM International (Dutch Ministry of Trade and Development), we were able to collaborate and request Paul to share his wealth of knowledge on Trends in Sustainable & Experiential Tourism in the European and US markets for wider tourism stakeholders here in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Driving Sustainable Tourism: The Role of DMCs and Tour Operators

The workshop explored the critical responsibility that lies with Destination Management Companies (DMCs) and tour operators in shaping the future of travel. Recognizing the growing inclination of travelers toward more sustainable options, the session emphasized the need for industry players to diversify their products and actively promote responsible choices. As advocates for Community-Led Tourism (CLT) initiatives, our team sees this as a platform to amplify fair practices within the industry and encourage collaborative efforts to create solutions.

The session particularly emphasized Community-Led Tourism (CLT) in capturing the fast-growing market, highlighting its role in creating authentic, sustainable, and community-driven experiences. The key challenges identified during the session regarding community tourism include the need to enhance homestay services, standardize certifications, and elevate B2C & B2B marketing and sales efforts. With the market showing exponential growth, the focus was on overcoming these challenges through a disciplined sales process, emphasizing direct and challenging approaches, and ensuring ease of buying. Paul stressed the significance of being specific about differentiators, certifications, and collaboration possibilities in the B2B/trade sector. The overarching message was that aligning with experiential and sustainable tourism is pivotal for future success in the dynamic and expanding market.

Our team members highlighted the prevailing issues in the tourism sector, emphasizing the role of industry professionals in promoting local, community-led experiences. These experiences not only provide travelers with a deeper understanding of the destination but also foster cross-cultural connections and support small-scale enterprises rooted in the community.

The session attracted 43 participants, including 19 travel agencies (12 new, 7 existing), 2 tech companies, 3 homestays/accommodations, and 1 artisan. The diverse group actively engaged in group interactions and a Q&A session, showcasing a shared commitment to responsible tourism practices. The event served as a platform for local travel agents, tour operators, and DMCs to explore community-led tourism and gain valuable updates on sustainable and experiential travel trends in European and US markets.

CHN’s Vision: Leading the Way in Sustainable Tourism in Nepal

In conclusion, the insightful session with Paul van Hek has left a lasting impact on our team and participants. We are grateful for the opportunity to enhance industry knowledge and foster collaborative efforts for a more responsible and impactful future. As we navigate the evolving landscape of sustainable tourism, the shared commitment of industry professionals becomes the driving force behind positive change. Thus, we extend a warm invitation to tour operators and travel agents seeking to incorporate community-led experiences into their itineraries which, we believe, is the new horizon for tourism in the coming years. 

At CHN , we are dedicated to fostering sustainable and experiential tourism practices, and we welcome partnerships that align with our vision. To elevate your offerings with authentic, community-driven experiences in Nepal, we invite you to connect with us. Together, let us position Nepal as a hub for sustainable and experiential tourism, contributing to a more conscious and harmonious travel industry.

CommunityHomestay - Team

Community Homestay Network is a leading provider of authentic and immersive local travel experiences. We connect global travelers with real and authentic Nepal by letting them stay with the locals and experience a typical Nepali lifestyle. Our experiences are designed with the goal of leaving positive impact on the local communities and environment.

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Community Connect Redefining Responsible Tourism

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Panauti Tales: Unveiling History, Culture, and Cuisine

What sustains homestay tourism? Some thoughts

From wooden cottages to heritage cottages perked on cliffs, travellers are constantly seeking unforgettable travel experiences that provide a local flavour and a home away from home. It is no surprise that India’s homestay market has had a phenomenal growth , after the Covid 19 Pandemic. Homestay in a real sense gives a unique and varied  experience to the traveller  where they interact with the family of the host and get to know about their  culture. A host is always a great source of first-hand local cities knowledge,  by acting as a guide for the traveller, whether be a tourist attraction, local eateries, shopping or any kind of travel guidance/assistance. Most of the  times a stay at a homestay becomes a memory for the travellers, travelling from  other part of the country or a foreign country . Data shows that homestays are a viable option for travellers as well as entrepreneurs , implying demand and supply both growing and enlarging the pie or gross value added, in economic terms. India’s domestic travel market is around $ 35bn at end of 2023, as per rough estimates and 7% of that is homestay market  which is growing in double digits. With post pandemic foreign tourist arrivals surging from 6.4 million in 2022 to 9.3 million in 2023,  the homestay market would be sustained by both domestic and foreign tourists.

However, tourist satisfaction is integral to growth of homestay markets. And for that sustainability of homestay tourism is essential. This sustainability has to be three pronged: (a) Economic (b) Social and (c) Environmental. Economic Sustainability means income earning by the locals and income with equity and diversity. Economic Sustainability also means Infrastructural facilities like access to roads, availability of transportation, uninterrupted power & internet . Social Sustainability is ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ or treating tourists as God by the locals , following Indian culture and tradition . Environmental Sustainability is Environmental Protection and Integration of homestay with environment e.g. eating farm grown food, using waste as compost and zero pollution. We think decision-makers must be concerned with the social and cultural sustainability of the homestay. In order to increase tourism activity, host community must be given the opportunity to engage with travellers, get knowledge of the culture, and gain access to the history and culture of the place. Inadequately trained guides would not encourage tourist flow.  Also,  Safety of the visitors is highly important and for that structuring some homestay rules would be essential for a conducive environment. Finally, upgrading the host-guest communication, improving the enrolment and management of grievances, would lead to sustainable and growing tourism .  Placing a body to ensure fair communication and delivery of promised services would help.

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Home > Where to Stay & Eat > Homestays

Homestays are an incredible way to integrate with the local community . Tourists will have an authentic cultural experience and learn about the Timorese way of life. For those looking to make intimate connections with inhabitants of the island, we wholeheartedly recommend this option.  Hosts will organize meals including picnic lunches (if needed). While facilities will be basic, the families are warm and welcoming. Contact ATKOMA today to learn more about homestays.

Rui’s Homestay

Rui’s Homestay is in a cozy corner of Beloi, located nearby to the beach, market, and hiking trails. This is a perfect place to stay for couples, families, and lone travelers –no matter the size of your party, Rui and family will make sure you feel at home. You will have access to a shared […]

Moises Homestay

Moises’ Homestay is the perfect place to stay with the whole family! With two rooms available for guests, featuring two twin beds and one double bed, you can stay in the heart of Atauro on a budget. With three delicious meals prepared each day, a friendly family to greet you each morning, and the waves […]

Eliazer’s Homestay

Come and stay with the Eliazer family, a short walk from the Beloi beach, harbor, and market, where you can immerse yourself in local living and directly support a family on Atauro. Eliazer and his family are suco-famous chefs, with delicious meals prepared 3 times daily for his guests. Enjoy a tour around Vila and […]

Antonio’s Homestay

Antonio’s Homestay is located in Suco Beloi, near to the harbor and close to all main tourist attractions within the village. There are two rooms with double beds available for guests to stay in, as well as delicious meals served by Antonio and his family. You will feel like you’ve discovered your second home!

Estevão’s Homestay

Estevão’s Homestay is located in Suco Beloi. It is just a five-minute walk from Beloi Beach and one of the best places to stay and relax in Beloi at an affordable price. Estevão’s Homestay offers basic, clean, and comfortable rooms that are equipped with fans and mosquito nets. Choose full or half board during your […]

Yuli’s Homestay

Yuli’s Homestay offers affordable and comfortable rooms ranging from a single to a larger room with a private bathroom, which is not common at other homestays. Experience delicious home-cooked food (all the rice your heart desires, plus mixed green vegetables and a protein of fish, egg or occasionally chicken) and snacks (fried bananas, cassavas, and […]

Alda’s Homestay

Alda’s Homestay is located in Suco Beloi, just minutes from the beach: you can take full advantage of snorkeling on the beautiful coral reefs just offshore or squeeze in a dive organized by Alda. Alda’s Homestay offers clean and simple rooms, with your own private bed and space to unpack your belongings (in the likely […]

Pinorana Homestay

Pinorana Homestay is the only accommodation available in Bikeli. This homestay offers simple and quaint rooms and is easily accessible from the main road of Bikeli. It is an hour-long walk to Uaroana where you can swim and snorkel, stop for fresh coconuts, or shop for local handmade products (baskets, hats & wood carvings). Stay […]

Carlito’s Homestay

Carlito’s Homestay is the only place to spend a night in Anartuto (local known as Makadade). Enjoy a comfortable bed, simple home-prepared food, snacks, and experience Ataúro’s noncoastal community’s life, hiking, and trekking up to the peak of Manukoko mountain (999m) for sunrise and beautiful views of the island and the village. Make sure to […]

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Migrated Content

The three-day Green Jobs Forum held in Manado, conducted by the ILO and its partners, promotes sustainable tourism in North Sulawesi that preserves the environment, supports local livelihoods, and promotes responsible practices.

26 September 2023

Tourism sector is a leading sector in the province and this sector plays an important role in expanding job opportunities through green and blue jobs that pay attention to preserve the environment and the conversion of natural resources.." Olly Dondokambey, Governor of North Sulawesi

We hope to continue enhance and strengthen the collaboration, knowledge-sharing and innovative approaches among relevant stakeholders." Michiko Miyamoto, ILO Country Director for Indonesia

For further information, please contact:

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Creating green jobs and conserving natural capital through sustainable tourism: The case of North Sulawesi

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Grassland homestay cluster becomes driving force for development of grassland tourism in Inner Mongolia

This photo taken on May 10, 2024 shows a room of a grassland homestay on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In recent years, a grassland homestay cluster in Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a new driving force for the high quality development of grassland tourism. The cluster concludes homestays, hotels, libraries, bakeries, cafes, art galleries and other facilities with modern and traditional elements, providing a place for tourists to relax and enjoy the scenery of the Ulan Mod grassland. (Xinhua/Bei He)

A drone photo taken on May 10, 2024 shows a grassland homestay cluster on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In recent years, a grassland homestay cluster in Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a new driving force for the high quality development of grassland tourism. The cluster concludes homestays, hotels, libraries, bakeries, cafes, art galleries and other facilities with modern and traditional elements, providing a place for tourists to relax and enjoy the scenery of the Ulan Mod grassland. (Xinhua/Bei He)

This photo taken on May 10, 2024 shows a grassland homestay on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In recent years, a grassland homestay cluster in Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a new driving force for the high quality development of grassland tourism. The cluster concludes homestays, hotels, libraries, bakeries, cafes, art galleries and other facilities with modern and traditional elements, providing a place for tourists to relax and enjoy the scenery of the Ulan Mod grassland. (Xinhua/Bei He)

This photo taken on May 10, 2024 shows a grassland homestay sign on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In recent years, a grassland homestay cluster in Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a new driving force for the high quality development of grassland tourism. The cluster concludes homestays, hotels, libraries, bakeries, cafes, art galleries and other facilities with modern and traditional elements, providing a place for tourists to relax and enjoy the scenery of the Ulan Mod grassland. (Xinhua/Bei He)

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• Goa remains top, spiritual tourism remains hot, premium accommodations grow fast — MMT’s summer travel trends for 2024

Goa remains top, spiritual tourism remains hot, premium accommodations grow fast — MMT’s summer travel trends for 2024

Goa remains top destination and Ayodhya is catching up

Spiritual tourism shows no decline, travel behaviour during elections, growth in family and solo travel, mountains over beaches, these international destinations saw the highest growth, average travelling days, most booked domestic packages, mid-range is preferred but premium accommodations show the highest growth.

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Celebrity homestays are now open to public

Here are houses of some famous people that are open to the public..

Celebrity homes as tourist destinations are not new. Global aggregator Airbnb even has a new category called ‘Icons’ where it offers celebrity homes as homestays. Here are houses of some famous people that are open to the public.

RK Narayan’s house in Mysore

In 2016, the government of India converted author RK Narayan’s house in Karnataka’s Mysore into a museum. Narayan’s double-storey home in Yadavagiri has a collection of his works and several personal items on display. Known for the warm, evocative nostalgia in his classics such as Malgudi Days and his compassionate humanism, celebrating the ‘ordinary’ in his books and short stories, his Mysore house resonates with this simplicity. The white washed house built in 1952 is airy, sun-lit and spacious with red cemented floor, and is now maintained by Mysore City Corporation. The ground floor has a verandah and living room. The walls are lined with snapshots from his life and adorned with awards such as Padma Vibhushan.

Jamini Roy’s house in Kolkata

One of the most prolific painters of India, Jamini Roy’s house in Kolkata’s Ballygunge Place became the country’s first private artist museum last year. Located in a quiet leafy lane of Kolkata, his house used to be a convergence of creative minds as ‘adda’ who would come to visit Roy. Roy’s home was a place where he not only operated his studio but was also open to the public who wanted to view his work. In one documentary based on him, Jamini Roy: Portrait of a Painter, he is even seen painting his Christ series sitting in his garden. Roy is known for minimalist style of painting who ushered in the era of modernism and channelised his art through Bengali folk heritage having created 20,000 paintings in his illustrious five-decade career. After his death in 1972, his descendants continued to live in the building until it was acquired by DAG (previously known as Delhi Art Gallery) last year to convert the place into a private museum showcasing his life and work.

Jane Austen’s house in Hampshire

Best known for several of her novels including Pride and Prejudice (1813), English novelist Jane Austen’s cottage in Hampshire was her home and the birthplace of her six beloved novels. Her novels became popular worldwide posthumously and still resonate with contemporary readers. While she was born in 1775 in the United Kingdom’s Stevenson, her cottage in Hampshire’s Chawton was where she spent the last eight years of her life and published six of her novels. Her house is built in Victorian style where she used to live with her sister Cassandra. It still has several of her belongings. Jane Austen’s House Museum, established in 1947, was opened to the public in July 1949. It sees over 40,000 visitors every year.

Frida Kahlo’s house in Mexico

Famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s house, known as ‘Blue House’ or ‘La Casa Azul’, remains intact in the same manner as it was when she died. She was known for portraits, self portraits, and work that was influenced by Mexican artifacts and nature in a folk art style on identity, postcolonialism, gender, class, and race in Mexican society with autobiographical elements, mixed realism and fantasy. She got married to fellow Mexican artist Diego Rivera which she had described as one of two major accidents defining her life — a bus crash that left her shattered and bedridden for a year and marrying Rivera. Her house represents Kahlo’s life and passions with portraits of her heroes Lenin and Mao hanging over the bed, her clothes in the wardrobe, wheelchair by an unfinished portrait of Stalin and ashes in an urn on display. 

Ernest Hemingway’s house in Florida

Best known for his short novel, The Old Man And The Sea, American novelist and short story writer Ernest Hemingway’ house in the United States’ Florida is a visitor’s delight. Constructed in Spanish colonial style of architecture in 1851, it served as Hemingway’s home with his wife Pauline Pfeiffer for nine years from 1931 to 1940. His writing studio can be found inside the house where he produced the best of his literary works, including the non fiction Green Hills of Africa (1935), the 1936 short stories The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, and novels To Have and Have Not (1937) and Islands in the Stream (1970). It was converted into a private museum in 1964.

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Homestays: A community-based tourism model that works for people and planet

Since 2003, Blue Ventures has supported globally acclaimed community-based marine tourism experiences, which are both simple and effective: ecotourists generate secure and sustainable funding that allow for long-term community engagement with marine management. Instead of generating financial gains for shareholders, profits are channelled to support community-led grassroots conservation efforts that support people and nature alike.

International ecotourism has been an important catalyst for BV, our six-week volunteer diving expeditions laid the foundations of our work, providing seed funding for local conservation efforts and enabled a permanent presence at key sites in Madagascar, Belize and Timor-Leste. The data collected by volunteers helped inform local management, local employment and long-term presence of our team, built trust, and provided a platform to build a range of supporting community-based tourism products and services, such as homestays, that diversified livelihood opportunities, developed local capacity and boosted local economies.

Community homestays allow visitors the opportunity to stay with and experience the daily life of their host family. This often includes community-led tourist activities that offer an authentic insight into local knowledge, culture, and customs. We believe homestays can have an impact beyond the sum of their parts – being the catalyst for an ecosystem of small community-based businesses, building community resilience and providing a direct link between the health of the ocean and the people who rely on and want to visit it.

Read more about our approach to community homestays here .

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At least 6,000 fishers and 3,500 processors – mostly women – and sellers are active in the fisheries sector. Almost all artisanal-caught fish is sold and consumed locally, but fish from the distant-water industrial fleet accounts for 80% of exports from Cabo Verde.

BV works closely with the local NGO Fundaçao Maio Biodiversidade to support communities to use robust data to inform fisheries management and improve value chains. Our partnership has so far focussed on Maio island, but we have plans to scale this approach to at least five of the ten islands that make up the archipelago.

Unlike other countries in West Africa, there is no practice of community management in Cabo Verde, although there are a variety of community associations on the islands that represent fishers’ interests. BV is supporting partner organisations to strengthen the capacity of these groups to move towards the co-management of marine resources and the development of community-driven protected areas.

The Gambia’s coastline is only 80km long, but is home to a rich mangrove ecosystem that supports locally important fisheries. Sadly, much of the coastline has been devastated by sand and ilmenite mining, uncontrolled property development (including in protected areas), and a rapid ratcheting up of industrial fishing effort, largely to feed the country’s three fishmeal and fish oil factories. 

Our approach in The Gambia is to empower local actors including CETAG and Gambian Environmental Alliance to raise their voices against these drivers of environmental destruction, and find community-led solutions. BV is also working with the well-respected youth and women groups SANYEPD and Hallahin Women Oyster Farmers to help communities secure preferential access to fish and shellfish.

Fishing and the collection of shellfish is central to the lives of most coastal dwellers in Senegal, and seafood is part of almost every meal in the country. 

But massive overfishing by both industrial and artisanal fleets, as well as increasing exports of fishmeal for aquaculture, is threatening the way of life and food security in the country. As fish stocks dwindle, the staple National dish of Senegal “Thiebou Djeun” –  “Fish and Rice” – is becoming a luxury for many. 

Blue Ventures’ work in Senegal is focused mainly in the Sine-Saloum and Casamance deltas   of the country, home to hundreds of thousands of hectares of fish-rich mangroves. We have teamed up with Kawawana, Senegal’s oldest LMMA (known locally as APAC), to support the protection of 18,000 hectares of mangroves, and to help monitor and manage the rich fisheries they contain. Through our partners Nebeday and EcoRurale, we are also working with other communities, and especially women groups, to put in place community-based fisheries management systems, focusing particularly on the oyster and shellfish collection that are major sources of income in estuaries and deltas.

We’re new to Senegal but working to scale our communities-first approach to more partners and communities. We’re also aiming to build alliances with grassroots, national, regional and other like-minded organisations to advocate for better marine protection and to strengthen national inshore exclusion zones for small-scale fishers in which industrial fishing is restricted.

Guinea-Bissau

The West African country of Guinea-Bissau is home to the unique Bijagos archipelago, a network of some ninety mangrove-fringed offshore islands and extensive mudflats supporting large amounts of migratory bird species, as well as megafauna such as manatees, dolphins, and sea turtles. The Bijagos people continue to live a very traditional lifestyle, where the collection of marine invertebrates plays an important role in food security and cultural traditions. The country is also home to extensive mangrove-fringed river systems that support rich fisheries.

Blue Ventures has been working with Tiniguena , one of the oldest conservation groups in Guinea-Bissau, to support the establishment of the country’s first community-led MPA, in the Bijagos islands. Guinea-Bissau is a new venture for us, and we envision scaling to new partners and communities in the coming years. Our focus is on data-driven community-led management of fisheries, which are of enormous importance to coastal communities, in particular women.

Thailand’s small-scale fisheries are the cornerstone of social, economic and nutritional health for the communities living along the majority of the country’s nearly 3,000 kilometre coastline.

In the southernmost Trang province we are supporting communities reliant on nearshore fisheries − in particular for crab, shrimp and squid − in partnership with the Save Andaman Network (SAN). The region is renowned for its vibrant seagrass meadows and vast mangrove forests, which provide essential ecosystem services to coastal communities.  We’re providing training and tools to aid community- led fisheries monitoring and ecosystem management, and building community-owned social enterprises that fund and sustain local conservation efforts.

Timor-Leste

Since 2016, our work in Timor-Leste has evolved into a dynamic movement supporting community-led marine management and coastal livelihood diversification in Asia’s newest country. From our origins on Atauro Island, considered to harbour the most diverse coral reefs on earth, we’re now working with numerous communities on the island and the mainland to help improve management of critical coral reefs and seagrass ecosystems.

We’re helping communities reinvigorate traditional community governance practices − known as Tara Bandu − to support marine conservation, in particular through the use of temporary and permanent fishing closures, and community-led monitoring of marine ecosystems and fisheries.

We’re helping communities come together to exchange their experiences of conservation across their shared coastline, building a new movement of local support for systems change in the management and conservation of Timor-Leste’s coastal waters.

Alongside our community conservation efforts, we have also pioneered Timor-Leste’s first homestay association, which has provided income from visiting ecotourists on Atauro Island.

Our team in Timor-Leste’s capital Dili works closely with government, civil society organisations and NGO partners.

Like its neighbours within the Northern Mozambique Channel marine biodiversity hotspot, Tanzania harbours some of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the Indian Ocean. These habitats are facing unprecedented challenges from overfishing and climate change. 

The Government supports the use of co-management to improve the management of marine resources, but a community’s ability to be meaningfully involved in this partnership approach is all too often hampered by the capacity of its institutions, to organise and to acquire the skills and resources they need. 

Our Tanzanian team has worked with communities and local organisations to support locally led marine conservation since 2016. Our work has expanded from Zanzibar to the mainland regions of Tanga, Lindi and Kilwa. Our technicians work with local partners to help communities strengthen co-management systems, through Beach Management Units (BMUs), Shehia Fishing Committees (SFCs), and Village Liaison Committees.

We have three types of partners in Tanzania: NGOs, CSOs and government. Our NGO implementing partners Mwambao Coastal Community Network , Sea Sense , and Jongowe Development Fund have spearheaded a remarkable acceleration in the uptake of community-based fisheries management and conservation in recent years, notably through the use of short-term fisheries closures to catalyse broader community conservation.

Our CSO partners include Kilwa BMU Network, NYAMANJISOPOJA CFMA and Songosongo BMU, while our government partners comprise the Ministry of Fisheries in Mainland Tanzania, and the Ministry of Fisheries in Zanzibar, as well as local government authorities in Pangani and Kilwa.

Following the conclusion of the SWIOFish project in 2021, we are also working with partners on an initiative to support the establishment and functioning of a fisheries co-management forum. The forum will facilitate engagement between national and local government authorities and NGOs involved in fisheries co-management initiatives along the Tanzania mainland coast, with the aim of enhancing networking and strengthening management and governance.

With one of Africa’s longest coastlines, Somalia’s diverse marine environment supports enormously productive coastal and offshore fisheries.  Decades of conflict have undermined the country’s capacity for fisheries management, with many foreign industrial vessels fishing with impunity, and little regard for the critical importance of Somalia’s coastal fisheries for local livelihoods and food security.

A period of relative political and social stability unprecedented in recent decades is now presenting new opportunities to address past challenges, and to realise the considerable opportunities that well-managed coastal fisheries and conservation can offer Somalia. We are forging partnerships with community organisations in Somalia to build their capacity and skills to help coastal communities manage their fisheries for food security, livelihoods and conservation.

Philippines

The Philippines forms part of the ‘coral triangle’ epicentre of global marine biodiversity, with unparalleled diversity of marine species.  Over half of the country’s 107 million people live in rural areas, and approximately three quarters depend on agriculture or fisheries as their primary source of livelihoods.

Through our partnership with People and the Sea , we are supporting communities in the eastern Visayas to set up and utilise participatory data systems to monitor and understand the status of their fisheries, in a way that is meaningful for them. Through provision of access to strong data systems and training in data collection this year, these communities will soon have access to real time fisheries data and visualisations that will enable them to make informed decisions around the management of their fisheries.

Indonesia comprises almost 17,500 islands stretching across three time zones. This archipelagic nation has the 2nd longest coastline in the world − and the largest coastal fisheries resource − of any country on Earth. More than ninety per cent of Indonesia’s seafood production comes from small-scale fisheries, which are underpinned by the planet’s most biodiverse marine ecosystem, known as the Coral Triangle.

We have supported community-led marine conservation in Indonesia since 2016. Our team works in close partnership with 17 Indonesian organisations supporting community-based approaches to coral reef and mangrove conservation across 81 communities in fourteen provinces , collectively reaching over 80,000 people. 

Since 2019 we have brought these partners together within a peer learning network of Indonesian organisations specialised in supporting community-based marine conservation. The network is based on the shared values of the organisations, including a commitment to promote the rights of traditional fishing communities in conservation. Our support across these communities is customised to each context − the local fisheries, community stakeholders, seafood supply chains, legal frameworks and customary traditions governing fisheries management and conservation.

In Sumatra and Kalimantan we are strengthening our work in community conservation of globally important mangrove forests. We are supporting and strengthening community-forest management and supporting local partners who are adapting our catalytic model for temporary fishery closures to mangrove-dependent fisheries like mud crab.

We are working closely with our local partners Forkani, Yayasan LINI, Yapeka, Yayasan Planet Indonesia, Foneb, Komanangi, JARI, Ecosystem Impact, Yayasan Tananua Flores, Yayasan Baileo Maluku, AKAR, Japesda, Yayasan Citra Mandiri Mentawai, Yayasan Mitra Insani and Yayasan Hutan Biru, Yayasan Pesisir Lestari and Lembaga Partisipasi Pembangunan Masyarakat (LPPM) Ambon.

We continue to work in India with our long term partner the Dakshin Foundation . We are collaborating in three distinct locations; the archipelago of Lakshadweep, coastal regions of Odisha and the Andaman Islands. 

Overfishing has led to a reduction in fish catches, challenging the future of many traditional fishing communities.

Our partnership is working to build the capacity of communities to manage coastal fisheries,  and improve the health of fishing communities, for the long-term wellbeing of both the communities and their fishing grounds.

Kenya’s coast supports an extraordinary diversity of tropical marine and coastal habitats.  These waters are threatened by a proliferation of destructive fishing practices and over-harvesting within the artisanal and commercial fishing sectors.

Our approach in Kenya focuses on strengthening Beach Management Units (BMUs) to improve fisheries management. Since 2016 our Mombasa-based technical team has provided support, mentoring and assistance to local partners including Coastal and Marine Resource Development (COMRED), the Lamu Marine Conservation Trust (LAMCOT), Bahari Hai , and Kwale Beach Management Unit Network (KCBN), a network of 23 BMUs in Kwale County

These partnerships have seen notable achievements in community-led fisheries management and conservation, including training and mentoring BMU leaders in eighteen communities in Kwale and Lamu Counties.

The Comoros islands are located in the northern Mozambique Channel, a region home to the world’s second highest marine biodiversity after the Coral Triangle. This globally important biodiversity underpins coastal livelihoods and food security, but is at risk from climate change and overexploitation of inshore fisheries.

We have maintained a presence supporting locally led marine conservation and fisheries management in Comoros since 2015, providing support to local partners, governmental institutions and communities.

On Anjouan, the second largest and most densely populated island in the Comoros archipelago, we work closely with national NGO Dahari . Our partnership has developed a replicable blueprint for community-based marine management, which has included a number of temporary and permanent marine closures − designed to safeguard the coral reef ecosystems underpinning the archipelago’s coastal economy.

This approach, which is expanding rapidly across the Comoros, is also demonstrating the importance of inclusive conservation in empowering women − through local women’s fisheries associations − to play a leading role in fisheries monitoring and decision making.

Belize’s marine environment encompasses some of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the Caribbean Sea, including vast coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass beds. We have maintained a permanent presence in Belize since 2010, supporting diverse fisheries and conservation efforts.

We work in close partnership with the Belize Fisheries Department, MPA managers, fishing cooperatives and fishers’ associations, and championed the establishment of a national scale domestic fishery targeting the invasive lionfish.  We are actively promoting community led fisheries management, building on the success of our pioneering work with management of invasive lionfish.

We’ve led a decade-long MPA monitoring and evaluation programme in Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve, and provide regular training in coral reef monitoring methods to MPA authorities across Belize, including helping establish management targets for Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve, Belize’s largest MPA.

Our team supports and strengthens  fishing associations that advocate for the rights of their communities to be involved in decision making around access and use of coastal fisheries and to be key members of MPA management groups. Across the country we are working to ensure that fishers interests are mainstreamed in the design and implementation of marine conservation and fisheries management, improving the effectiveness of co-management of coral reef, mangrove and seagrass areas.

Extending for some 2,700km, Mozambique’s coastline is the third longest in the Indian ocean and supports millions of people with food and income. 

Our Mozambican team has worked with communities to develop locally led approaches to fisheries management and marine conservation since 2015. Our approach is focused on supporting and strengthening local organisations and Community Fisheries Councils (CCPs) to better understand their local fisheries, make informed management decisions to rebuild fisheries, and assess the impact of management actions. This work is developed in close collaboration with our partners Oikos- Cooperação e Desenvolvimento in Nampula province and Love the Ocean in Inhambane province.

Ongoing security challenges have afflicted coastal communities and emerging marine conservation efforts in several areas of Cabo Delgado, where our work is regrettably now on hold.

Blue Ventures’ journey began in Madagascar in 2003, and we’ve been supporting communities in marine conservation across the country ever since. We have five regional field programmes along Madagascar’s west coast, as well as regional offices in the towns of Ambanja, Mahajanga, Morondava and Toliara. Our national headquarters is located in the capital Antananarivo.

Across all these sites we support communities with the establishment of locally managed marine areas (LMMAs), and work with government partners to secure national recognition for community conservation initiatives. First developed in Madagascar by Blue Ventures in 2006, the LMMA concept has since been replicated by communities at hundreds of sites over thousands of kilometres of coastline, now covering almost one fifth of Madagascar’s inshore seabed. Our research in Madagascar has demonstrated globally important evidence of the benefits of LMMAs to fisheries and conservation .

Our work focuses on strengthening community institutions in marine management and governance, and pioneering new approaches to catalyse community engagement in ocean conservation. These innovations have included establishing community led ecological monitoring and the country’s first mangrove blue carbon project.

At the national level, we partner with the LMMA network MIHARI , which brings together 25 partner conservation organisations supporting 219 LMMA sites across the country. Our policy team is also actively involved in advocating for more robust legislation to safeguard the rights and interests of fishing communities, and to remove destructive industrial fishing from coastal waters. In 2022 we supported the launch of Fitsinjo, an industrial fisheries watchdog organisation. The network highlights industrial fishing and IUU activities in Madagascar and the broader Western Indian Ocean region.

Given the lack of basic services in remote coastal regions in Madagascar, we also help communities access basic healthcare through training and supporting women to serve as community health workers. We do not replace government health systems, but work to strengthen existing structures in close collaboration with government health actors and specialist NGOs. We also incubate Madagascar’s national health-environment network , which brings together 40 partner organisations to address the health needs of communities living in areas of conservation importance across the country.

Grassland homestay cluster becomes driving force for development of grassland tourism in Inner Mongolia

Editor: huaxia

2024-05-11 16:55:21

This photo taken on May 10, 2024 shows a room of a grassland homestay on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In recent years, a grassland homestay cluster in Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a new driving force for the high quality development of grassland tourism. The cluster concludes homestays, hotels, libraries, bakeries, cafes, art galleries and other facilities with modern and traditional elements, providing a place for tourists to relax and enjoy the scenery of the Ulan Mod grassland. (Xinhua/Bei He)

A drone photo taken on May 10, 2024 shows a grassland homestay cluster on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In recent years, a grassland homestay cluster in Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a new driving force for the high quality development of grassland tourism. The cluster concludes homestays, hotels, libraries, bakeries, cafes, art galleries and other facilities with modern and traditional elements, providing a place for tourists to relax and enjoy the scenery of the Ulan Mod grassland. (Xinhua/Bei He)

This photo taken on May 10, 2024 shows a grassland homestay on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In recent years, a grassland homestay cluster in Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a new driving force for the high quality development of grassland tourism. The cluster concludes homestays, hotels, libraries, bakeries, cafes, art galleries and other facilities with modern and traditional elements, providing a place for tourists to relax and enjoy the scenery of the Ulan Mod grassland. (Xinhua/Bei He)

This photo taken on May 10, 2024 shows a grassland homestay sign on the Ulan Mod grassland, located in Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In recent years, a grassland homestay cluster in Hinggan League of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has become a new driving force for the high quality development of grassland tourism. The cluster concludes homestays, hotels, libraries, bakeries, cafes, art galleries and other facilities with modern and traditional elements, providing a place for tourists to relax and enjoy the scenery of the Ulan Mod grassland. (Xinhua/Bei He)

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Sexual assault on foreign tourist puts spotlight on unauthorised homestays in Kerala

Alappuzha: Even as the tourism industry in Kerala remains shell-shocked over the sexual assault of a US woman tourist at a homestay in Alappuzha, responsible players in the sector point out that it’s high time authorities rein in on unauthorised players.

“The accused homestay owner in the Alappuzha incident has not obtained the classification certificate issued by the Kerala Tourism Department. So it is an unauthorised homestay. Several such homestays and massage parlours function in the state. They are denigrating the repute earned by our tourism sector. We have drawn the State Government’s attention to this major issue and we want action,” said M P Sivadathan, Director of Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society (Kerala HATS), which is the prominent consortium of homestays and tourism promoters in the state.

Classification certification is a must to run homestays in the state. “The department gives the certification after the homestay owner submits eight documents to it and a committee inspects the homestay premises. Only when the panel is convinced about the facilities and other requirements that it issue the certification," Sivadathan pointed out.

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"After that, the class of the homestay is decided and the classification certificate signed by the Tourism Director is issued with a three-year validity,” he added.

Sivadathan, who is also a member of the State Tourism Advisory Committee, said that there are people who run homestays after taking premises on rent. “It’s illegal to run homestays in this fashion. Kerala HATS has been raising such issues and wants action. So far, homestays that have obtained the Tourism Department classification have not created any trouble.” 

However, some homestay cannot renew their classification when their properties come under CRZ regulation. “The classification of such homestays has to be renewed to cater to the growing demand for homestays,” he pointed out.

A Tourism Department official requesting anonymity said the Alappuzha incident was a serious one. “The department has been taking up such issues with industry players repeatedly during training and other meetings. The tourists should depend only on the classified homestays. We have published such a list, region-wise, on our website. When the tourist seeks accommodation elsewhere, they do so on their risk,” the official said.

Alappuzha South Police said the middle-aged tourist from America was sexually assaulted at a homestay here by the property owner. She had come with a group of tourists. When the whole contingent could not be accommodated in the classified homestay, they booked online and zeroed in on an unregulated one.

“Foreigners and North Indians come to Alappuzha looking for a serene and calm setting to relax. Homestays like ours cater to that segment. They give us full marks, even without us ever asking for that. Unscrupulous elements should not be allowed to ruin that goodwill,” said Thomas Joseph, owner of Aqua Palace, a homestay in Kuttanad.

• Kerala Tourism
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