Homestay survey launched; registrations now open, says Nitin Chakki.

Madikeri, May 14: A survey work has been started under the joint auspices of the Tourism, Police and Revenue Departments to identify illegal and unauthorized homestays in the district and for the safety of tourists. The unregistered homestay owners must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the local police station, city council, municipality or gram panchayat within the time limit and register with the Tourism Department, otherwise strict action will be taken, warned Nitin Chakki, Deputy Divisional Officer and Deputy Director of the Tourism Department.

A poster was released on the safety of homestays/bed and breakfasts/hotels held in the city's Deputy Divisional Officer's office hall on Wednesday and information was given about the steps to be taken by the homestay owners.

The authorities should provide correct information when conducting a survey of homestays. The owners must provide information about the homestays that were previously operating and are currently closed. To curb unauthorized activities in the district and for the safety of tourists, the government has taken several steps. Homestay owners must register with the Karnataka Tourism Department, employ as many local people as possible and purchase from local traders, registration certificates and licenses must be clearly displayed at the main entrance, and operating without registration and permission is illegal. If such cases are found, they should be brought to the attention of the Tourism Department, said Nitin Chakki.

If any illegal activities are found in a homestay/resort, the police department and the Tourism Department should be informed immediately, there should be only 1 to 6 rooms, maximum 12 beds, maximum three beds in a room, the rooms should be in the owner's house or in a separate cottage on the same property, homestays are not allowed in rented or leased properties, informed Nitin Chakki.

The Deputy Divisional Officer suggested that each guest room should have a toilet, rooms should not be rented on a time share basis, details of facilities, fees, activities and services should be clearly stated, there should be a printed price list, breakfast should be provided compulsorily, additional meals can be charged, breakfast cost should be included in the room rate, and local food should be encouraged.

The homestay should be clean, safe and well maintained, health, hygiene, quality and fire safety rules should be followed, there should be a CCTV camera at the reception, footage should be collected for at least 30 days, guest records should be maintained, check-in-check-out, identity card details, passport details of foreign guests should be sent to the police department.

It is mandatory for homestays to have an opinion and complaint registration book and record the action taken, guests should ensure that they do not disturb the neighbors, there should be local decoration, food, activities.

Transport and connectivity to local tourist places should be provided. The Deputy Commissioner said that necessary permission, NOC and safety measures should be followed for outside activities after sunset, landline, Wi-Fi, phone facilities should be provided if the mobile network is weak.

The background of all the staff should be checked by the local police and the records should be maintained. Emergency help numbers should be displayed, each homestay should maintain registration books, the QR code of the Karnataka State Police SOS app should be displayed and guests should be informed to use the app, the owners and staff should participate in training programs conducted by the District Tourism Development Committee.

Eco-friendly and responsible tourism practices should be followed, proper garbage management, segregation, recycling, use of renewable energy and safe waste disposal should be done, if the owners carry out other activities like gardening, beekeeping, milk production, they should be careful that they do not cause any disturbance to the accommodation and hospitality of the guests.

Nitin Chakki suggested that property documents, residence certificate, owner's Aadhar card, clear pictures of the interior and exterior of the homestays should be installed, and that CCTV cameras that operate 24 hours and have a backup of 30 days should be installed in the homestays. He advised homestay owners to submit the necessary documents along with the NOCs along with the online application.

If the public has any complaints or information about the unauthorized homestays and homestay registration, their details can be sent in writing to the Office of the Deputy Director, Tourism Department, Stuart Hill Road, Madikeri, Kodagu District-571201 Tel: 08272-200519 E-mail: ಜಜಚಿguờouọism@gmಚಿಟ.ಚಿom or the Office of the District Superintendent of Police Tel: 08272-229000- E-mail: ಜಚಿmಚಿಡಿ@ಞsಠಿ. gov.it or [email protected]. The people of the district have joined hands to curb unauthorized home-stays in the district and have requested the Deputy Director-in-Charge and Sub-Divisional Officer of the Tourism Department, Nitin Chakki, to provide the necessary cooperation by providing details of the home-stays that are being run illegally without obtaining any permit in their vicinity.

In the meeting, DySPs Suraj, Mahesh Kumar, Excise Deputy Commissioner Nagesh Kumar, T.P. EO Shekhar, Tahsildar Sridhar

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