Bed and breakfast accommodation is not a new phenomenon in the West. People offer their houses for guests to stay in. Breakfast is served in the morning, either in the bedroom or more commonly, in a dining room or the host’s kitchen. And bathrooms are, in most cases, private. This kind of accommodation is also simply referred to as Bed and Breakfast (B&B).
Usually bed and breakfast facilities serve as either the primary occupation or as a secondary source of income for the owners. The staff often consists of the host and members of the family who live there.
Bed and breakfast facilities usually offer better access to popular tourist spots which otherwise may not be located at a convenient distance from the city centre where most other lodgings may be situated. Bed and breakfast facilities are usually to be found closer to places where most large lodging competitors do not establish a guest accommodation. But in large cities where hotels can be very expensive and rooms scanty, bed and breakfast facilities are available within city limits too.
Bed and breakfast facilities and India:
India is now slowly catching up with this novel concept of bed and breakfast due to several reasons. With lakhs of tourists coming to the country for different reasons like holidaying, medical treatment, business, etc., hotels are finding it difficult to cope up with the pressure. Moreover, there are many beautiful and exquisite tourists spots where building hotels and other forms of lodging options may not be permitted or economically viable.
This is where bed and breakfast facilities come to the rescue! So bed and breakfast facilities are perhaps the best option that travellers and tourists can opt for. Not only do they provide one with affordable accommodation, but also offer a unique opportunity to experience Indian culture first hand in all its glory.
Despite the rising demand of tourists and visiting business executives opting for bed and breakfast facilities, a year ago there was a lack of a proper platform where the right guest could meet the host of his choice or vice versa. There were many attempts to connect them, but all these efforts, both online and offline, failed to create much response.
However portals like Bharat Homestay Dotcom have successfully capitalized on this idea and are doing brisk business.
Bharat Homestay is the first India bed and breakfast portal where anyone - both guests and hosts - can come and post their bed and breakfast requirements. And all for FREE. Bharat Homestay is a free meeting place for guests and hosts of India bed and breakfast facilities.
So guest looking for bed and breakfast accommodation, rent apartment, budget bed and breakfast or house in India can search and host their apartment, house information if they want to rent and earn money.
The advantages of staying in a bed and breakfast facility are many. One can get an actual feel of the local way of life. It is a very cheap holiday package that pays rich dividends. One may travel to India for just a week or two but carries back fond memories for a lifetime. After one’s bed and breakfast travel to India, one makes lifelong friends from a country that one comes to love. Without doubt bed and breakfast facilities give a personal touch to your holiday in India.
Bed and breakfast facilities can be a comfortable, affordable option for not just tourists, but also for visiting businessmen as they provide a unique opportunity to mingle with the local populace, which could be beneficial in enhancing one’s business and clientele. Moreover, with strict norms for bed and breakfast facilities operating in India, security is never a problem.
Indeed, with India turning into a tourists’ paradise, the country’s tourism market has great potential and several policies and programmes have been framed for the development of the sector. And with hotels finding it difficult to cope up with the pressure, bed and breakfast facilities can emerge a winner!
Here are some of the best bed and breakfast facilities in India to choose from:
Today India is witnessing a steady and ever-increasing inflow of tourists to the country. In addition, domestic tourists’ volume is also increasing by the day as Indians are traveling all across the country. With these increasing number of tourists, hotels are falling short of rooms.
This gives the opportunity to people with spare rooms to open their doors to tourists - to stay with them and learn the ways of the local.
However to get guests, the host of the homestay needs to have online presence. Just registering with the government’s bed and breakfast scheme is not enough. Before a guest contacts you, he would like to see the images of your homestay and the facilities you are offering.
This is where Bharat Homestay comes to the rescue. So if you have a spare room or is a registered bed and breakfast or homestay, come and post your homestay details in bharathomestay.com and we assure you that you will get more visitors/ tourists than you can imagine. And what’s more…Registration is absolutely free.
Bharat Homestay is the only portal in India entirely dedicated to India Homestays and is the only portal in the country offering its services totally free of cost.
Now that you are aware of the benefits you will get by registering and posting your homestay with Bharat Homestay, here are the simple steps you need to follow to get your homestay listed in Bharathomestay:
Posting Guidelines:
Register: To Post a classified you need to register. Just fill the simple form and register yourself. Just give your preferred username and valid email id and the password will be mailed to you. However you need not register to view our database of homestays. Register now…
Login: To post your homestay information you just have to login with your unique Username and Password. Once you are logged in you can post as many classifieds you wish to.
Choose a Category: Choose the right city/ town in which your homestay is situated from the drop-down menu. If the name of the city/ town is not listed in the drop-down menu select the ‘Others’ category under the State in which your homestay is situated.
Title: If you have a name for your homestay, put it here.
Price: Enter your tariff here. For example Rs XXX per day or Rs XXXX per month
Location: The address of your homestay.
Description: Write in about 5000 characters about your homestay. The facilities you are providing, activities that guests can avail, etc.
Phone: Enter your phone numbers here so that interested guests can call you instantly.
URL: If you have a website on your homestay, enter the url here in the format: http://www.myhomestay.com
Add images: If you have an image of your homestay, upload from here. But please note that the image must be under 1 MB. Uploading a bigger image means it will take time to view your page. So take care to upload the right image (450 by 450).
Lost Password: If by any chance you have forgotten your password, just go to our Password recovery link “Lost Password” and enter the email ID or username with which you had registered. The password will immediately be sent to your inbox.
Profile: By clicking on the profile link you can change your username, email id, etc.
My Dashboard: This is an unique User Management Facility provided by us. Here you can know whether your homestay ad has been approved or not. By clicking on this link any registered user can avail a hoard of enhancement features including:
- Edit Ad - Clicking on the ‘Edit Ad’ button allows you to edit your existing ad details. Please note that only live ads can be edited. Ads awaiting approval cannot be edited.
- Pause Ad - Clicking on the ‘Pause Ad’ button instantly take your ad offline in case your homestay is booked for the season.
- Restart Ad - Clicking on the ‘Restart Ad’ makes your homestay ad live again if you paused it previously.
Targeting investments of about Rs 25,000 crore during the next five years in the tourism sector, the Karnataka Government has recognized about 259 homestays in the state, said Mr K. Viswanatha Reddy, Tourism Director, in a event held in Bangalore recently
The State Government has targeted investments of about Rs 25,000 crore during the next five years in the tourism sector, according to the Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka.
“The new Tourism Policy 2009-14 of Karnataka targets Rs 25,000-crore investments during the policy period in tourism-related infrastructure development. To ensure this, we have categorized the State into zones according to priority of infrastructure development.”
Investment subsidies ranging from five per cent to 35 percent would be provided depending on the zone; land conversion fees would be according to the State Industrial Policy 2009-14; stamp duty exemption of 50-75 percent depending on investment and zones in which investment comes up. All benefits of the Industrial Policy would be extended to the Tourism Policy,” said Mr Reddy.
Emphasis would also be on development of mega projects that are destination creators, he added.
Assam (Asom, Axom) is a beautiful and diverse state with an incredible range of cultures and landscapes located in the northeast of India. It shares it’s borders in the North and East with the Kingdom of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. Along the south lies Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. Meghalaya lies to her South-West, Bengal and Bangladesh to her West.
Travelling to Assam (getting to Assam):
Assam is well connected by air, railways and road with the rest of the country.
By Air:
The Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport of Guwahati is well connected by air to most of the metros in the country. There are regular flights to Guwahati running all year long on daily basis. All the major carriers of the country like Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Red, SpiceJet, Go Air Business, JetLite and IndiGo airlines connect Guwahati to most of the major cities of India.
Most of the carriers also operate flights connecting the other towns of Assam like Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tezpur, North Lakhimpur and Silchar to Guwahati and to the other major cities in India.
By Rail:
A convenient Indian Railways network runs throughout the state connecting major Indian cities with Assam. There are train services connecting Assam to all corners of the country such as Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum.
By Road:
Guwahati, the largest city in Northeast India, is the hub of the road network to the north eastern region. A good network of National Highways and other roads connect Assam to all the prime cities of India.
Traveling within Assam:
Assam State Transport Corporation and other tourist bus services run by private operators offer a good network of bus routes throughout the state covering all the cities and towns of Assam. These buses also ply to the capital cities of the neighboring northeastern states.
The Indian Railways network also connects the major towns of Assam to Guwahati and to the rest of India. There are several new and fast trains operating effectively these days.
Assam Tourism department has a fleet of luxury buses and cars, which are available for hire at reasonable prices. Private taxis and auto rickshaws are perfect for covering short distances within the towns.
Best time to visit Assam:
Assam has four well defined seasons in a year — summer, monsoon, winter and spring which present Assam in different moods.
October to April is considered the best time to visit Assam as these months offer a mild and moderate climate with pleasant and sunny days and cool nights.
Assam is never extremely cold or hot though during December and January night time temperatures may fall to single digit numbers.
Places of interest in Assam:
Assam, as a destination corresponds to a world of contrasts and excitement with each place of the state having something amazing to offer. Some people call it a magic land while others call it a green paradise.
The State of Assam is one of the most beautiful regions of India. There is hardly any other state which has greater variety and colour in its natural scenery and in the cultural treasures of the people that inhabit it.
More on Places of Interest in Assam…
Ancient History of Assam (Assam’s ancient history):
Assam’s history goes back to ancient times. The base of this history can be found in Tantric literature, Buddhist literature, Assamese folklore and Vedic literature. More on Assam Ancient History…
Political History of Assam (Assam’s Political History):
Historically speaking, the first king who ruled over Kamrupa was Pushya Varman (350-380 AD), who was a contemporary of Samudragupta (350-375 AD). More on Assam Political History…
Upcoming events in Assam:
Every year, several events are organised by the Department of Tourism, Govt. of Assam, to encourage tourists to visit Assam. They are:
Dehing Patkai Festival: 18th to 19th December 2009
Tea Tourism: 20th to 21st January 2010
Elephant Festival: 3rd to 5th January 2010
Rongali Utsav: April 2010
Festivals of Assam (Assam Festivals):
Assam is a land of fairs and festivals. Most of the festivals celebrated in Assam have their roots in the diverse faith and belief of her inhabitants, but a spirit of accommodation and togetherness characterizes the celebration of all festivals.
The perfect fusion of heritage of her numerous races has made Assam the home of the most colorful festivals which are passionate, compelling and mesmerizing reflecting the true spirit, tradition and lifestyle of the people of Assam.
The major festivals celebrated in Assam are Bihu, Baishagu, Ali-Ai-Ligang, Baikho, Rongker, Rajini Gabra Harni Gabra, Bohaggiyo Bishu, Ambubashi Mela and Jonbill Mela and so on. More on Assam Festivals…
Having said that, your Assam visit would be incomplete if you don’t stay in an Assam Homestay. Assam Homestays provide tourists the option to get a flavour of the culture of the state up close. Assam homestays can be the best option to stay in Assam if you are looking to add local flavour to your Assam visit. So next time when you are planning an Assam trip don’t forget to stay in an Assam homestay and explore the land of the one-horn rhino in style.
Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja has said that a revised and more liberalized Incredible India Bed & Breakfast/ Homestay Scheme has been launched. Speaking at the inaugural of Regional Conference of East and North East Tourism Ministers in Gangtok recently, Selja advised the States/ UTs to formulate their own scheme to develop Bed & Breakfast and Homestay units.
In her speech in the conference Selja said that for the speedy implementation of tourism projects, it is suggested that a State Level Monitoring Committee should be constituted by East and North East States.
These Committees should not only regularly monitor but also send a quarterly or half yearly report to the Union Ministry of Tourism, she said.
Further, States are requested to acknowledge by indicating the name of the Ministry on the Foundation Stone at the projects financed by the Union Ministry of Tourism. She further urged that all the projects should not only be completed but made functional so that the tourists and other stakeholders may take full benefit of the central financial assistance.
Needless to say that any tourist amenity should essentially have proper water supply, electricity, well maintained approach road and proper landscaping, the Minister added.
Kumari Selja said, her Ministry has taken a number of initiatives for the overall development of India’s tourism sector. These include development of mega tourism destination and circuit development projects. In this regard, a total of 29 sites, which include three in the East and Northeast Regions, have been identified. We have already sanctioned 21 projects in these destinations.
She said, the Union Ministry of Tourism has initiated the Scheme for Certification of Skills of service providers working in the hospitality sector. A minimum of 5,000 service providers would be certified in the year. We have already started this in IHM, Guwahati and Shillong.
She said, the Ministry is organizing domestic Road shows in collaboration with private sector participation in North, South, West, Central, East and Northeast Regions. The first Road Show on the Eastern & North Eastern Region was successfully organized in Kolkata on the August 11 and 12.
The Minister informed the conference that the Union Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the policy of broad basing hospitality education. ITIs, vocational schools, polytechnics, universities and colleges would be involved to meet the growing demand of trained manpower in hospitality sector. She urged all State Governments present in the Conference to avail of this opportunity to increase skilled manpower in tourism sector.
The Minister said that the Centre has approved the revised guidelines for the scheme of assistance to Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Food Craft Institutes (FCIs) including setting up of 19 State IHMs and 25 State FCIs. She said, one IHM each at Assam and Manipur have been sanctioned recently. At present, all the states attending this conference have at least one IHM except Tripura and she asked the Tripura Tourism to get an IHM sanctioned for their state at the earliest.
Referring to the responsible tourism initiative, the Minister said 153 rural sites including 51 sites in the East and Northeast Regions are being developed under the Rural Tourism Scheme. The traditional artisans from these sites have been given exposure to national/ international platforms. Rural Tourism is about creativity and innovation.
Referring to West Bengal rural tourism potential, Kumari Selja mentioned about a village named BORAL near Kolkata which was the shooting location of legendary film maker Satyajit Ray’s maiden movie Pather Panchali. She said, this movie shot him into fame in world cinema and this location could offer excellent potential as a rural tourism site. The Minister said, Boral could be developed as a major attraction for the connoisseurs of films the world over as well as tourists in general. I would suggest that West Bengal tourism may promote such niche products and I am sure all the states may have such innovative product which can be promoted in India and abroad, she added.
The Minister informed the conference that her Ministry is working on a commercial film for promoting North East and it would be launched soon.
Kumari Selja also said that while drawing up the policy, State governments must not forget the fragile ecology of the North Eastern States. She said, together we should endeavour to formulate such policy, which encourages sustainable tourism while underlining creation of environmental, social, economic and climate responsiveness. The States of North East offer extraordinary prospects for green – tourism. We would like to promote suitable locations for such projects on Mission Mode. The projects will be conceived and developed based on local resources, raw materials and talents. Vernacular Architecture will be adopted in its entirety. We would like encourage all the stake holders including the civil societies and NGO’S to come forward to develop local facilities.
In this direction, the Minister said, the Green Mission Initiative of the State Government of Sikkim aiming to sustain, maintain and enrich the State’s environment and ecology is highly commendable. She urged every State and Union Territory in India to emulate this initiative.
The Minister referred to some of the issues which require immediate attention and serious thinking by the State Governments. She said, the relationship between sustainable tourism and economic growth is very intimate and well known. In the same manner Safety and security of the tourists is a worldwide concern. She said, any adverse perception about safety and security of the tourists would seriously affect tourist arrivals in the country. Kumari Selja said, she is of the firm view, that the security and safety of the tourists is of paramount importance for the growth of this sector. The inflow of the domestic and foreign tourists could be ensured only when we are able to provide them a safe and secure environment. We look forward not only to addition of new tourists but also the repeat visitors, she added.
Kumari Selja said, the matter regarding constituting Tourist Police Organizations in States and Union Territories has been taken up from time to time. Accordingly, guidelines for raising Tourist Security Organization, comprising Ex–servicemen for the safety and security of tourists were formulated. These were forwarded to all State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. She said, she is happy to note that several States have deployed Tourist Police at important tourist destinations, in one form or the other.
Kumari Selja said, the Central Government has taken several initiatives for promoting tourism in the Northeast States. Union Ministry of Tourism has relaxed the guidelines for inbound, domestic, adventure tour operators and travel agencies. It has provided special dispensation for the Northeast Region so that more and more service providers are approved.
She said, her Ministry has also modified the Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme. This would enable approved tourism service providers in the North Eastern Regions to avail financial support for undertaking overseas promotional activities. Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme has been extended to provide financial incentive to those Professional Conference Organizers (PCO), who successfully bid for any international conference at an Indian destination. MDA scheme has also been extended to Medical Tourism service providers as well as Wellness Tourism service providers.
