New Delhi:Several tourism experts on Wednesday emphasised on ground-level work to boost tribal homestay tourism to improve tourist footfall and the livelihoods of village people in the country.
Talking about the tribal homestay, Garish Oberoi, a tourism expert, told ETV Bharat, "It is a government's initiative to bring the tribal community in the mainstream and they interact with the tourists. It's a win-win situation for both, tribal and tourists, as the tribal community will get experience to interact with local as well as international tourists. Similarly, visitors will get firsthand experience of tribal villages."
Raising some issues which are to be addressed for tribal homestay, Oberoi pointed out, "The government has to look at safety and security measures for both tourists as well as the tribal community."
Echoing similar sentiments, Rakesh Roy, Managing Committee Member, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Northern India, told ETV Bharat, "In the foreign countries, the homestay concept is quite popular but in India how much it will succeed is hard to say right now. The people who travel by road often like to stay in homestay rooms but international travelers often prefer to rent hotels from a safety point of view. The government should first provide safety and proper road connectivity with these homestays to attract tourists."
"For better facilities for the tourists, the government has to keep more checks on these places to adhere to set norms," Roy added.