Tourism enters homestays

Hyderabad: Tourists visiting the state will soon get the option of homestays. Houseowners with specified facilities are being enlisted by the state department of tourism to provide accommodation at home. The department will also act as a facilitator between houseowners and tourists in the scheme which has just been launched. The tariff is left to the owners.

The state homestay accommodation is classified into silver and gold categories depending on a 36-point checklist, approved by a six-member classification committee. Websites such as tripadvisor.in, homestayfinder.com, homestay.com and other travel websites are already offering homestays in the city. Parents of NRIs staying at prime localities like the IT corridor, Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills are offering homestay facilities through these websites. The online tariffs depend on the size of accommodation. Some even provide food and high-speed wifi for customers.