Homestays will soon be back in Nilgiris

Udhagamandalam: The tourism department is all set to reintroduce the bed & breakfast/homestay establishments scheme in the Nilgiris to offer a homely stay to both the foreign and domestic tourists at an affordable price.
Though the bed & breakfast scheme was in existence in Ooty, like in other parts of the state, a decade ago, it became defunct over a period of time.
The Union tourism ministry, however, offers a similar scheme called ‘Incredible India bed & breakfast/homestay establishments’ across the country. Locals are not much aware of that.
Aravind Kumar, tourist officer, Coimbatore, who is also incharge of Nilgiris, said, “We are relaunching the scheme soon in the interest of the locals and tourists. While the scheme will be implemented across the state and operated as before, the visibility will be more in tourist destinations.”
According to the official, they have taken a leaf out of similar programmes offered by the Union tourism ministry and other states offer the best service to the travellers.
“The scheme is in the final stage of getting approval from the government. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) will also be roped in to assist the department,” Aravind Kumar said.
The local residents, who have space to spare for tourists, could register with the tourism department. Based on the guidelines, a regional classification committee would inspect and assess the bed & breakfast/homestay establishments by considering the facilities and services that are on offer. Approval would be granted if they meet the standards, facilities, services and the documents as prescribed by the guidelines.
Welcoming the initiative, M Selvaraj, a local resident said, “It will be a great experience for local residents as well as the tourists, who could experience the local culture and tradition. This will also give an opportunity to boost the local economy.”