Rural homestays along with providing safe accommodation, allows the traveller to know the unique lifestyle of the village from much closer quarters. Homestays provide the traveller with an authentic and enriching local experience – an unparallel opportunity to interact with locals, experience the rural lifestyle, rural communities, get to know the art, craft, cuisine, culture and tradition of the rural India. Homestays support the rural population with economic and social strength and also help in achieving the goal of ‘Vocal for Local’.
Rural tourism can play a crucial role in promoting local economic growth and bringing about social transformation. Rural tourism can also reduce the adverse environment impact of tourism. As new destinations develop it can balance the negative impact being caused due to over-tourism.
UnBoundLearn, through its travel business vertical, ‘The Spice Circuit’ operates a homestay in Kollam district of Kerala. Called the ‘Home in a Village’, it is an attempt to setup and promote a true model of operating a rural homestay – a home where the family resides and welcomes and cares for every guest in our ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’ tradition. As part of UBL’s Social Impact Programs, we facilitate workshops to educate and empower villagers and rural communities across India, to successfully setup, and manage homestays.
At UBL we believe that training rural homestay owners can greatly enhance their ability to provide excellent hospitality experiences, attract more guests and enhance their income and develop the local economy. This social initiative of ours is aimed at educating and empowering the locals on the following topics associated with understanding and operating a Homestay in our rural villages…
- All about Homestay
- Reasons for travellers to prefer a Homestay
- Converting your home into a Homestay
- Permissions (local/ state/ centre) required to setup and operate a Homestay
- Successful management and operations of a Homestay as a business
- Marketing & Promotion of a Homestay
- Building the Storyline – Mapping the history, heritage, traditions, cuisine, artform, craft and natural assets of the village/ region.
- Customer service, care and relationship.
- Customer feedbacks, reviews and testimonials
- The importance of Hygiene & Cleanliness
- Menu Planning & Pricing
- Food Preparation, Presentation and Service
- Creating value adds and sales and service opportunities
- Importance and smart use of social media and technology
- Sustainability & Responsible Tourism
- Community Involvement
By providing comprehensive knowledge and training in the above areas, we believe that the rural homestay owners can be empowered with skills and know-how to successfully operate a Homestay business and as part of it offer a memorable experience to their guests, and contribute positively to the local tourism industry and the economy as a whole
