HOW TO START A HOMESTAY BUSINESS IN WEST BENGAL ?
- Benefits of staying at a homestay
- Costings for homestay business
- Earnings from homestay
- West Bengal Government to help homestay entrepreneurs
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In India, there is a proverb that reads, “The Guest is God,” or “Athithi Devo Bhava.” Indians go out of their way to accommodate guests because they view it as a great honour. Nothing compares to Indian hospitality. The majority of tourists who travel to India and stay in hotels regrettably never get to experience genuine Indian hospitality. The good news is that homestays are becoming more and more well-liked in India, which is why all of this is changing. The idea behind a homestay is similar to that of a bed & breakfast. Visitors are either housed at the family’s home or in nearby separate accommodations. Nowadays, the majority of homestays offer their visitors the same level of comfort as a good hotel. Here is a guided tour of how to start a homestay business in West Bengal.
Benefits of staying at a homestay
- Distinctive and Characterful Accommodations – Weary of sterile hotels? Homestays provide an unrivalled chance to discover India’s incredible diversity and charms. Plantation bungalows, antique Havelis (mansions), forts, and outlying country cottages are just a few of the possibilities available. You could be able to stay with a royal family, one on hand. A tribal family is on the other side. There isn’t a more effective technique to communicate with Indians from all backgrounds! This is benefit of homestay business in west bengal.
- Individualized Service – A homestay typically has fewer rooms than a hotel does. It is run and hosted by the family who lives there. This ensures that each visitor gets enough personal attention. You are free to interact with the host family for as long or as little as you choose. Some visitors choose to merely have dinner with them, while others talk to them for hours. In any case, the simplest approach to learning about Indian culture is to stay with an Indian family. Many visitors and hosts discover that they connect so strongly that they maintain contact long after the trip has ended.
- Safety – If you’re a solitary female traveller visiting India for the first time or are just worried about keeping safe, a homestay will provide you with a family that takes care of you. In addition to giving you assistance, they might even pick you up at the airport or send a car and driver.
- Local Knowledge – Making decisions about what to see and do is easy because of the hosts’ abundance of local knowledge. Such local expertise is really beneficial for making the most of your trip. Many hosts are delighted to tour their visitors about their neighbourhoods, giving them priceless information that can’t be found in a guidebook. In most cases, hosts have trustworthy connections and can help with travel arrangements.
- Home–cooked meals – The food prepared in an Indian home is very different from the Indian food provided in restaurants and hotels. You may experience traditional Indian home cooking created to order by booking a homestay. Compared to restaurant meals, it is significantly lighter and has more flavour and variety. Some homestays even invite visitors inside their kitchen where they may witness and take part in the preparation of meals.
How to open a homestay business through online platforms?
Listing your home on sites like Airbnb, Booking.com, TripAdvisor, and Homestays.com is the simplest way to get started. As an alternative, you can run advertisements directly on Google, Facebook, and Instagram to avoid paying the commissions these platforms charge. You must upload identification and property-related papers as part of the sign-up procedure. These sites don’t charge you anything to list yourself there, however, they do charge a commission of 3-6% for each booking. There are no limitations on the amount of space that can be released. You can rent out any amount of space, from a single room to an entire floor to a villa.
Costings for homestay business
Setting up a homestay can cost you anywhere between INR 30,000-50,000. Here’s a breakdown of all the costs involved:
One-time Costs
- Furnishing: To begin with, you will have to set up the space with basic furniture such as a bed, table, a packed table, a chair and linens like curtains, bed sheets, bed covers, etc. Furnishing can cost you INR 10,00015,000, depending on how much you want to decorate your space.
- Basic amenities: A water kettle, towels, and basic cutlery are basic amenities, which is another INR 3,0004,000.
- Optional amenities: Additional facilities such as air conditioner, cooler, geyser, air-purifiers, etc., can further cost you upwards of INR 20,000.
Recurring Monthly Costs
- Bills: Electricity and Internet bills will be INR 5,0006,000.
- Cleaning: Laundry (bedsheets, towels) and cleaning are another INR 6,0007,000.
- Grocery and Utilities: Groceries for breakfast and basic items to include in the room such as toiletries, tea and coffee pouches, milk pouches, salt and pepper, etc., will cost you INR 1,5002,000 per month.
- Staff: You can hire an assistant to help with smaller tasks or manage the homestay. For instance, Chaudhary has hired a full-time assistant who hosts guests as he himself doesn’t stay in the apartment. He is paid INR 15,000.
Earnings from homestay
The amount of space you have rented out, the facilities you offer, and the location of your home all affect how much money you make from your homestay business in West Bengal. The cost of a single room with all essential amenities might range from INR 1,500 to 2,000.
In contrast to single rooms, larger places like a villa or a whole floor will certainly be more expensive. “We have two listings: a third-story apartment for INR 3,800 and two rooms on the second floor for INR 1,700 each. But,” notes Latika, “we get more reservations for single rooms. In peak season, she receives 20 reservations on average per month for the bedrooms and 10 bookings for the entire floor, bringing in INR 40,000–80,000 per month for the Singhs. You can charge more for your home if it is located near popular tourist attractions and has simple access to public transportation. Additionally, more tourists choose accommodations with additional amenities like air conditioning, flowing hot water, an air filter, and a full kitchen as opposed to more basic accommodations.
West Bengal Government to help homestay entrepreneurs
- According to officials, the ambitious “Homestay Policy” of the West Bengal government, which aims to encourage middle-class tourism while supporting the state’s MSEs, would be drafted soon.
- After the budgetary allocation for tourism was boosted by 25 times since the 2010 budget, the decision to have a distinct policy for homestays was made a few months later. The promotion of homestays was a significant component of the strategy, and state Finance Minister Amit Mitra allotted Rs 295 crore to the tourism division in his budget address.
- Although the idea of promoting homestays as a way to strengthen local economies is well-liked throughout the world, the state government acknowledged that it would take some time for middle-class Bengali tourists to accept the concept. The policy was framed in an attempt to streamline the process, an official said, adding that many foreign researchers are now finding their best accommodation in homestays in India.
- The Bread & Breakfast Scheme, which benefits from a partnership with Incredible India, will include the families involved in the homestay programme. Plans are also being developed for the start of organic farming and community development in locations such as Darjeeling, Lamahata, Purulia, Bankura, and Mandarmoni.
- Examples of locations where homestays are well-liked by tourists include the Bengal Hills. In North Bengal towns, particularly in the Dooars region, which is the floodplains and foothills of the eastern Himalayas in North-east India near Bhutan, a number of homestays have popped up.
Hope this guide about how to start a homestay business in West Bengal has helped all the entrepreneurs here.
Read more: 8 THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE DESIGNING A HOMESTAY
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