APTD holds a seminar on ‘Home Stay’ : Play host to tourists and cash more, people told

Visakhapatnam: Collector Pravin Kumar called upon the house owners in the city to earn good income by offering their vacant portions and houses to the national and international tourists.

The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department organised a seminar on ‘Home Stay’ on Saturday to create awareness on the service. The government permitting the house owners to offer their vacant houses and vacant portions to the tourists who are arriving in the city. 

To educate the owners on the ‘Home Stay’, the seminar was organised by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism.

While inaugurating the seminar, Collector Pravin Kumar said that the state government is organising tourism promotional events at national and international-level in the city. The footfall of the tourists has been increasing at a large scale. 

However, the existing resorts, hotels and lodges are not sufficient in the city against the number of tourists. Tourists are facing troubles for good accommodation due to the heavy demand for the hotel rooms in the city, the Collector said.

In order to provide accommodation to the tourists, the state government launched a new programme ‘Athidhi Devo Bhava.’ The AP Tourism and 'airbnb' jointly drafted the programme ‘Home Stay’. 

Interested house owners can register their address online to offer their vacant accommodation and houses to the tourists. The house owners have to provide good reception and giving correct information about the tourist attractions, the collector added.

The delegates from the 'airbnb' explained guidelines, including required facilities at home, how to register the name and address, safety precautions, reception and how to handle the guests.

Director, AP Tourism (administration) Sambasiva Rao, Executive Director D Srinivasa Rao, District Tourism Officer Purnima Devi representatives of various apartments and resident association, representatives from the CREDAI, tour and travel operators were present. After the inaugural sessions, the owners interacted with the officials and clarified their doubts on the scheme.