Homestay classification scheme

Homestay is a family business carried out by the owner of the house providing accommodation alone or food and accommodation facility to tourists visiting Kerala. A resident of Kerala staying in own house and is willing to set apart minimum one room (two beds) and maximum six rooms (twelve beds) for accommodating tourists can submit an application to the Director, Department of Tourism for starting a homestay.

Homestay is an accommodation system and an economic activity in the tourism industry. It is popular among the tourists who want to interact with local culture, lifestyle, social system and people. As the name indicates, homestays are a stay in a 'home' with a family where the tourists will get opportunity to mingle with the people, their culture, life style, ideas etc. Homestay refers to accommodation provided in a private home run like a small business by the home owner. Homestays play an integral part of promoting our culture and nature to the external world. This accommodation ensures economic, social and cultural development in a sustainable way. The main component of homestay is the cultural diversity of the local people which can attract the visitors. Homestay accommodation is helpful for tourism development in a country or an area. Homestay can meet the accommodation problem for various types of tourism like rural tourism, ecotourism and cultural tourism. Homestay accommodation provides opportunity to the local community members for active participation in tourism activities.

As per G.O.(Ms) No.324/15/TSM Dated 21.12.2015 & G.O.(Ms) No.03/2020/TSM Dated 16.01.2020, Government have accorded approval for the revised scheme for Classification/Reclassification of Homestays.

G.O.(Rt) No.177/2022/TSM Dated 03.06.2022 regarding NOC from Panchayath/ Municipality/ Corporation, are not required for classification of homestays.