Homestay owners in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills have formed a joint committee to coordinate with the Bengal government as the state prepares a new policy aimed at tightening safety, registration and operating standards for the sector.
The Darjeeling-Kalimpong Homestay Conservation Committee includes representatives of homestay owners’ associations from the two hill districts and some adjoining areas in the plains, Dawa Gyalpo Sherpa, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration’s field director for adventure tourism, said. The committee will raise operators’ concerns and help facilitate compliance with the proposed rules.
The move follows an incident at a homestay in Sittong on September 20, in which a tourist suffered burn injuries from a barbecue. The incident has prompted renewed attention to fire safety and other safeguards at accommodation facilities operating in the hills.
Sherpa said homestay owners had become apprehensive about the guidelines being introduced by the government, but urged them not to panic. He said operators should comply with prescribed fire safety measures, maintain proper guest registration and follow other applicable rules.
“We have formed this committee to work with the government to ensure the hassle-free operation of these tourism facilities,” Sherpa said, according to the report.
Tourism minister Shankar Ghosh has said that a group of state ministers submitted a proposal for an exclusive homestay tourism policy and that it was likely to be approved soon. The policy is being positioned as an effort to strengthen regulatory oversight of homestays across Bengal, including facilities operating within the GTA’s jurisdiction.
Ghosh has directed the district administrations of Darjeeling and Kalimpong to conduct a detailed ground-level assessment of homestays currently operating in the GTA area. The tourism department is also introducing an online registration system for homestay facilities across the state.
According to Sherpa, more than 6,000 homestay facilities operate across Darjeeling and Kalimpong and parts of the Dooars. He said tourism-related activities, including homestays, ecotourism and adventure tourism, account for around 70 per cent of the regional economy.
The proposed regulatory process will also address the distinction between genuine homestays and commercial properties operating under that label. Sherpa alleged that some owners lease commercial properties and run them as homestays, which he said was contrary to the model’s underlying concept. The committee will urge the government to regulate such properties strictly.
The next steps are the district-level assessment of existing facilities, the proposed approval of the state’s homestay tourism policy and the rollout of the online registration system.
