Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited has inked a five-year deal with the Kerala government to promote homestays, or private homes, in the southern state. Recently, the state registered over 400 homestays to help reach of the tourism industry in the state.
Mahindra Holidays established its homestays business, christened Mahindra Homestays, in July 2008 to put the growing homestay market in India under one roof. It has set up a pan-India network of homes to showcase, the "real India."
"We are delighted to partner Kerala for promotion of homestays. This agreement will provide us with access to government-affiliated homestays which would be promoted via joint campaigns in the target markets. Today, tourism has evolved from a mere sightseeing industry to actually exploring and experiencing the authentic culture of a place.
The homestays concept provides tourists with a unique vacation alternative, an opportunity to experience local traditions, customs and cuisine first-hand," said Ramesh Ramanathan, Managing Director, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited.
Mahindra will come up a transparent classification and rating system for homestays as well as provide relevant training to owners on hospitality, cooking, safety and hygiene. The agreement also provides owners with several advantages such as the brand of Mahindra Homestays, which will contribute towards beefing up the image of homestays.
Mahindra Homestays will help visitors select homestays across India through a single website (www.mahindrahomestays.com), secure online booking with clearly laid-out cancellation policies and guarantee basic standards related to service, hygiene and safety. A special toll-free telephonic reservation assistance centre has been set up to address queries, take reservation requests and answer destination related information.
The homestay concept has gained ground in India in the last 4-5 years. Estimates puts the number of homestays in India at 1,500 homes, with the highest concentration in Kerala, Coorg, Rajasthan, Ladakh and Himachal.
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