Hyderabad: Telangana is set to open a new avenue for families to earn from tourism, with the state govt preparing to launch a dedicated homestay scheme that will allow homeowners to host tourists in their residences.The tourism department will soon invite applications from eligible homeowners across the state for registration and classification of homestays. The guidelines, issued a year after the Telangana Tourism Policy was announced, seek to take tourism beyond major cities and hotels by enabling households to become micro-entrepreneurs.Officials said applications will be disposed of within 30 working days, while registration will remain valid for two years. The govt will primarily act as a facilitator and promoter, adopting a trust-based, ease-of-doing-business approach.“Tourism has become one of the fastest-growing contributors to employment, entrepreneurship, cultural preservation and balanced regional development,” officials said. Homestays, they added, would expand accommodation capacity without the capital costs, land use and environmental burden associated with commercial construction, while giving visitors exposure to Telangana’s cuisine, handicrafts, art forms and festivals.The scheme covers residential premises voluntarily offered by owners for short-term tourist accommodation. Eligible properties include independent houses, heritage homes, traditional dwellings, rural and tribal houses and residential apartments. Hotels, resorts, lodges, hostels, paying-guest facilities, dormitories and serviced apartments will not qualify as homestays.Registered properties will be classified into three categories by a committee comprising officials from various departments, with final recommendations approved by the tourism department. Owners will receive a classification certificate and digital listing on Telangana Tourism’s promotional platforms.The initiative forms part of the Telangana Tourism Policy 2025-30, the state’s first dedicated tourism policy since formation. The policy targets Rs 15,000 crore in tourism investment and three lakh jobs over five years, besides raising tourism’s contribution to the state economy to double digits.Officials said homestays are designed to promote community-based and responsible tourism across urban, rural and tribal Telangana, while creating markets for local food, crafts, traditions and festivals.Kerala’s established homestay model offers a benchmark. Its tourism department classifies properties as Diamond, Gold and Silver, caps accommodation at six rooms and requires owners and families to reside on the premises. Classification is valid for three years.
