Boosting Rural Tourism: MKITM’s Homestay Skill Program

Empowering Uttar Pradesh’s grassroots tourism, MKITM in Lucknow conducted an intensive five-day program for homestay operators from nine districts. Held March 16-20, it trained 31 participants in professionalizing their setups, embodying the shift from mere hosting to entrepreneurial independence.

As per Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, this initiative fuels UP’s tourism innovation drive, fortifying rural economies via homestays amid booming visitor numbers. These ventures expand lodging, spark employment, and preserve cultural essence.

In-depth modules covered homestay foundations, cost-effective setups, revenue models, financial controls, issue resolution, enhancements, preservation, and styling. Modern musts—social media, digital transactions, guest protocols, and sustainability—were highlighted, with hygiene, conservation, and guest-centric strategies front and center.

Culminating in personality enhancement, culinary norms, and artisan promotion, the program issued materials and certificates on day four, followed by hands-on farm exposure. Attendees from Shahjahanpur, Kasganj, and beyond, including Devendra Singh, Akash Singh, and Rahul Kumar, deemed it invaluable for business growth and superior hospitality.

The state’s blueprint positions homestays as viable hotel rivals: safe havens of comfort, cuisine, and kinship. Through such capacitation, UP Tourism ensures operators deliver unforgettable journeys, cementing homestays as pillars of self-reliant progress.