Hinterland tourism is finding its foot in Goa with adventurous and discerning tourists making a beeline to waterfalls, rivers and other sites. Since visits to these sites are challenging and risky, hopefully the registered tourist operators are well-versed with the areas, have safety measures in place, are environmentally conscious and are able to manage unruly tourists.
To encourage hinterland tourism and to empower women, Goa’s tourism department had created a Homestay and Bed and Breakfast Policy.
Under this policy the beneficiaries had to invest first and later claim the spent amount. As this was not feasible for the rural folks, the department plans to amend the policy. One of the criteria of the proposal is a homestay should have six rooms for the guests within the owner’s residence, specifically in the rural areas.
It would be interesting to determine as to how many houses have six guest rooms and 2 or 3 rooms for the inhabitants, kitchen, and a several wash rooms.
It would be helpful if the maximum information of the homestays with addresses are listed on the tourism department’s homepage.
