'Bed and Breakfast' scheme gives house owners an income stream
Dilip Dixit is a retired service man who owns a 710 sq ft house in Pune. With space to let, he's hoping to join the country's first-ever `Bed & Breakfast' scheme, which has been launched by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
Inspired by the success of European 'flop-houses' or B&B centres, this scheme is expected to boost the fortunes of property owners like Dixit and of Indian tourism per se, which is growing at 25% annually. The term 'B&B' has its genesis in
Property owners aren't complaining. Says Dixit: "Since I am a retired person, the income would be beneficial to me. The accommodation that I am offering is spacious and clean. Huge hotels charge at the very least Rs 3,000-4,000 per night. The price-tag that I would ask for would be much lesser, say around Rs 500-1,000 per night."
Dixit is cheered by the safety net inherent in a government-led scheme. "The biggest attraction of this scheme is the fact that it comes with government approval stamped on it."
Ministry circles are enthused about the prospects of B&B. Says C Gangadhar, assistant director, India Tourism. The basic idea is to provide a clean and affordable place for foreigners and domestic tourists alike, including an opportunity for foreign tourists to stay with an Indian family and experience Indian customs, traditions and authentic Indian cuisine.
The total number of tourists who visited Mumbai in 1997 was 6.95 lakh, while in 2006 it topped 8.25 lakh.
How the scheme works
Seems like there will be different beds and breakfasts. The B&B scheme will be classified as follows: Standard and Premium. The ministry has formed a Regional Classification Committee, which will inspect and classify the B&B establishments based on the facilities, area and services offered. The committee consists of principal secretary (Tourism State Government), regional director (India Tourism), representatives from IATO, representatives from State Tourism Department etc. The downside is that there's a deposit fee of Rs 3,000 (standard) and Rs.5000 (premium) that is charged with the submission of the form.
Says Dixit: "If the ministry rejects the form on the basis of a technicality, the amount that I have paid will not be refunded. I would have to look at the check-list a lot more carefully."
Explains Gangadhar: "It is the house-owner who decides what amount is charged from a tourist for x number of days. We only intervene in cases where we feel that the rates are over-the-top."
"The fact that a premise is available as B&B is communicated via our 23 offices in
Says Gangadhar: "It helps us understand just how many residents are open to the idea. This form of accommodation has become a necessity in metros. It's an entirely new concept and we are getting a lot of queries. The idea is that the residents should maintain their way of life, and yet house tourists."
If this home tourism effort takes off, it could be a cost-effective option for tourists and a golden goose for retired middle-class folks like Dixit. Indian tourism could also get quite comfortable with such room service.
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