NITI Aayog’s report on homestays calls for flexible policy approaches for tourism growth
Rethinking-Homestays
It emphasises the need for light-touch, transparent regulatory frameworks that ensure the safety of tourists and homeowners, protect heritage, and support inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
NITI Aayog has launched the report titled ‘Rethinking Homestays: Navigating Policy Pathways’ in collaboration with Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), offering a strategic roadmap to unlock the potential of homestays and BnBs in India’s tourism landscape.
Drawing upon insights from aggregators, hosts, and policymakers, the report highlights the role of homestays in offering travellers culturally immersive experiences while simultaneously fostering local entrepreneurship and employment generation. It emphasises the need for light-touch, transparent regulatory frameworks that ensure the safety of tourists and homeowners, protect heritage, and support inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
It calls for flexible policy approaches, capacity building and the integration of digital platforms to empower hosts and strengthen consumer trust. It also features case studies and state-level best practices to illustrate scalable models for homestay development and governance.
The report was released by Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, in the presence of Yugal Kishore Joshi, Programme Director, NITI Aayog, and senior Government officials from Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and states covered in the report like Goa, Kerala, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
The launch was attended by industry representatives from IAMAI, ISPP, MakeMyTrip, Airbnb, Chase India and The Convergence Foundation, underlining the importance of public–private collaboration in shaping a vibrant homestay ecosystem.
“To fully integrate local communities into the development and promotion of homestays, there is a pressing need for simplified and inclusive regulatory interventions. Reducing entry barriers and harmonising efforts across governance levels is critical. As evidenced during India's strong post-pandemic recovery, homestays have emerged as an important means of addressing infrastructure gaps in tourism, while also providing livelihoods to people within their native environments,” said NITI Aayog’s Bery, adding that the recommendations put forward in the report aim to support this shift and to integrate homestays more deeply into the tourism value chain.
The report further underscores that homestays have the unique ability to blend cultural authenticity with livelihood creation, particularly in rural and semi-urban regions.
Developed through extensive consultations the report presents actionable recommendations for policymakers, industry stakeholders and local communities, with the aim of building a resilient, inclusive and heritage-conscious homestay sector in India.
Full Report on ‘Rethinking Homestays: Navigating Policy Pathways’ can be accessed at: https://niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-08/Rethinking-Homestays-Navigating-Policy-Pathways.pdf
