Tourists perception about Homestay Tourism in Sikkim

Abstract

Homestay is the alternative food and accommodation arrangements provided by the host in the tourism destination. The Homestays were started in the remote tourism areas, where no hotel and lodging facilities are available. The visitors staying in homestays get good experience by understanding the culture, customs, and traditions and by visiting tourist attractions in the tourism destination. Under the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, states like Kerala, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, New Delhi, Goa, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Rajasthan, and Gujarat are adopted the concept of Homestays and formulated policy in operating homestays in the tourism destination. In India, foothills of Himalayas including Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Ladakh are offering guest rooms to the tourists in the existing residential house of the host. The accommodation could be single, double or for rooms up to three to four bedrooms with facilities like cot and bed, toilet, Television, internet etc. In Sikkim the idea of starting homestay was initiated by UNESCO and Ecotourism and conservation society of Sikkim in 2007. This research paper aims to analyse the tourist perception about Sikkim Homestay operations.