A seminar on Home Stays & Sustainable Tourism was held under the aegis of Manipur Tourism department as a part of ‘Paryatan Parv 2018’ celebration in Imphal on Wednesday.
Paryatan Parv which is aimed at drawing focus to the benefits of tourism while showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism for All”, is being observed across the country from September 16-27, 2018 under the aegis of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments.
In his welcome address, Director W Ibohal Singh of Manipur Tourism department said that the Department was in the process of preparing guidelines of home stay for the state in line with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Tourism.
The Department was also planning to provide training to the registered home stay owners and District wise awareness regarding importance of Home stay development for the public, he further added.
The Director also expressed that knowing the purpose of the tourist was very important for the growth of tourism sector and home stays would take a major role in promoting Manipur Tourism by creating an emotional attachment between the tourist and the home owners.
He further said that development of Rural Tourism should be the first priority for a developing state like Manipur, where there is a slow advancement of technology.
In her speech, Assistant Professor Dr Irengbam Rubita of Centre for Entrepreneurship and Skill Development under the School of Social Sciences, Manipur University, said that sharing of authentic experiences and cultural exchanges between the guest and the owner, was a distinctive feature of a home stay, which made it different from a hotel.
She also shared knowledge about the necessities of a home stay with rural settings, various activities to be done by home stay owners, principles to be used in developing home stay, product line of home stay, Status of Manipur accommodation sector,etc.
Maipakchao Oinam Owner of Maipakchao Family Home stay at Loktak and Founder M Krishnakanta of Wildlife and Habitat Protection Society also shared their experiences regarding Home stay and sustainable tourism. Among the others who attended the seminar were Deputy Director M Kapajit Singh led officials of Tourism Department and students of Manipur University and JCRE skills solutions.