New Delhi: With the aim of standardising facilities across home stays and bed and breakfasts in the country, the Tourism Ministry has issued new guidelines to such establishments.

Properties where their owners or promoters physically reside will be designated as home stay establishments, while those where only an agent or operator resides will be designated as bed and breakfast (B&B).

These guidelines will constitute the Common National Standards. Each State and Union Territory will be free to build upon them to suit their requirements, while keeping the core tenets intact. The properties will be categorised as silver and gold on the basis of the facilities they offer.

The Central Government said that a property would be classified in a two-stage procedure under which the presence of facilities and services would be evaluated against a checklist. “Due preference will be  accorded to the homes, which are able to provide Indian experience by way of Indian decor, authentic and exotic Indian cuisine, etc.,” according to the guidelines.

“Formulation of the Common National Standards was imperative to standardise facilities and services that would be available to tourists in B&B and home stay establishments across the country,” an official statement said.

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