Saturday, January 7 2006 18:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India is not only asking its citizens to treat guests like gods, but also wants them to open their homes to tourists to overcome the shortage of hotel rooms in the country.

"Detailed guidelines have been put in place for home-stay and timeshare as also to regulate guest houses," Additional Director General (Tourism) Rajeev Talwar said at a meeting of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) here today (Jan 7,2006).

"There are so many farm houses and big houses in posh localities which can also be used for the purpose" of housing domestic and foreign tourists," he said.

The decision came after the tour and travel industry made repeated representations to the government seeking creation of more rooms to accommodate the increasing tourist traffic. The country received 3.8 million foreign tourists in 2005.

Talwar also highlighted the urgent need for creation of at least 50 international airports to enable increased charter and scheduled operations of domestic and foreign carriers.

Addressing the meeting, IATO President Subhash Goyal said the guidelines for home-stay facilities would require imparting of training and creation of minimum facilities in the houses, whose owners would be allowed to keep tourists.

He said IATO was also pressing for one-point road tax collection to facilitate free movement of tourist vehicles across states, besides reduction of sales tax on jet fuel to four per cent to reduce the cost of air travel.

Seeking exemption of tour operators from Fringe Benefit Tax and abatement of service tax, Goyal said the Centre has suggested to states to allow addition of three more floors to hotels in major metro cities.