Homestays - Promoting Culture & Entrepreneurship In Manipur

Abstract

Tourism which is one of the leading sector in boosting a country’s economy, serves as an attractive sector for investors and entrepreneurs, commonly known as Tourism Entrepreneurship. The hospitality and tourism sector has been an effiecient area for entrepreneurial attempts e.g., Travel Packages by Club Mahindra, Thomas Cook’s tour packages etc. Rural tourism, agri-tourism, homestay and social entrepreneurship are some examples of entrepreneurship that have emerged in the recent years. There is also an increasing trend of ‘experiential tourism’ to know new things and experiencing cultures, cuisine, traditions etc. Today, the discerning traveller is prepared to go great distances and to unknown places to get the unique experience and give back to the host communities. Homestays have proved to be quite successful in this regard. ‘Homestay’ is a concept where visitor tourists get to stay with a local family and experience the daily activities of the hosts. Tourists are provided with an accomodation and authentic local experience and interaction with the local host community. They are popular among budget tourists who want to exclusively experience the cultural nuances of the area.

Manipur being a land of unique cultural traditions and a varied landscape, possess a great potential of boosting Tourism Entrepreneurship. Shirui Festival of Ukhrul, Orange Festival of Tamenglong, Sangai Festival are some of the major festivals where a huge turnout of people is seen annually. These are held in rural areas of the State where homestays are the main place to stay as hotels are not much prevalent. Homestays are one aspect of sustainable tourism, which aid in boosting rural economy, promoting entrepreneurship and generating employment. Therefore, this study aims to critically analyse the functional efficacy of homestays, financial benefit and how it conributes in promoting the culture and entrepreneurial vision and capacity of the locals.