Karnataka Tourism Department Reforms Homestay Regulations Following Kodagu Assault Incident

The Karnataka tourism department, in partnership with various agencies, has reviewed security measures for homestays throughout the state and put forth a set of guidelines, official sources reported on Monday.

It is now mandatory for homestays and bed and breakfast establishments to display their registration certificate and license prominently at the reception or main entrance, as mandated by the government.

This initiative follows a recent incident involving the sexual assault of a US national at a homestay in Kodagu district.
Officials have urged tour operators, travel agents, online travel agencies, and tourists to book accommodations exclusively with registered service providers.

The tourism department will maintain an official online register of homestays and bed and breakfast establishments throughout the state.

Sources indicated that the department will implement procedures to ensure that any non-compliant units are automatically removed from the list until they achieve compliance. Moreover, district tourism officers are required to conduct an annual outreach program with homestay proprietors.

Earlier this month, a US national reportedly faced sexual assault by staff at a homestay in Kutta, Kodagu district.

The staff member involved, a Jharkhand native who worked in the hospitality department, has been apprehended in connection with the incident. The owner of the homestay has also been arrested for allegedly failing to alert the police after the woman reported the assault to him.

In addition to mandating the display of emergency and helpline numbers at all times, the department has also required police background checks for all staff members. Staff credentials must be maintained and presented to authorities, including the police, during routine inspections.

Other measures include the display of a QR code for downloading the Karnataka State Police SOS App, training staff to provide information about the app to guests, and maintaining logs of foreign guests staying at the properties.

It has been stipulated that the geographic coordinates of all registered accommodations be mapped as essential checkpoints within the Karnataka Smart E-Beat System to create an automated, GPS-verified record of police visits. Jurisdictional police stations with homestay accommodations should also keep a beat register.

Beat police constables are required to visit these properties, verify guest logs, and document their visits using GPS through the application.