Time to uncork Karnatakas untapped potential: Tourism resilience, homestay hurdles
The closing weeks of the year are traditionally marked by familiar rituals selecting a new planner, choosing an inspiring calendar, and setting new year resolutions that often feel obligatory rather than aspirational. Equally customary is the act of reflection. As 2025 draws to a close, there is much to look back upon, assess, and learn from. Above all, it is a reminder that, despite challenges, we have endured yet another year. The year began on an uncertain note, with erratic weather patterns unsettling both residents and travellers alike. Early disruptions were followed by landslides that affected major highways and derailed travel plans during the middle of the year. In contrast, the monsoon season so often unpredictable proved to be surprisingly restrained and cooperative. As the year concluded, the tourism sector was confronted with the unexpected IDidntGo episode, a phenomenon that briefly unsettled travel sentiment. Taken together, these events rendered 2025 a year that was eventful, yet in many respects, quite ordinary. Despite these fluctuations, the tourism industry demonstrated resilience and recorded a reasonably stable performance overall. At the most fundamental level of hospitality lies the homestay sector, long cherished by budget travellers and those seeking authentic, local experiences. In 2025, however, this segment witnessed a noticeable slowdown in the number of new homestays being established. A key factor contributing to this decline was a government directive mandating the alienation of land on which homestays are constructed. While well-intentioned from a regulatory standpoint, the directive has had unintended consequences. A widowed senior citizen, who had previously operated a successful homestay before shutting it down during the Covid pandemic, shared that this regulation represents the third significant barrier preventing her from reopening. Prior to this, she had struggled with unreasonably long waiting periods for approvals from multiple authorities, as well as the growing tendency of law enforcement agencies to hold homestay owners accountable for any untoward incidents involving guests. These cumulative challenges proved overwhelming. Her experience raises an important question: Has the original spirit and purpose of the homestay concept been compromised? Increasingly, it appears that only those with the time, resources and resilience to navigate bureaucratic corridors can establish homestays rather than the homemakers whose warmth, hospitality and culinary traditions once formed the backbone of this sector. Ironically, while small homestay operators grapple with regulatory hurdles, local makeshift eateries continue to flourish along highways and rural routes. These establishments, often informal and family-run, offer flavours that are distinctly rustic and deeply satisfying. Their chutneys, in particular, remain unrivalled in taste and authenticity. One cannot help but wonder whether it is only a matter of time before these too attract regulatory scrutiny. Amid these challenges, there have been notable successes. Entrepreneurs who have managed to overcome administrative obstacles have established refined and exclusive homestays nestled in the mountains and along Karnatakas expansive coastline. These properties have become destinations in their own right, drawing repeat visitors who return specifically for the homestay experience. Regions such as Chikkamagaluru, Madikeri and coastal Karnataka are increasingly capturing attention and, in some cases, offering competition to established World Heritage destinations. Karnataka is uniquely positioned with an extraordinary range of tourism assets. The state boasts of regal palaces, magnificent temples, remnants of Mughal architecture, enchanting hill stations, verdant coffee plantations and a breathtaking coastline. Add to this its rich wildlife reserves and cascading waterfalls, and the diversity becomes truly remarkable. Consolidating international tourism within a single state could offer visitors an experience that otherwise requires travel across multiple regions of the country. Such is Karnatakas untapped potential. Yet progress often appears constrained by a narrow, inward-looking approach. One must ask why initiatives such as a state-level equivalent of the Palace on Wheels have not been pursued. The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation could play a pivotal role by partnering with private hotels and resorts to create well-structured travel circuits within the state. On a personal note, I recently organised a Taste of India tour for a first-time, solo French female traveller travelling on a modest budget, with a desire to include Ayurvedic treatment. The experience proved transformative not just for the traveller, but in its broader impact. She has since become a passionate ambassador for India, confidently reassuring prospective travellers in France that language barriers are minimal, even for those who do not speak English. This experience underscores the immense potential of personalised, thoughtfully curated travel. As we look ahead to 2026, the aspiration must be to instil a renewed sense of pride among all stakeholders and to execute cohesive, forward-thinking plans that present India to the world beginning with Karnataka. What is required is not excessive oversight, but empowerment, trust, and the freedom to innovate.
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