Homestay count grows manifold in Odisha but local experience missing

BHUBANESWAR: From close to 50 in 2017 to over 350 now, the state has witnessed a significant rise in properties being listed as homestays. The experience of local culture – an integral part of homestays – is missing, though.

With discerning travellers looking for homely and less expensive travel experiences, many house owners seeking a lucrative income source are now listing their properties as homestays on online travel aggregators such as Airbnb, MakeMyTrip, Booking or even social media platforms like Instagram.

Airbnb alone has listed 270 properties including villas, apartments, farm stays, flats, palaces and houses across Odisha as homestays with prices ranging from Rs 1,300 to Rs 17,000 per night. As far as booking trends go, while places like Kerala, Mumbai, Uttrakhand, Bengaluru, Goa are still favourite among domestic travellers on Airbnb, Puri has recently emerged as a top choice for homestay bookings on the platform.