Bed & Breakfast/Homestay Scheme- Punjab

The scheme Bed & Breakfast/Homestay Scheme is implemented by the Department of Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Government of Punjab with the aim of providing comfortable Bed & Breakfast (BnB)/Home Stay Facilities and supplementing the availability of accommodation across the State. The Department of Tourism will register fully operational rooms of private properties as Bed & Breakfast/Homestay units in the State of Punjab. The basic idea is to provide a clean and affordable place for international and domestic tourists and offer an opportunity for the tourists to acquaint themselves with the cultural heritage of Punjab.Bed & Breakfast Unit:

A Bed & Breakfast (BnB) unit in Punjab is generally a private house with at least one let-able guest room which serves breakfast to its guests.

Homestay:

The Homestay is a unit which provides only a stay facility without providing breakfast. However, the owner of the Homestay may also arrange the breakfast for the guest as per his demand and the charges mutually agreed.

Benefits

The Bed & Breakfast/Homestay Scheme will provide the following benefits to the registered owners of the property:

1. A useful source of additional income for homeowners registered as BnB/Homestay units.
2. Association with the prestigious Punjab Tourism brand and Bed & Breakfast/Homestay unit owners to be allowed to use Punjab Tourism Logo on their sign boards.
3. The benefit in terms of support from the Department of Tourism/Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board (PHTPB) in marketing the BnB/Homestay unit, through:

1. Promotion on the official website of Punjab Tourism.
2. Media coverage by travel writers.
3. Appearance in the Department of Tourisms /Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Boards brochures distributed through the Punjab Tourist Information Centres and in other events organized/participated.
4. Promotion through domestic and international trade fairs.

Issuance of BnB/Home Stay Certificate:

1. Certificates will be issued by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PHTPB
2. The duration of the Certificate is Lifetime.

Eligibility

Breakfast/Homestay units will be categorized as follows: Gold Category & Silver CategoryEligibility for Gold category:

1. The construction of the house should not be more than 20 years old at the time of submission of the first application for registration.
2. The property should have at least 25% open area such as lawn/green area/outside terrace.
3. Provision for hygienic storage of food should be there.
4. Adequate parking space for the guests inside the premises should be there.

Eligibility for Silver Category:

1. The properties which do not fulfill the criteria prescribed for the Gold category having at least one let-able room shall be eligible for registration under the Silver category.

Other General Conditions:

1. The owner of the property should have at least one let-able room and a maximum of six let-able rooms (12 beds).
2. The registration for Bed & Breakfast / Homestay unit will be given only in those cases where the owner of the house is physically residing in the same property.
3. In the case of BnB unit, the type of breakfast to be offered will have to be specified, the charges will be displayed and the visitors will be informed in advance to avoid any unnecessary dispute.
4. Tariffs charged under BnB Scheme are at the discretion of the individual home-owner and should be inclusive of breakfast every day. The Homestay Scheme will be excluding breakfast. However, the owner of the Homestay is free to arrange the breakfast for the guest on mutually accepted terms.
5. Every registered unit must be furnished and decorated to a high standard of comfort suitable for international as well as domestic travellers. In addition to the bedroom, guests should also be allowed to use the sitting room or other appropriate common space/area on the property.
6. Every bedroom must have a neat & clean attached bathroom with a washbasin, 24-hour hot and cold running water facility, Western-style toilet with flush and adequate arrangements for power supply and backup, ventilation, and lighting facility.
7. The premises should be structurally safe and in good condition and should also meet the standards of hygiene, cleanliness, and safety.

Compliance by the registered units:

1. The Bed & Breakfast/Homestay unit will be required to maintain the standards as per the checklist at all times. The Chief Executive Officer, PHTPB, or any other officer authorized by Govt. can conduct a surprise inspection of the unit at any time between 00 am to 00 pm without any previous notice.
2. In case of any violation, the CEO, PHTPB may cancel the registration of the unit. However, before cancellation CEO shall provide a due opportunity of being heard to the defaulting owner.
3. Any deficiencies pointed out by the Chief Executive Officer will have to be removed within the time stipulated by the CEO. In case of non-compliance of the same within the stipulated time or 3 months, whichever is lesser; the registration shall become liable for cancellation without any further notice.

Application Process

Online

Online - via CSCs

Application Process:

1. The owners of the residential properties, desirous of getting their property registered as a Bed & Breakfast unit/Homestay unit, shall submit their application on the web portal of the Department of Tourism (https://punjabtourism.punjab.gov.in/).

2. The applicants need to visit the official Portal, on the middle of the home page, and click on ‘BNB/Homestay Scheme’ under Registered your Units With Punjab Tourism.

3. On the scheme window page, in case, the applicant is not registered yet, click on ‘Register Yourself’ and fill in all the mandatory details for registering yourself.

4. After successful registration, click on Apply for Service and select ‘Online’.

5. Now, the applicant can login through his/her Login ID & Password.

6. After successful login, the applicant can fill out the application form and submit the form after uploading all the requisite documents.

7. The application fee shall be deposited online in the account of the Punjab Heritage & Tourism Promotion Board as given on the website. Proof of having paid the necessary fee shall be uploaded on the website.

8. On successful submission of the application, a system-generated email shall be sent to the applicant as an acknowledgement.
   Application Fee:

   A non-refundable application fees shall be payable for registration/renewal of Bed & Breakfast units and Homestay units as follows:

   • For Gold Category: ?5,000/-

   • For Silver Category: ?3,000/-

   Registration of the Property:

   On receipt of the online application and the requisite documents, the certificate of provisional registration will be, automatically issued to the applicant. After this, the applicant shall be eligible to operate till the registration is cancelled. A certificate of registration will be issued to the applicant within 7 working days. In case of failure to issue the certificate of registration within the stipulated period of time, the property shall be deemed to have been registered.

   Submission of periodic Reports by the BnB/Homestay units:

   The owners of the registered BnB/Homestays shall submit online a quarterly report about the number of guests served, on the prescribed Proforma (Annexure V) through the online system.

   Cancellation of Registration:
   1. Any violation of the terms and conditions of the scheme may attract cancellation of registration by the CEO, PHTPB after giving a due opportunity of being heard to the owner of the registered unit.
   2. If at any stage, it is found that the information given by the applicant was not correct, the registration of the property shall be cancelled.
   3. Failure on more than one occasion to submit the quarterly reports within the prescribed time limit may result in the cancellation of the certificate of registration.
   4. Complaints by customers may be investigated by an authorized officer and if the allegations are found to be true, then the certificate of registration may become liable for cancellation.
   5. The Bed & Breakfast/Homestay Certificate will stand cancelled automatically on change of ownership of the property. It shall be incumbent upon the applicant to inform the CEO, PHTPB regarding any change in the ownership of the property.

Documents Required

1. Checklist of facilities duly filled (Annexure-II)
2. Signed Declaration (Annexure - III)
3. Additional relevant background information, if any (Annexure-IV)
4. Identity Proof (Aadhaar Card/Driving License/Passport/Voter Card/Govt. ID Card, Ration Card, PAN Card, Pensioner Card, Freedom Fighter Card )
5. Proof of Ownership (Allotment letter, Conveyance Deed)
6. Photograph of Kitchen
7. Photograph of Main Gate
8. Photograph of parking
9. Photograph of Drawing/Dining room
10. Photograph of Lawn
11. Photograph of Rooms
12. Photograph of Bathrooms
13. Construction year verification Certificate
14. Copy of ownership document duly attested by a Group -A Officer Or a Public Notary
15. Proof of Payment of application fee