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Goa Cracks Down on Illegal Homestays With Rural Grants and Tighter OTA Monitoring

Updated rules steer direct grants to women-led rural homestays, inviting residents to flag unregistered listings

Overview

  • The tourism department has intensified monitoring of OTA platforms and mobilised residents to report unregistered listings through a toll-free helpline
  • Pandemic-era second homes in residential complexes are being exploited as unregistered homestays, prompting complaints of noise, safety and infrastructure strain from permanent residents
  • The revised Homestay and B&B Policy replaces the reimbursement model with direct Rs 2 lakh grants for eligible women-led rural hosts
  • Incentives are confined to non-coastal, non-urban zones to maintain the policy’s rural focus and curb pressure on urban infrastructure
  • The department will support 100 homestays in the initial phase and launch applications after the monsoon session concludes on August 8