Karnali, March 12: Homestay service operators from across the country have gathered in Surkhet to participate in the Third National Home Stay Workshop that is set to kick off from today.    

The workshop is organised with the objective of reviewing the status of rural tourism and the homestay in the post-COVID-19 context. It also has the goal of formulating policy on homestay, taking initiatives for drafting a province-level work procedure, publicising Nepal's homestay in the international tourism market, developing the registration, operation and inspection of homestay in tune with the times and resolving the problems seen in the tourism sector after the COVID-19.    

The theme of the workshop is – 'Nature, Culture and Tourism are Nepal's Identity: Building Prosperous Nation, the Homestay Campaign.' The three-day workshop will take place at the Tharu Homestay of Birendranagar.    

More than 200 homestay operators from across the country have come here to participate in the workshop. Homestay Nepal Karnali Province president Krishna Bahadur Thapa said there is a programme of observing the homestay and the touristic areas in Surkhet on the first day of the workshop today.    

According to him, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal will inaugurate the seminar on Saturday.    
Working papers on various topics related to rural and homestay tourism would be presented and discussed in course of the seminar. The workshop will conclude on Sunday organising a news conference to share the conclusions of the seminar.    

Pashupati Neupane will present a paper on opportunities and challenges of homestay, Ram Chandra Sedhain on homestay in Karnali province, Deepak Raj Joshi on cleanliness and sanitation in homestay after COVID-19, Dr Alok Prasai on policy status of homestay in Nepal and Rajendra Prasad Tripathi on homestay training, development and marketing.    

Representatives of various organisations as Taragaon Development Committee and Nepal Tourism Board will comment on the papers.