HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, June 7: To encourage and promote the participation of women in Assam’s tourism sector and promote women entrepreneurs, a ‘10-day Capacity Building Program’ for the establishment of home stays owned and operated by women entrepreneurs of Assam was launched at the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) on Friday in the august presence of Masanda Pertin, IAS, state mission director, ASRLM, Bhanu Prakash Verma, GM, SIDBI, H R Das, joint director, Assam Tourism, KC Baishya, deputy director Tea Board, Punita Bansal technical director KPMG, Dr Lalit Sharma, director, IIE, Prasanta Goswami, course director, IIE officials of IIE, and other distinguished guests.
Welcoming the women entrepreneurs, Dr Lalit Sharma, director, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) said, “Home stays can play a very important role in promoting tourism and developing self-employment among women. Home stays would also promote local culture, indigenous products, ethnic food, and nearby scenic locations.” The training would make the women take a more professional approach towards running and managing a home stay business, he said.
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Masanda Pertin, IAS, state mission director, ASRLM encouraged all the women beneficiaries to promote their local home stay business through adapting innovative ideas like local resources, diversity in the food pattern in the upcoming days. She also stated that women entrepreneurs have significant potential in the home stay business, therefore encouraging women to inherit their skills in hospitality and management will create a significant impact in the home stay sector.
Sponsored by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) through the Cluster Intervention Scheme to promote tourism in Assam, the program offers a 10-day training (total duration of 80 hours) covering broad topics such as entrepreneurship, promoting home stay businesses, using online booking platforms like Airbnb and MakeMyTrip, social media marketing, managing home stays, client handling, financial literacy, and government schemes for home stay businesses. The Assam State Livelihoods Mission (ASLRM) supports this initiative by identifying and mobilising women entrepreneurs from different districts of Assam for the training program. The Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) is the implementing agency of the program.
The home stay business in Assam holds promising prospects due to the region’s rich cultural heritage and natural beauty. Recently, tourist mobility has significantly increased, directly accelerating the demand for hotels and home stays. Women entrepreneurs of Assam have significant potential in the home stay business. Operating a home stay allows them to leverage their inherent skills in hospitality and management. Women excel in creating warm, welcoming environments, essential for successful home stays. Their attention to detail and nurturing nature result in exceptional guest experiences, fostering repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth referrals.
