**Executive Summary**
On March 17, 2026, the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs inaugurated the Capacity Building Program for Tribal Homestay Owners in New Delhi. The initiative aims to enhance hospitality skills and sustainable livelihoods for tribal communities, starting with an initial batch of 40 participants from Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Gujarat. A key immediate outcome was the release of a multilingual "Tribal Homestay – Operation & Development Manual 2026" to guide operators.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Program Objectives and Training**
* **Skill Enhancement:** The program focuses on strengthening professional hospitality skills, improving service standards, and enhancing visitor experiences.
* **Sustainable Livelihoods:** It aims to create meaningful economic opportunities for tribal households, particularly in mountainous and nature-rich regions.
* **Structured Instruction:** Training is conducted by IHM Ashok, ITDC, providing a framework for the professional management of homestays.
**Strategic Resources and Scaling**
* **Operational Manual:** The "Tribal Homestay – Operation & Development Manual 2026" was released as a practical guide for aspiring and existing operators.
* **Multilingual Outreach:** To ensure accessibility, the manual has been translated into Hindi and Gujarati.
* **Ambitious Targets:** The immediate goal is to train 1,500 participants, contributing to a broader national vision of establishing one lakh homestays across the country.
* **Trainer Model:** The initiative seeks to empower participants to become "trainers of trainers" to facilitate rapid expansion within their respective states.
**Institutional Collaboration**
* **Synergy:** The project reflects a collaboration between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, and the "Incredible India" platform.
* **Inclusive Development:** The partnership focuses on preserving tribal traditions while generating tourism-led economic growth.
**Impact Analysis**
**Tribal Homestay Owners**
**Impact**
Operators receive professional hospitality training and access to structured operational guidelines, enabling them to meet the expectations of modern travelers and transform local economies.
**Action Required**
Participate in the capacity-building workshops and utilize the 2026 manual to standardize and improve their homestay operations.
**ITDC and IHM Ashok**
**Impact**
These organizations serve as the primary facilitators of technical knowledge and hospitality standards, celebrating 60 years of excellence by expanding into tribal skill development.
**Action Required**
Implement the training for the targeted 1,500 participants and develop the "trainer of trainers" framework to ensure localized access to instruction.
**Ministry of Tribal Affairs**
**Impact**
The Ministry facilitates inclusive development and creates a sustainable model for community-based tourism that preserves tribal heritage.
**Action Required**
Continue collaborating with tourism bodies to provide the necessary framework and support for tribal communities to adopt tourism-led livelihood opportunities.
Key Entities Referenced
Capacity Building Program for Tribal Homestay Owners: An initiative launched by ITDC and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to promote community-based tourism and enhance professional hospitality skills among tribal operators.
India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC): The primary implementing agency under the Ministry of Tourism responsible for delivering training and developing infrastructure for the homestay initiative.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The central ministry collaborating on the program to create sustainable livelihood opportunities and inclusive development for tribal communities.
Tribal Homestay – Operation & Development Manual 2026: A structured framework and practical guide released to support the professional management and standardized development of tribal homestays across India.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
ITDC and Ministry of Tribal Affairs Inaugurate
Capacity Building Program for Tribal Homestay
Owners
Posted On: 17 MAR 2026 1:36PM by PIB Delhi
The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), under the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration
with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, held the inaugural opening ceremony of the Capacity Building
Program for Tribal Homestay Owners at Kautilya Hall, Hotel Samrat, New Delhi.The initiative marks
an important step toward promoting community-based tourism while strengthening the professional
hospitality skills of tribal homestay operators across the country. The programme aims to enhance
service standards, improve visitor experiences, and support sustainable livelihood opportunities for
tribal communities through structured training and capacity building by IHM Ashok, ITDC for
Ministry of Tribal Affairs.The program wasattended by first batch of 40 participants from Arunachal
Pradesh, Sikkim and Gujarat.
The ceremony was attended by Smt. Ranjana Chopra, IAS ,Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs; Mr.
Manish Thakur, IAS, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ms.Mugdha Sinha, IAS,
Managing Director– ITDC, Dr.Varnali Deka, IAS, Director, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Mr. Rajesh
Rana, Director, Commercial & Marketing, ITDC.
A key highlight of the event was the release of the publication developed by IHM Ashok, titled
“Tribal Homestay – Operation & Development Manual 2026.” The manual provides a structured
framework to support the development and professional management of tribal homestays across India.
Designedasa practical guide for aspiring and existing homestay operators, the publication has been
developed as a multilingual resource and translated into Hindi and Gujarati to ensure wider
accessibility and effective outreach among communities.Commenting on the occasion, Secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs said,“The mind set of the
Indian tourist is evolving. Today’s travellers are increasingly seeking destinations that are less
crowded, closer to nature, and free from pollution, while also choosing to stay longer to truly
experience the seenvironments. Ina country where there is a significant shortage of hotel rooms, the
homestay model offers a powerful solution.”
She further said, “It not only meets the expectations of modern travellers but also creates meaning full
livelihood opportunities for tribal house holds, particularly in mountainous and tribal regions rich in
natural trails. By equipping homestay owners with the basic principles of hospitality, this initiative has
the potential transs form local economies. As ITDC celebrates sixty years of excellence, this
partnership with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs is a significant milestone. The small seed we are
planting today through this training programme will grow into a strong and sustainable model that
inspires many more communities to adopt tourism-led livelihood opportunities.”
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Mugdha Sinha, IAS, Managing Director - ITDC, said, “The homestay
movement in India draws strong inspiration from the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of establishing
one lakh homestays across the country. Our immediate effort to train 1,500 participants is only the
beginning. The larger goal is to empower them to become trainers of trainers in their respective states,
enabling the model to expand rapidly and ensuring that communities can access training closer to
home.”
She also added, “This initiative also reflects our commitment to breaking silos and working through
meaningful collaboration. By bringing to ge ther the strengths and synergies of the Ministry of Tribal
Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism, and the Incredible India platform, we are creating a framework that
supports sustainable tourism while generating new livelihood opportunities for communities across
the country.”
The collaboration between ITDC and Ministry of Tribal Affair sreflects the government’s broader
focus on inclusive development and generating livelihoods through tourism. This also aims to
strengthen community-based tourism by equipping tribal homestay operators with the skills and
knowledge needed to deliver high-quality experiences. It also contributes to sustainable development
by generating meaningful economic opportunities while preserving tribal traditions.
About India Tourism Development Corporation:
ITDC was incorporated in 1966 with a mandate to develop and expand tourism infrastructure in the
country. The Corporation has been moving ahead with consistent efforts on development, growth and
world-classservices and amenitiestoits guests. Apart from running Hotels, the ITDC has diversified
into non- hotel sectors like Ticketing, Tours and Travels, Event Management, Duty- Free Shopping,
Publicity & printing consultancy, Engineering Consultancy, mounting Sound & light shows,
Hospitality education and skill development– all under one roof.
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RN/
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