Friday, March 28, 2008 Group promotes homestay, picks Cebu, Bohol as priority areas
AS part of efforts to promote the country’s tourism industry, the Philippines will host the International Conference for Homestay Programs next year.
Dr. Mina Gabor, president of the Philippine Small and Medium Business Development Foundation (Philsmed), yesterday said she was able to confirm the information from organizers only the other night.
Although there is no specific host city yet, she confirmed that Cebu Province, through Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale, would want to host the activity.
In line with this, Gabor–who sits as president and vice chairperson of Homestay Philippines Inc. (Host)—said that Host will be launching the homestay program, conceptualized for the country, by August or September this year.
Host is a profit corporation composed of private individuals in the airline and hotel industries who have invested millions of pesos to promote home-staying programs.
The company also partnered with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to market and promote home-staying in the international market.
Host included Cebu among the priority areas for the homestay program in the Visayas.
The program will enable the country to participate in new global tourism trends, which can be summed up as “going back to basics,” Gabor said.
“The hectic 10-day tour packages will now become a thing of the past. What the tourists now want is to stay 10 days in Boracay,” she said.
Under the Host Philippines program, there will be franchisees in the district, provincial and regional levels who will oversee the homeowners —also referred to as the member-establishments.
Franchisees can be a non-government organization or private individual who will register with Host.
To qualify as a member-establishment, one can offer one bedroom in a home, a whole house, an apartment or condominium unit, a campsite or a restored cultural or historical site for accreditation.
Unlike the other Asian homestay programs where it is imperative for a host family to join the tourist, it is acceptable just to have a trained caretaker who can look after the guests.
Prior to accreditation, background check will also be conducted on the homeowners, as well as site inspection to determine if they qualify, based on the safety, security and sanitation standards of the program.
The standards on amenities for the homestay packages are also based on existing international programs like those in Malaysia and China, which have been adopted by the DOT and Host.
Current world market rates for homestay packages are pegged at $500 to $1,000 monthly.
Other priority areas for homestay packages in the Visayas are Leyte, Bohol and Boracay. For Luzon, priority areas include Tagaytay, Pampanga and Palawan. (DME)
