A view of houses in the French Quarter in Puducherry.
| Photo Credit: S.S. Kumar
The Puducherry government has notified new guidelines for the approval and registration of bed and breakfast and homestay establishments, introducing a streamlined, self-certification model aimed at giving visitors an authentic local experience while generating livelihood opportunities for residents.The initiative forms part of the Union Territory’s push to improve Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living by reducing compliance burden, especially for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and fostering an investor-friendly environment.Under the revised guidelines, homestays and bed and breakfast establishments can be self-certified and graded into four categories – silver, gold, gold plus, and platinum – based on facilities and services. Silver offers basic and clean accommodations while gold adds air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, parking, and modern interiors.Gold plus/platinum incudes heritage cuisine, heritage building status, sustainable practices, rainwater harvesting, and an eco-friendly environment in addition to gold amenities.According to an official of the Tourism Department: “The rules apply uniformly to operators in urban residential zones, villages, coastal areas, and environmentally sensitive zones. A single registration covers a minimum of one room for two guests. Room rent must be clearly displayed both online and onsite and updated whenever changes are made. The idea is to streamline the functioning of such homestays and provide a fillip to new entrants in the hospitality sector. The Department’s plan is to promote Puducherry from a weekend getaway to a week-long destination.”Licence feeA homestay licence will be valid for five years and can be auto-renewed online upon payment of the prescribed fee. The fee ranges from ₹6,000 annually or ₹25,000 as a one-time payment for five years for silver; and ₹12,000 annually or ₹50,000 as a one-time payment for gold, gold plus, and platinum.The fee for a bed and breakfast establishment will be ₹12,000 per year or ₹50,000 one-time (silver) or ₹20,000 per year or ₹90,000 one-time (gold/gold plus/platinum). Operating without valid registration attracts a fine of ₹25,000. If registration is rescinded, the fee is forfeited and the unit may be blacklisted, especially if illegal activities are detected on the premises.Official sources said an inter-departmental committee will be constituted for the approval of establishments. The committee will be headed by the Director of Tourism and has among its members, the Commissioners of respective Municipality/Commune Panchayats, Secretary of Hotels Association of Puducherry, a representative from the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), and a member of a travel magazine or website nominated by the government. Published - June 03, 2026 05:38 pm IST
