Indian tourism has taken a leap with the concept of homestays becoming the new mantra in the hospitality scenario. This unique way of truly experiencing the pulse of the place is fast catching up with not only tourists but also the hosts. The Indian adage ‘atithi devo bhava’ or ‘Guest is God’ is truly lived up to by homestays in India where the guest is welcomed with delight to the home instead of a hotel!

The incredible diversity of this ancient land – be it in the form of the different vernaculars, versatility in dressing styles or the range of tastes offered by its cuisines – must be lived instead of being merely observed to have truly toured the land. The hospitality offered by homestays does just that with both economy and élan! Homestays provide a personal touch, feeling of comfort and informality that rules out all alternative means of accommodation. The aloof detachment typical to hotels is replaced with friendly interaction and involvement from the hosts of homestays. They invite guests to involve themselves and experience the local culture through exotic activities like canoe rides in the backwaters of Kerala or safaris in the tribal forests of Gujarat.

Indian families who own palatial homes with lots of vacant rooms find homestays as an attractive proposition to earn an extra income without having to invest more than housekeeping supplies and a cheery disposition. Additionally, the exposure gained by entertaining guests from different corners of the world is invaluable. Homestays as a concept, brings people from varied backgrounds under a single roof, quite literally, and offers an ideal platform for long lasting friendships!

But, how do vacationers find their ideal homestays? Technology and hospitality software solutions in the form of online portals rush to the rescue! These portals are a revolutionary feature and help bridge the gap between tourists and hosts. The online, real-time web booking feature as well as offline call center facilities offered by these portals make homestays easily accessible to tourists. All that is needed is registration of the tourist on these portals and membership of the hosts on the portal! Unlike hotels, the challenge that is usually faced by homestays is the low connectivity and problems in reservation due to minimal computerization. Additionally, their location in remote corners of scenic tourist spots becomes a disadvantage in disguise and limits their scope of reaching out to tourists.

Software solutions that enable central reservation systems in hotels are now being widely used by the homestay portals. These solutions successfully overcome technical hurdles and seamlessly integrate multiple parties, ranging from the multi-currency payment gateways to CRMs, that are involved in the availability of homestays on portals. The software solutions on portals also intelligently make matters simpler for the homestay hosts, who lack the technical infrastructure used in hotels. All they need to do is access their mail to get a low-down on details concerning reservations which is directly sent to them by the programming software of the portal.

Without these new-age, cutting-edge technological solutions, portal functioning is unimaginable. Furthermore, since the homestay portals themselves are a ground-breaking step in the Indian hospitality scenario, the core design, manufacture and creation of its soul – the software itself – is nothing less than an innovation. The technical framework usually used is Microsoft ASP.net with back end programming on Visual Basic that is tied up with an MS SQL Server as RDBMS.

Such advanced hospitality software solutions that are at the core of online portals aid the steady growth and popularity of unique concepts such as homestays. Theirs is a significant contribution in helping tourists find a home away from home and exhibiting the extraordinary intricacies and heritage of the ‘real’ India!

About IDS:
Vissal Mathew is the Founder, Director of IDS Softwares. IDS is a leading, global software technology company that supports the hospitality industry world-wide with the most comprehensive software solutions. The Fortune Suite of integrated software solutions covers the back office and front office needs of hotels, chains, resorts, clubs, motels, serviced apartments, F&B outlets, etc. with innovative technology for every aspect. The integrated solutions include property management systems, restaurant management systems, central reservation systems and business & service enhancement products. IDS currently services 1400 hospitality establishments in over 25 countries world-wide.

About IDS Next

Founded in 1987, IDS Next became India's largest hotel software company in its first decade of operations and Asia's largest in 2009.

Today, IDS Next is the leading provider of smart hotel software across Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania, serving over 6,000 customers in 45 countries with $10 million in daily transactions and 300,000 daily check-ins.

With the goal to redefine the way hotels operate through smart software solutions, IDS Next has been a trusted technology partner and preferred supplier to the international hospitality industry.

From contactless check-in, front desk, guest request and housekeeping management to payroll, finance, inventory management and procurement, IDS Next's award-winning software automates and streamlines front and back-office hotel operations, making sure all departments are covered.

With an open API approach, IDS Next integrates with over 100 of the world's leading, best-in-breed technology partners to ensure hotel operations run smoothly and securely to complement a hotel's existing systems and solutions.

Available in single modules and as an all-in-one solution, IDS Next's smart hotel software is designed by hoteliers for hoteliers through the company's in-house development team comprising 135 hospitality technology professionals and supported 24/7 by 90 customer services agents in 30 languages.

With all software PA DSS certified, front-of-house solutions GDPR compliant, and the business ISO 27001 certified, IDS Next's smart software solutions are accredited, certified, and compliant with the industry's most stringent standards for data protection and security.

Vissal Mathew
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IDS NEXT