With the peak tourist season at their doorsteps, home stay proprietors in the city should have been a happy lot. However, this season, brings them no hope of brisk business, with 'unauthorized home-stays' thriving in the city.

"More than 200 home-stays operate in Fort Kochi alone among which only 28 are 'approved' ones," said Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society(KHATS), an association for government approved home-stays.

"Illegal home-stays create a negative impression among tourists. We have requested the district administration to take steps to close down the illegal ones," KHATS authorities said.

"We are not against someone earning extra money by providing shelter to tourists. But there are certain rules and regulations that have to be followed to ensure that tourists leave Kerala with a positive outlook. For instance, we are entitled to pass on to the police department, the information regarding our customers as soon as they check in. Tourists are asked to submit their passport and the data is sent to the police department. However, home-stays not recognized by the government, do not insist on doing this, which is a direct security threat," said M P Sivadathan, president of KHATS.

The situation, if unchecked, would indirectly encourage extremist activities. "Tourists themselves may get a negative impression about Kerala if rules are not implemented. Unauthorized home-stay owners do not realize the seriousness of the harm they are causing genuine proprietors like us," Sivadathan said.

Tourists, looking for cheap stay, would be exposed to danger at these illegal home-stays, he added.

Ernakulam district collector P I Sheik Pareeth said the administration would soon form a monitoring committee to address concerns of KHATS. "Like KHATS, we are also worried about security issues and have asked home-stays to furnish details of inmates. Security also would be increased at main tourist spots in the city in the coming days," he said.

TOI - George Adimathra