500 homestays identified in tribal, heritage, rural areas as part of sustainable tourism initiatives in A.P.

The Andhra Pradesh government has identified over 500 homestays across the State in tribal, heritage, rural, and urban areas, a step aimed at building an inclusive and sustainable tourism.

The integrated homestay initiative is part of the the State’s vision to empower local communities while celebrating its rich cultural, tribal, and ecological identity, according to a Tourism Department’s release.

These include homes in tribal regions of Araku (Vantamuru, Magada, Kuridi, Tajangi), heritage homes near Dindi in Konaseema (Pasarlapudi, Malkipuram, Turupupalem), and homes in urban hubs like Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, and Vijayawada, all of which were set to be upgraded by August 2025.

Moreover, nearly 600 existing homestays in Tirupati were being enhanced with the support of leading platforms such as AirBnB, OYO Homes, Yatradham, Homestays of India, and MakeMyTrip.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had instructed the Tourism Department to ensure that the highest standards were maintained in these homestays. He also directed the officials to come up with a Homestay Policy soon, the release said.