Paharpur Homestay

Homestay Training on

Housekeeping, Hygiene, Sanitation,

Safety and Tour Guiding

Homestay accommodation involves staying with locals at their homes when a person travels. It is

a form of tourism that allows the tourists to rent rooms from local families and to mix up with

the locals. It is used by people who wish to become familiar with the local lifestyle and improve

their language skills sometimes.

Hosting a homestay participant allows the host family to earn an income. It is becoming a

popular tool gradually to engage the local communities in developing a countrys tourism

industry. However, students of tourism study might be familiar with the term, but the concept is

still new in our country.

Mr. Taufiq Rahman, Chief Executive, Journey Plus and Director of Tour Operators Association

of Bangladesh (TOAB) has been trying to introduce such a scheme since 2010. He is a renowned

tourism activist and personality worked as the founder Vice-President of TOAB for a long period

of time previously. He owns the firm Journey Plus a prominent tour operating company of

Bangladesh which provides domestic, inbound and outbound tour packages, accommodation and

transport reservations facilities and issues air ticket. However, followed by his extensive

endeavor to bring the homestay concept in Bangladesh, recently he has examined such a program

in Manikganj where twenty foreigners stayed in some local homes for a single night. They

expressed their utmost pleasure and surprise after the night was over for the immense hospitality

and simplicity of Bangladeshi locals. Those tourists from USA however, are now pursuing their

MBA in Stanford University, California - one of the top most business schools of the world.

This successful mission has stimulated Mr. Taufiq later and he has become more enthusiastic.

Thus, he has taken another initiative to familiarize this program in the local community of

Paharpur, Naogaon. Paharpur is famous for having the Buddhist Bihar locally known as Sompur

Buddha Bihar (Somapuri Vihara) located at Paharpur, Badalgachhi Upazila, Naogaon district. It

was once the biggest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalaya which dates from the 8th

century AD. It is one of only two historic sites in Bangladesh that has been given Unesco World

Heritage status and the most impressive archaeological site in the country. The layout of it

perfectly adapted to its religious function, this monastery-city represents a unique artistic

achievement.

The homestay project at Malancha, Paharpur aims to provide the foreign tourists with

accommodation and food facilities in the village Malancha adjacent to the Bihar. Six local

families have been chosen initially to serve the purpose. In order to prepare them, a small

training program named Paharpur Homestay: Training on Housekeeping, Hygiene, Sanitation,

Safety, and Tour Guiding has taken place on the 1st of May, 2015. Mr. A. B. M Ashraful Haque,

the Principal of National Hotel & Tourism Training Institute (NHTTI); Mr. Abdul Aziz, the

Executive Director of Bengal Inn, and Mr. Taufiq Rahman who is the creative head and chief

consultant of the project conducted the training session. Mohammed Mutafizur Rahaman and

Shohidul Islam Sazib two students of MBA and BBA from the Department of Tourism &

Hospitality Management, University of Dhaka have worked as the volunteers of this program.

The whole program was organized by Mr. Taufik with an assistance of Bangladesh Tourism

Board.

The training session gets started by an introductory speech by Mr. Taufiq. He introduces the

team and briefs shortly afterwards. Mr. A. B. M Ashraful Haque then takes up his session on

hygiene and sanitation. He provides them with some reading materials instructing how they

should act and maintain hygiene to keep thyself safe and serve the tourists as well.

Mr. Taufiq Rahman is seen delivering his introductory speech. The audience in front of him

was consisted of those family members who would primarily host the tourists. Two other key

trainers Mr. A. B. M Ashraful Haque, the Principal of NHTTI, and Mr. Abdul Aziz, the

Executive Director of Bengal Inn are sited on the right respectively.

Mr. Abdul Aziz conducts his session on housekeeping and safety issues. To clarify the safety

measures should be taken on emergencies, he demonstrates that portion the with some safety

equipment. This hotelier emphasizes to maintain the in-house condition not in luxury but in an

acceptable standard for the tourists so that they can have the authentic taste of local environment

in a tidy setting.

Mr. A. B. M Ashraful Haque, the Principal of NHTTI lecturing on Hygiene and Sanitation.

Some of the materials have been distributed as a part of the training program.

Lastly, Mr. Taufik teaches them how to guide a tourist or a group of tourists, what are required to

do such, which things a guide should know and how a guide should act. He basically conveys the

messages that a guide should learn, read, have a sound knowledge regarding the local areas, and

have a good communication skill. Foremost a guide must be humble and friendly.

The program has been ended on a very confident note. All the family members of those six are

highly enthusiastic after it has been over. After the training session comes to an end, some cheap

but important stuff like sweets, tissue holders, rolling tissues, and bed sheets have been gifted to

them. Last of all, the resource team visited all the six houses shortly. And a signboard has been

attached to each of the home showing the name of the house owner, address of the property, and

about the service they are going to offer.

The surrounding area is blessed with a substantial historical site along with some lucrative tourist

attractions such as forgers village, potters village and tribal areas (Shaotal). The trainers of the

program therefore, expecting a good potential turnover out of this project. There is a smiling

light visible on the horizon before the team leaves the place. Now, the ball is on the locals court.

Time will say how the project actually comes out.

____________________________________000_______________________________________

This report has been prepared by:

Shohidul Islam Sazib

B.B.A. (completed and about to start the

MBA)

Dept. of Tourism & Hospitality Management,

Faculty of Business Studies

University of Dhaka

Mobile: 01710234728

Email: sazib.shohidul@gmail.com

Mohammed Mutafizur Rahaman

B.B.A., M.B.A. (on progress)

Dept. of Tourism & Hospitality Management

Faculty of Business Studies

University of Dhaka

Mob: 01812077561

E-mail: mustafiz.limon10du@gmail.com