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Bengaluru: The Karnataka tourism department, in collaboration with other departments, has reassessed security protocols for homestays across the state and prescribed a series of measures, official sources said on Monday.

Displaying the registration certificate and license at the reception or main entrance of the establishment has been made mandatory by the government for home stays and bed and breakfast establishments.

The move comes in the wake of the sexual assault of a US national at a homestay in Kodagu district recently.

Officials said tour operators, travel agents, online travel agencies and tourists have been advised to book accommodations only with registered service providers.

The tourism department will maintain an official registered list of homestays and bed and breakfast establishments across the state on its website.

Sources said the department will also establish protocols to ensure any non-compliant units are automatically delisted until compliance is restored, adding that district tourism officers must conduct an annual outreach programme with homestay owners.

Earlier this month, a US national was allegedly sexually assaulted by staff at a homestay where she was staying in Kutta, Kodagu district.

The staff member, a native of Jharkhand who worked in the hospitality section of the homestay, has been arrested in connection with the Kodagu incident. The homestay owner was also arrested for allegedly failing to inform the police after the woman complained to him about the assault.

While mandating that accommodations display emergency and helpline numbers at all times, the department also required police background verification for all staff. Furthermore, staff credentials must be maintained and provided to authorities including police during routine inspections.

Displaying of QR code for downloading the Karnataka State Police SOS App, training of staff for providing information on the app to guests, logging of data on foreigners staying at the respective properties, are among the measures that have been prescribed.

They said the geographic coordinates of all registered accommodation units must be mapped as mandatory checkpoints within the Karnataka Smart E-Beat System to create an automated, GPS-verified record of police visits. Jurisdictional police stations with homestay accommodations should also maintain a beat register.

Beat police constables have to visit the properties, verify guest logs, and record their visits using GPS through the application.