GOKARNA : It’s no longer work from home for techies, but it is work from homestays.Following the relaxation in the lockdown norms, Gokarna town in Uttara Kannada has opened up quietly for them. Software engineers from across the country, who were so far restricted to their houses—working from home—have found homestays in the holy town a better option with its serene environs and a better net connectivity to work and rest.
Aashish Garg and his wife Palak, the techie couple, are at a homestay in Gokarna. After the day’s work, they prefer to explore the places here, especially the beaches. Aashish is not the only techie, as there are many of his ilk, who prefer to work from homestays here.With no sign of foreign tourists making a comeback at least in the near future, the techies who were restricted to their houses since several months have found Gokarna as a stress-buster — a getaway place — away from the pandemic which is at its peak in cities.
“The travel trend is changing after Covid-19. We are getting more enquiries from techies from Bengaluru and Mumbai. Their primary demand is better internet connectivity and Gokarna has a better speed. We need to invest and upgrade the internet facility to suit their needs,” said Rajeev, who owns Vedic Village homestay.
“The techies are a ray of hope for homestays in Gokarna, which were shut for months due to the pandemic,” he added.Maniraj from Mandala village said, “Gokarna offers a lot for tourists — the forest, mountains and beach, temple and cultural heritage. A majority of the 70 per cent of those who have occupied homestays here are techies. Enquiries are also pouring in from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Telangana states,” he said.
The homestay owners are not sure whether foreign tourists will be returning anytime soon, but for now they are relying much on techies to make some windfall.The town has a very good internet facility and several homestay owners are now investing on routers and high speed internet to ensure a better business.