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Qunu - The Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency urged home owners in the province on Wednesday to charge reasonable rates for accommodation and not to inflate prices.
CEO Luxolo Rubeshe said: "Although we cannot dictate the pricing, we encourage the citizens of the Eastern Cape to set their prices within reason."
The call comes ahead of former president Nelson Mandela's funeral in Qunu on Sunday, which has brought a surge of visitors to the region.
Rubeshe said locals should treat visitors with dignity and respect to make sure they had a good experience.
"The Eastern Cape is famous for ubuntu of its people. Now is the time to show this to the rest of the world."
He said complaints had been received about locals charging exorbitant prices for the use of their homes. In one instance, a person was charging more than R8 000 per room per night.
Accommodation in Mthatha is said to be 96% full, forcing journalists to rent houses in villages.
Executive director of Destination Tourism in the province, Eddie Marafane, encouraged locals to open their homes and called on them to register with the agency.
