SRINAGAR, FEB 29: The homestay industry in Jammu and Kashmir has seen tremendous growth recently, with over 1,485 homestays registered across the Union Territory, offering more than 13,000 rooms for tourists.
This surge comes in response to a Jammu and Kashmir government initiative to increase accommodation options for visitors by encouraging locals to convert their properties into homestays.
The homestay programme was launched to boost tourism and provide authentic cultural experiences for tourists by allowing them to stay in local homes. Since granting industry status to the tourism sector, the government has seen enormous investment growth. Additional efforts to involve communities in tourism and ensure they benefit have helped tourism thrive, with over 1.88 crore tourists visiting in 2022 and 2.11 crore in 2023, marking unprecedented growth.
In 2022, the Tourism Department also began promoting homestays in border areas to aid border tourism and provide employment opportunities for youth. Tourists appreciate the chance to immerse themselves in local culture and lifestyle through homestays across the region.
A senior Tourism Department official said homestays help greatly with accommodation and food for tourists, have minimal environmental impact, and provide effective youth employment. He explained that homestays allow tourists from across India to experience Kashmiri culture and living habits firsthand. The initiative has also expanded tourism employment opportunities and reached common people. The official added that homestays have resolved lodging and dining issues for tourists visiting new destinations lacking hotels and restaurants. Constructing hotels in these areas could damage the environment, but homestays avoid these concerns. Those with at least four rooms can register their home as a homestay with the tourism department.
