Waking up to accommodation dearth, J&K government fast-tracks homestays to boost tourist footfalls

Srinagar: Waking up to a dearth of accommodation for tourists, Jammu and Kashmir government has started clearing homestays to boost arrivals.

This year the tourist arrivals to Kashmir broke all the previous records. The government has realized that there is a dearth of accommodation for tourists in the valley.

 A record 23 lakh tourists including 3.5 lakh Amarnath pilgrims visited Kashmir Valley till October this year.

The government has directed all Deputy Commissioners to expedite the homestay approval process.

  “The government is willing to ensure that maximum tourists get cheaper accommodation in Kashmir. For this, the government has called for proper coordination between the Tourism Department and Deputy Commissioners,” sources said.

 Earlier in June,  the government issued procedural guidelines for registration under Homestay Scheme in order to decentralize the benefits of tourism.

 It was further stated that the Chairman of the Committee would be the prescribed authority to clear applications under the scheme.

Sources said shortly after receiving the government’s instructions, the deputy commissioners started approving the applications on merits.

 “The applications are being cleared in all districts. The concerned DCs have deputed their staff to analyze the application and see whether all these applicants meet the criteria. Any delay in the clearance of applications will defeat the scheme’s intended goal,” sources said.

Jammu and Kashmir government has also identified 181 villages having picturesque beauty and cultural significance for transformation into tourist destinations under the Tourist Villages Development Program (TVDP).

Under Mission Youth’s initiative, registered youth and Self Help Groups are provided an opportunity to be a part of the Government’s endeavor to boost rural tourism in J&K.

The youth-led sustainable tourism initiative will strengthen the rural economy and community entrepreneurship, empowering youth and women by providing direct and indirect employment opportunities.

 This step will showcase the landscapes, indigenous knowledge systems, cultural diversity and heritage, local values and traditions, besides encouraging film shooting and offering financial incentives as well as ensuring a digital platform for all these villages.

Mission Youth is working in collaboration with the Tourism Department for utilizing the available resources in the development of these villages as tourist villages. The government will also develop basic infrastructure in these villages under the close supervision of a Task Force that has already been constituted and any group willing to be part of the government’s initiative will be given Rs 10 lakh as financial assistance for self-employment activities in the tourism sector.

Further, an amount of Rs one lakh will be given for the creation of a homestay facility and there will be a subsidy of Rs 50,000. This step will go a long way in attracting tourists to those areas which remained unexplored to date.