‘’Homestays’’ to give fillip to border tourism

Srinagar, Nov 21: To promote border tourism in Kashmir valley, the tourism department of Kashmir has initiated homestays at border tourist destinations across the border areas of the valley. The initiative is likely to create a hassle-free environment for those wishing to visit border areas. Homestays were fetching the people living in border areas a good source of income.
According to the director tourism Kashmir, Under the Ease of Doing Business, the government recently notified guidelines for registering homestays.
“Much of the cumbersome documentation has been done away with, and any applicant can now apply online,” the director said.
He said all needed was to have a house in which they can earmark 1–4 rooms for tourists to stay, with all local facilities and standards.
The idea is to encourage local people to enter the tourism business, become stakeholders with a minimum investment, and be partners in the growth of the sector and society.
Homestays in the valley have grown in popularity not only because they are inexpensive, but also because travelers and tourists regard them as a safer option over staying in a hotel. By staying in a homestay, travelers get to know more about the culture of the area, and tourists get to see some offbeat places.
This idea of expanding homestays will aid in the upliftment of the rural population by addressing rural migration and providing alternative rural livelihoods. This will also lead to higher income generation among the rural people and eventually help bring them out of the continuous cycle of poverty.
The concept of homestays was likely to promote local culture, cuisine, and handicrafts. Therefore enhancing employment opportunities for local residents.
Homestays and paying guest houses would also be encouraged at the 75 new tourist destinations recently put on the tourist map by the Department.
To mention, the visitors to these border locations complained of lack of space for night stays which has changed since the introduction of homestays. It has provided a major relief to nature lovers.
Mohammad Imran, a local of Handwara, told Rising Kashmir that recently he had a tour of Tangdar and was worried about the night stays. However, on knowing about homestays he became jubilant.
Imran said, ” I was planning to return the same day due to the lack of space available for a night’s stay. Later, we went to a house owner in Tangdar, who provided us with a room with all the basic facilities.”
“This is really a welcome step to boost border tourism and also help the border people earn their livelihood,” Imran added.
The officials at the department of tourism said that they were promoting homestays in all 75 newly introduced locations, which will help the border people earn their livelihood.
Waseem Ahmad, who provides homestays to visitors in Tangdar, told Rising Kashmir that people were able to earn a good livelihood due to the introduction of homestays
He said that very few people opted for nightstays because of the non availability of space.
To mention, in the month of August this year, the tourism department started a cluster of homestay services at many places in a bid to expand tourism. These places include Manasbal, Gurez in Bandipora, Tangdar in Kupwara, and many other border locations.