Kashmir, Feb 15:
The homestay industry in Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing rapid growth, with 1,485 homestays
boasting 13,000 rooms registered across the Union Territory.
This is in response to an initiative by the J&K government to bridge the gap of rooms for tourists, which is
now paying dividends as more locals convert their properties into homestays for hosting visitors.
The homestay initiative was launched by the Jammu and Kashmir government to boost tourism and
provide accommodation options for visitors. Under this, locals can register their homes to host tourists
and offer them an authentic cultural experience.
“To accommodate the increasing tourist flow and provide quality services, the Union Territory
Government devised homestay guidelines. More than 1,485 homestays with a bed capacity of 13,000
have been registered so far across Jammu and Kashmir. This comes after the tourism sector was
granted industry status, leading to enormous growth in investments. Initiatives are also being undertaken
to involve local communities in tourism activities and ensure equitable benefit sharing. These initiatives
have helped the tourism sector in the UT do exceptionally well, with over 1.88 crore tourists visiting in
2022 and 2.11 crore in 2023 – marking unprecedented growth,” reads an official document.
