SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Friday reviewed the renewed Homestay Policy aimed at expanding homestay infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir, promoting tourism in unexplored destinations and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities.
Chairing a meeting of the Tourism Department, Dulloo described homestays as the backbone of tourism in emerging destinations and said they offer an environmentally sustainable model suited to J&K’s ecologically sensitive landscape.
He said promotion of homestays would help spread tourism beyond established destinations while making local communities active stakeholders in the sector by generating employment and income opportunities.
The Chief Secretary directed the Tourism Department to strengthen handholding and capacity-building initiatives for prospective and existing homestay owners to help them provide quality services to visitors. He also urged financial institutions to facilitate easier access to credit for augmentation, renovation and improvement of homestay facilities.
The meeting was informed that Jammu and Kashmir currently has 2,802 homestay units with a combined accommodation capacity of 20,514 beds.
Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Dr Ashish Chandra Verma said a homestay under the policy refers to a residential property where the owner resides and offers between one and six guest rooms, subject to prescribed standards related to safety, hygiene, water supply and electricity.
He said the policy provides official recognition by the Tourism Department, promotion through tourism platforms, access to training programmes, facilitation of financial assistance and greater visibility among domestic and international tourists.
The meeting was also informed about the introduction of a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) model, allowing owners of secondary residential properties to register and offer one to six rooms for tourist accommodation.
Officials said the renewed framework provides a simplified online registration process through the J&K Tourism portal, enabling applicants to upload documents and property details digitally. The system also includes geotagging and digital integration to improve visibility and discovery of registered properties.
Under a financing arrangement with J&K Bank, loans of up to ₹5 lakh per room, subject to a maximum of ₹30 lakh per homestay, can be availed for converting residential houses into homestays.
The meeting was informed that under Mission YUVA, the government has partnered with OYO for the “Crown of Incredible India” Homestay Initiative to promote village-based entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities through homestays.
Officials said the policy also incorporates a simplified and time-bound inspection mechanism. Applicants will be assigned Silver or Gold categories based on compliance with prescribed standards. Provisional Silver Category registration will be granted for six months upon submission of required documents, while applications not verified within 15 days will be deemed approved.
Dulloo said the combined focus on infrastructure, training, digital integration and financial support would help build a more inclusive tourism ecosystem and place local households and youth at the centre of tourism-led economic development in J&K.
