Srinagar, Aug 14: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo Friday said the renewed Homestay Policy would play a key role in expanding tourism to unexplored destinations across Jammu and Kashmir, stressing the need for easier access to credit and greater capacity-building support to encourage wider participation by local communities.
Chairing a review meeting of the Tourism Department, Dulloo described homestays as the foundation of tourism development in lesser-known destinations and said the initiative would help create a more sustainable and inclusive tourism ecosystem across the Union Territory.
He said homestays offer an environmentally sustainable model particularly suited to the ecologically fragile region of Jammu and Kashmir while enabling tourism benefits to reach areas beyond established tourist circuits.
The Chief Secretary observed that promoting homestays would make local residents active stakeholders in tourism development by generating employment and income opportunities and improving living standards in rural and remote areas.
To accelerate the sector’s growth, Dulloo directed the Tourism Department to intensify handholding and capacity-building programmes for prospective and existing homestay owners so that they are equipped to provide quality services to visitors.
He also urged financial institutions to extend greater support for augmentation, renovation and improvement of homestay facilities under the renewed policy framework, saying easier access to finance would encourage more households to join the initiative.
During the meeting, officials informed that Jammu and Kashmir currently has 2,802 homestay units with a total accommodation capacity of 20,514 beds.
Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Ashish Chandra Verma said a homestay under the policy refers to a residential property where the owner and family reside on the premises and can offer between one and six guest rooms, subject to prescribed standards relating to safety, hygiene, water supply and electricity.
The meeting was informed that the renewed policy provides official recognition by the Tourism Department, promotion through J&K Tourism platforms, access to training programmes, facilitation of financial assistance through government schemes and banks, and participation in tourism promotion campaigns.
Officials also highlighted the introduction of a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) model under which owners can register secondary residential properties and offer between one and six rooms for tourist accommodation. The model is expected to generate income from underutilised properties while increasing accommodation capacity across the Union Territory.
The Tourism Department said the framework incorporates a simplified online registration process through the J&K Tourism portal, allowing applicants to upload documents and property details digitally. Registered properties will also benefit from geotagging and enhanced visibility through official tourism platforms.
The meeting was further informed that J&K Bank will facilitate loans of up to ₹5 lakh per room, subject to a ceiling of ₹30 lakh per homestay, for conversion of residential houses into tourist accommodation units.
Officials said the initiative has also been integrated with Mission YUVA through a partnership with OYO under the “Crown of Incredible India” Homestay Initiative, aimed at promoting village-based entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities for youth.
The renewed policy additionally provides for a time-bound inspection mechanism, with applicants eligible for provisional registration under the Silver category for six months. In cases where verification is not completed within 15 days, registration will be deemed automatically approved, reducing procedural delays for applicants.
According to officials, the renewed Homestay Policy seeks to place local households and youth at the centre of tourism-led economic development while taking tourism deeper into rural and lesser-explored areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
