DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
jammu, Dec 7
The Department of Tourism, J&K, under the visionary leadership of Ms. Yasha Mudgal, IAS, Commissi-oner/Secretary to Govt, Tourism Department, conducted a stakeholder consultation through the Directorate of Tourism, Jammu, to gather inputs for formulating a comprehensive Homestay Policy for Jammu & Kashmir. Guided by Ms. Mudgal’s vision, the policy aims to promote rural tourism, empower local communities, and offer authentic cultural experiences, while fostering sustainable development and preserving the region’s unique heritage. The initiative aims to address challenges faced by homestay operators, foster rural tourism and enhance community participation across the region. Currently, the region operates under procedural guidelines issued on June 30, 2022, for the registration of Homestays and Paying Guest Houses. This consultation marked a significant step toward upgrading these guidelines into an inclusive policy designed to enhance the competitiveness and operational capacity of homestay operators.
The session, chaired by Ms. Sunaina Sharma Mehta, JKAS, Joint Director Tourism, witnessed the active participation of 23 homestay owners from across the Jammu Division. In her address, she highlighted the pivotal role of homestays in promoting cultural and rural tourism while empowering local communities. She remarked, “Homestays provide tourists with authentic experiences and serve as a vital tool for community-driven tourism. Training local operators in hospitality services, designing curated packages, and incorporating gender-based incentives and sustainability measures are essential for a robust homestay ecosystem.”
Participants highlighted several key areas of focus, including operational challenges, marketing strategies, financial support, infrastructure development and sustainability practices. Significant suggestions included charging electricity bills for homestays at domestic rates instead of commercial rates, introducing subsidies on solar panels to promote sustainable energy practices, increasing the permissible number of rooms for homestays to at least six, simplifying the documentation process for registration, and exempting homestays from GST to improve financial viability.
Stakeholders also emphasized the need for recognizing online platforms that drive significant traffic to homestays through awards and incentives to boost effective marketing.
The Officers of the Department assured the participants that the feedback gathered during the consultation will be thoroughly analyzed and incorporated into the final Homestay Policy. This new policy aims to create a robust framework to empower local communities, preserve cultural heritage, and promote eco-friendly tourism practices, thereby strengthening the homestay ecosystem across Jammu & Kashmir. The Directorate also extended gratitude to all participants for their active involvement and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the growth of rural tourism and the homestay sector in the region.
Also present on the occasion were officers and officials of the Directorate of Tourism, Jammu, including Mr. Shokat Hayat Matoo, JKAS, Deputy Director Tourism; Mr. Arif Lone, JKAS, Assistant Director Tourism; Mr. Muzammil Hassan Choudhary, JKAS, Assistant Director Tourism; and Mr. Jyoti Bhatti, Principal, Food Crafts Institute. Prominent stakeholders from the tourism and homestay sectors, including Dr. Uttam Singh (Hunter Ranch Homestay), Col. R.S. Parmar (Colonel Resort Homestay), Mr. Swarm Singh (Swarm Homestay), Mr. Pritam Sharma (Pritam Homestay), Mr. Pawan Gupta (President, All Jammu Hotel & Lodges Association), Dr. Taran Singh (Jammu Adventure Sports Association), Mr. Kulbir Singh (Villago Homestay), Mr. Dharya Khejuria (Dharya Villa Homestay), and Ms. Monika Mittel (Wild Sapiens Homestay), actively contributed to the discussions.
