Jammu: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today while chairing a meeting to review and strengthen the implementation of the Homestay Policy of the Tourism Department, emphasized upon the need to facilitate easier access to institutional credit for promoting homestays across all districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting besides ACS, PDD and ACS, Tourism was attended by Managing Director, J & K Bank, Commissioner Secretary, Law; Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC), Director Tourism, Jammu/Kashmir; Convenor UTLBC, and other senior officers.
During the Chief Secretary thoroughly reviewed e Tourism Department’s initiatives aimed at promoting homestays. He emphasized the need for a simplified, transparent, and accessible registration process, alongside ensuring that aspiring entrepreneurs have seamless access to credit. The Chief Secretary highlighted the potential of homestays to drive sustainable tourism and local employment, advocating for policy interventions and deregulations to enhance the sector’s growth. He called for the development of a comprehensive digital ecosystem that integrates registration, bookings, and credit facilitation to improve the ease of doing business. The Chief Secretary also directed the effective utilization of flagship schemes like Mission YUVA and the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme to facilitate easier financing for homestay operators. He suggested exploring interest subvention mechanisms to ensure the long-term sustainability of these ventures. Administrative Secretary Tourism, Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma, provided an overview of the policy reforms, noting that the registration process has been fully digitized for better accessibility. He mentioned stakeholder-friendly amendments to guidelines aimed at removing barriers to participation and highlighted the increase in the permissible number of rooms per homestay from four to six. Managing Director of J&K Bank, Amitava Chatterjee, reported on a new loan product offering financing up to Rs 30 lakh, with provisions for Rs 5 lakh per room at an attractive interest rate of 8.2 percent. He also mentioned the potential introduction of a “Tourism Credit Card” for tourism stakeholders. Shreya Singhal, Managing Director of JKTDC, shared that over 2,600 homestays with more than 19,300 rooms have been registered in the Union Territory. She discussed initiatives to strengthen the homestay ecosystem, including an updated homestay policy and the establishment of a structured Bed & Breakfast framework for secondary properties. Additionally, a dedicated portal has been created on the official tourism website to assist homestay owners with onboarding, capacity building, and marketing support through platforms like OYO. Chief Secretary reaffirmed the commitment to developing homestays as a vital component of community-based tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on generating employment, promoting local culture, and enhancing the visitor experience in the region.
