Srinagar
During the current year, there has been a huge rush of tourists in the known tourist spots like Dal Lake, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg. As the J&K administration has decided to bring unknown tourist spots on the tourism map, some of these new tourist destinations have been able to attract a lot of tourists and it has given a push to the Home Stay program in these villages.
According to Commissioner Secretary Tourism J&K government Syed Abid, the aim of the administration is to develop 181 villages across Jammu and Kashmir as tourist villages under the tourist village development programme. He said that under the mission youth initiative, the government is trying to rope in unemployed youth in the rural areas to create the Home Stay facilities for the stay of tourists.
The J&K government has already announced a scheme for the unemployed youth in the rural areas who are interested in getting connected with the tourism and hospitality service sector. J&K government provides Rs 10 lakh, including Rs 8.50 lakh from a banking partner, to such youth. Mission Youth J&K provides a special upfront incentive (subsidy) of Rs 1.5 lakh or 15% of the project cost (whichever is minimum), along with a special subsidy of Rs 3.5 lakh towards loan repayment. Panchari village of Udhampur in Jammu province was the first village to be declared as the tourist village with Home Stay facilities by the J&K government under the Tourist Village Development Programme (TVDP). Panchari village is brimming with activities as there is a lot of tourist influx into this village as more and more tourists are coming to enjoy their holidays here.
First tourist village in Kashmir province to come into the tourism map was Anderwali hamlet of Sangerwani village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Many tourist groups have stayed so far in Anderwali of Pulwama and some youth have started making Home Stay facilities in this village due to the rush of tourists.
The villages for the Home stay facilities are selected by the committee in consultation with the tourism department and from the officials of mission youth. They take into consideration scenic beauty, adventurous terrain, art and cultural significance, history and archaeology of that village before selecting it as a tourist village.
It is in place to mention that in 2002 when Lt. Mufti Muhammad Syed started his innings as Chief Minister he tried to introduce some new tourist places. It was on his directions that Drang Village of Tangmarg was developed into a tourist spot and now it has all the facilities like tourist huts, Home stays etc.