Mubashir Aalam Wani
Srinagar, Jul 20: Ali Mohammad Khan worked as a daily wager for years and would often spend summers in Srinagar for work. It fetched him some money to support his family of six members. Come 2021, the government threw open Keran for tourists, which emerged as one of the preferred border tourist destinations for visitors worldwide.
Seeing it as an opportunity to make some extra bucks, Khan decided to convert his two-storied home into a homestay for tourists. “It proved to be a good decision. Now, I make good money to support my family as well as the education of my three kids,” he said.
Khan is not the only case, as scores of the locals have converted their homes into homestays to cash in on the tourists flow to the border area.
Local residents have seized the opportunity by offering homestays, providing visitors with an authentic taste of Kashmiri life. These homestays not only offer comfortable lodging but also allow tourists to experience local customs, cuisine, and daily activities.
Similarly, Gurez, which has been on the wishlist of almost every tourist visiting Kashmir too is becoming a homestay heaven.
Fancy cafés and deluxe homestays have solved the problem of tourists who a few years before would have to make efforts for such facilities.
“While camping is becoming popular here, homestays are loved by the tourists who want a relaxing stay after a tough journey to the valley. We have scores of homestays, which provide locals as well as exotic dishes to the tourists,” said Mohammad Anas Khan, a local.
Tourists from across the country and abroad are flocking to the remote villages in Gurez and Keran to enjoy the serene landscapes, traditional Kashmiri hospitality, and the thrill of staying close to the LoC.
Pertinently, as per the official figures, Jammu and valley has witnessed an addition of 1,485 homestays boasting 13,000 rooms in the last few couple of years.
“To accommodate the increasing tourist flow and provide quality services, the Union Territory government devised homestay guidelines. More than 1,485 homestays with a bed capacity of 13,000 have been registered so far across Jammu and Kashmir,” official document said.
