Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday launched a dedicated home stay registration portal, homestay.hp.gov.in, marking a significant step towards streamlining tourism-related services, thus emphasising government support for the hospitality sector.
The online platform enables home stay operators to register and renew their units digitally, reducing procedural hurdles and improving ease of doing business.
The Chief Minister directed the Tourism Department to ensure that registration renewal for home stays is not delayed due to pending Fire Safety Certificate/No Objection Certificates (FSC/NOC). He directed the officials to issue provisional renewal registrations in such cases, allowing operators to continue business operations without harassment or disruption.
Highlighting tourism as a major driver of self-employment, Sukhu said the Home Stay Scheme plays a crucial role in promoting rural tourism and showcasing lesser-known destinations. The government is expanding the scheme to urban areas, permitting registration of home stays with up to six rooms. Sukhu said home stays offer tourists an authentic experience of local culture, architecture and traditional cuisine, while also enhancing the income of local families.
He also referred to the state’s interest subsidy scheme under which tourism units are eligible for interest subsidies of three per cent in urban areas, four per cent in rural areas and five per cent in tribal regions.
Earlier, presiding over a review meeting of the Forest Department, the CM directed officials to prepare a comprehensive roadmap to increase forest cover in the state from the current 29.5 per cent to 31 per cent by 2030. Stressing the impact of global warming, he called for a planned plantation drive focusing on native, fruit-bearing and medicinal species.
The CM also reviewed the progress of the Rajiv Gandhi Van Samvardhan Yojana and said the state will undertake plantations over 5,000 hectares in the next financial year with active community participation.
