Dehradun: Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday participated in the “Homestay from Village to Global” dialogue program under Mukhya Sevak Samvad at Mukhya Sevak Sadan located at the Chief Minister’s residence. On this occasion, the Chief Minister interacted with homestay operators from across the state and took their important suggestions to promote homestays in the state.
The Chief Minister said that homestays have been promoted rapidly by the state government. Homestay operators are making the tourists coming to the state aware of the culture, tradition, food, attire of the state along with good accommodation facilities. He said that the real soul of Uttarakhand resides in the villages. Where a wonderful confluence of natural beauty, rich culture and traditional heritage can be seen at one place. The state government had started the Homestay Scheme to promote local economy and self-employment. Today the Homestay Scheme is making a distinct identity in the remote villages of the state. More than five thousand families of the state have joined this scheme and opened the doors of their homes to tourists. All the people running homestays are brand ambassadors of the state. The Chief Minister said that along with promoting traditional cuisine, work is also being done by homestay operators in the state to promote the cultural heritage of the state. We have to take this identity from village to global. He said that the state government is continuously working to strengthen the local economy through various policies and schemes. Work is being done towards increasing the livelihood of the people through the ‘One District, Two Products’ scheme. The ‘House of Himalayas’ brand has been started in the state to give national and international recognition to local products. The state’s millets are also getting a different identity in the country through the State Millet Mission. The Chief Minister said that pilgrimage and tourism are the strong base of the state’s economy. Various sectors like religious, adventure, eco-tourism, wellness tourism, agro tourism and film tourism have been promoted rapidly in the state. Like Kedarkhand, religious places of Kumaon region are being developed under the Manaskhand Corridor Scheme. Rishikesh and Haridwar are being promoted globally as yoga and spiritual centers. Single window clearance system has been implemented for film shooting. Special subsidy and other facilities are being provided to filmmakers for shooting in Uttarakhand. As a result of this, Uttarakhand has been awarded the Most Film Friendly State Award at the National Film Awards. Our four villages Jakhol, Harshil, Gunji and Soupi have also been awarded the Best Tourism Village Award by the Union Ministry of Tourism.
Cabinet Minister Shri Satpal Maharaj said that this dialogue program will add a new step of success towards our rural tourism. This program is not only a dialogue but a big step towards giving global recognition to the soul of our villages. The vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji and the development model of Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami ji also have a strong foundation. He said that this journey from village to global will be successful only when we all adopt it together and turn it into a revolution of sustainable tourism. The Tourism Department has given financial and management training to 317 (three hundred seventeen) homestay operators in the year 2024-25. This training will be implemented in all the districts in the year 2025-26. A coordinated “State Task Force” has been formed in the state, which includes Tourism, Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and Health Departments.
