Residents in key tourist areas will benefit from paid homestay scheme for tourists
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has launched a new Home Stay initiative aimed at promoting tourism, creating local employment and improving livelihoods in key tourist regions of the province.
Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi distributed interest-free loan checks under the “Mezban” (Host) scheme at a ceremony held in Peshawar. Officials said the plan would allow residents of tourist areas to offer accommodation to visitors in their own homes.
According to a government information, interest-free loans of up to Rs 3 million are being provided to residents to develop homestay accommodation facilities. So far, checks have been issued to 95 beneficiaries of the program.
The scheme is being implemented in several tourist destinations including Swat, Upper and Lower Chitral, Upper and Lower Dir, Abbottabad and Mansehra.
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Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Afridi said the initiative would enable domestic and international tourists to access quality accommodation while experiencing local hospitality. He said the program aimed to combine income generation with the dignity of host families.
“We want to win by respecting and earn respect while we win,” he said.
He added that despite limited resources, the provincial government was investing in its people. Chief Minister Afridi also criticized the economic management of the federal government and said that inflation had severely affected the public since 2022.
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He said the federal government owed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa more than Rs 4,000 billion in outstanding debts, adding that corruption worth Rs 5,300 billion had been highlighted in an International Monetary Fund report. He accused the center’s leaders of misusing public funds, while emphasizing the need for greater investment in citizens to support national development.
The provincial government says the Home Stay initiative aims to boost sustainable tourism while ensuring economic benefits reach local communities in some of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.
