SHILLONG, May 16: In a bid to exploit the employment generation potential in the tourism sector and boost tourism infrastructure in the state, the Tourism department, on Monday, launched the ‘Meghalaya Homestay Scheme’.
Under this scheme, the Tourism department would allocate up to Rs 10 lakh for promoting homestays in the state.
In order to encourage people of the state to operate homestays as a source of livelihood, the subsidy and loans would be extended.
Under this scheme, a 35 per cent front-end subsidy would be given to those who wish to start homestays.
Up to 70 per cent of the financing would be done for the rural areas.
People interested in seeking loans under the scheme can apply by visiting kviconline.gov.in and call on 7640003050 (WhatsApp) for assistance.
Once a person has applied for the loan, a joint inspection will be carried out by the respective District Commerce and Industries Centre (DCIC) and Tourism department officials within 45 days of receipt of the application.
Once the investigation(s) are complete, the application is forwarded to the financing bank, which will process the application within a period of 30 days.
On acceptance of the application by the financing bank, it would issue a sanction letter to the applicant who undergoes EDP training before the release of the fund.
Homestays have started to become very popular among travellers as they provide not only cheaper accommodation but also the experience of the traditional cultures firsthand as they share a residence with the locals of the particular area.
To set up, homestays require much less investment compared to hotels, which seems to be adding to its popularity and acceptance. (UNI)
