K-P launches 'Home Stay' scheme to boost tourism

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has launched a new Home Stay initiative aimed at promoting tourism, creating local employment and improving livelihoods in the province’s major tourist regions.

Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi distributed interest-free loan cheques under the “Mezban” (Host) programme at a ceremony in Peshawar. Officials said the scheme would enable residents of tourist areas to offer accommodation to visitors in their own homes.

According to a government briefing, interest-free loans of up to Rs3 million are being provided to residents to develop home-stay facilities. So far, cheques have been issued to 95 beneficiaries under the programme.

The scheme is being rolled out 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 allow domestic and international tourists to access quality accommodation while experiencing local hospitality. He said the programme aimed to combine income generation with dignity for host families.

“We want to earn while giving respect, and earn respect while earning,” he said.

He added that despite limited resources, the provincial government was investing in its people. Chief Minister Afridi also criticised the federal government’s economic management, saying inflation had severely affected the public since 2022.

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He said that the federal government owed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa more than Rs4,000 billion in outstanding dues and added that corruption worth Rs5,300 billion had been highlighted in an International Monetary Fund report. He accused leaders at the centre of misusing public funds, while stressing the need for greater investment in citizens to support national development.

The provincial government says the Home Stay initiative is intended to boost sustainable tourism while ensuring that economic benefits reach local communities in some of the country’s most popular travel destinations.