Residents of key tourist areas can benefit from paid tourist homestays
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 checks under the “Mezban” (host) program 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 Rs 3 million are being provided to residents to develop homestay facilities. So far, checks 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 provide domestic and international tourists access to quality accommodation while experiencing local hospitality. He said the program aimed to combine income generation with dignity for host families.
“We will serve while giving respect and we will earn respect while serving,” he said.
He added that despite limited resources, the provincial government was investing in its people. Chief Minister Afridi also criticized the federal government’s economic management, saying inflation had seriously affected the public since 2022.
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He said the federal government owed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa more than Rs4,000 billion in outstanding dues, adding that corruption worth Rs5,300 billion had been highlighted in an International Monetary Fund report. He accused leaders at the center 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 aims to boost sustainable tourism while ensuring economic benefits reach communities in some of the country’s most popular travel destinations.
