Shimla, June 25 – In a state where jobs are drying up faster than its rivers, the Himachal Pradesh government has just dropped a bomb on the only sector that still gives hope to thousands of unemployed youth – the homestay industry.
Dubbed the Homestay Policy 2025, the new rules bring in a three-tier rating system — Silver, Golden and Diamond — but ask any homestay owner from Shimla to Spiti and they'll tell you: this isn't regulation, it's extortion with a certificate.
The government claims they consulted homestay units owners before notifying the policy.
They need to regulate their mushrooms growth and the latter need to dole out something to exchequer as well, the government officials said.
Gone are the days when a simple ₹100 registration could start your homestay dreams.
Now, be ready to cough up anywhere between ₹3,000 to ₹18,000 just to register under the new categories.
Add to that mandatory GST registration, commercial rates on electricity and water, and fire safety compliance, and you’re staring at a bureaucratic wall taller than Rohtang.
“We built these homestays with our bare hands, gave jobs to locals, and brought tourists to far-flung villages the government forgot.
And now they want to milk us like we’re five-star hotels?” fumes Anil Thakur, a homestay owner in Kullu.
Govt’s ‘Diamond’ Vision, Rural Himachal’s Burden
While babus in the tourism department pat themselves for bringing "professionalism" into tourism, what they’ve really done is turn homestays into cash cows for a broke government desperate for revenue.
Instead of supporting local ventures, the policy pushes them into the murky world of NOCs, file pushing, and inspector raj.
“The money we used to earn from homestays went straight to our local staff — cooks, helpers, drivers.
Now that amount will be siphoned off by the inspector raj in the name of NOCs, GST, and compliance.
It’s a myopic vision, they’ve forced on us. We’ll now be forced to cut staff — and that means layoffs, joblessness, and shutting the doors on the very youth who found dignity in work here,” said Rekha Negi, who runs a three-room homestay in Kinnaur.
From Lahaul to Hamirpur – The Anger is Real
Across Himachal, the chorus is growing louder. In Spiti, homestays running for a decade fear closure.
There is no tourist during six winter months. Still we have to pay for the water and electricity and staff, besides fees, owners resented. There should be recess period exempting the units from charges, they demand.
In Sirmaur, new owners are already regretting their investments. In Kangra and Solan, people say the government is forcing them to go "offline" to avoid harassment.
“Instead of boosting us, they’re pushing us to beg tourism inspectors for NOCs.
This is not policy—it’s punishment,” said Ramesh Rana, a homestay host from Hamirpur.
Even Silver category units (under ₹3,000/room) who are allowed to retain domestic connections are wary – because once upgraded, they’ll be hit with the same commercial tariffs and GST compliance nightmares.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. This isn’t about quality control. This is about extracting money from the last remaining self-employed segment in rural Himachal, rued owners.
In the name of rules, the government is killing off a people’s movement that revived local economies and built trust with tourists – all without any help from above.
The writing on the wall is clear: Either pay up, or shut down.
The Big Chill on Grassroots Tourism Has Begun
If the government doesn’t roll back this exploitative policy, or at least rethink its draconian fee structure and GST madness, the impact will be brutal:
Thousands of youth back to joblessness?
Homestays go off-grid, unregistered and unregulated. Corruption can spike as inspectors smell money
Tourism suffers in real Himachal – the villages, the valleys, the soul..
In a state that talks big on eco-tourism and local empowerment, this policy is nothing short of betrayal.
#HomestayHaiToRozgarHai
#RollBackHomestayPolicy2025
#StopKillingRuralTourism
#JobsOverJargon
#YouthVsInspectorRaj
