Home-Stay Tourism Potential in Garhwal Himalaya: A Case Study of Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

Tourism has experienced continued expansion and diversification, to become one of the largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the world. India is a country with great natural and cultural diversity and is the most sought-after tourist destinations. Home Stays are informally arranged by social connections in rural areas. It allows the visitor or the tourist to rent rooms from local families. This type of tourism is of twin benefit; it not only enables the visitor to have first-hand experience of local culture, traditions, and language, but also allows the host to earn a decent income in situ. Home stays are a scope for eco-friendly tourism in fragile Himalayan Mountain ecosystem. As per the guidelines laid by Government of India, any Home Stay can have only five rooms at the maximum. The concept helps in preserving the culture and environment of the area as well as boosts the financial status of the hosts. The main objective of the paper is to examine the potential benefits of home stay tourism in the study area. The participation of local community ensures the sustainability of this form of tourism. The Home-Stay reduces the large-scale urbanization and commercialization of rural areas, thereby keeping a check on population expansion, pollution, and degradation of mountainous areas. It also helps in regulating out migration of people from rural areas to cities. Pauri Garhwal district in the Garhwal Himalaya consist 15 blocks comprising 3473 villages, has pristine views, adventurous treks, as well as the serenity that one looks for at any tourist destination.