Opinion | National tourism Day

“Women redefining kashmir’s tourism through hospitality,heritage and sustainable livelihoods.”

National Tourism Day is celebrated every year on 25th January in India to honour the importance of tourism for the nation’s people and culture. This day reminds us how tourism connects people from different places, how it helps us learn about different ways of life, and how it supports local jobs and businesses. Tourism is not just about visiting beautiful places; it is also about understanding the lives of local people and helping communities grow while learning about their culture.

In Kashmir, National Tourism Day has a special meaning. Kashmir is famous for its breathtaking mountains, lakes, gardens, and natural beauty. People from all over India and across the world dream of visiting this valley to experience it’s natural wonders. But beyond nature’s beauty, tourism here is slowly changing into something deeper and more meaningful, thanks to the women of Kashmir.

For many years, women in Kashmir did not have many opportunities to be involved in tourism. Most hotels, travel services, and guest houses were run by men. Women were often busy with family and household duties, and their role in tourism was not visible. But in the past few years, this has started to change. Women are no longer just behind the scenes — they are becoming leaders and creators in tourism, showing new ways to welcome visitors and build a better future for their families.

One of the biggest changes in Kashmir’s tourism has been the rise of homestays. Homestays are places where tourists stay in local homes instead of big hotels. These stays offer visitors a real experience of life in Kashmir, homecooked food, conversations with local people, and chances to learn about the culture and traditions of the valley. Homestays give tourists what big hotels can not -the warmth of a personal touch and a genuine connection with local life.

Over the past few years, the homestay industry in Jammu & Kashmir has grown a lot. There are now over 1,400 registered homestays in the Union Territory, providing more than 13,000 rooms for visitors. This growth means that many families, including women, are earning income by opening their homes to travellers. Homestays are allowing people in towns and small villages to earn directly from tourism,Rather than it being limited to big hotels or companies.

What makes this growth even more significant is the role women are playing in it . Women are opening homestays, managing guests, cooking local meals, telling stories about their culture, and treating guests not as visitor’s but as family. These homestays are becoming places where Kashmiri hospitality comes alive.

A good example of a woman leading this change is Insha Qazi from Tangmarg. Insha started The Cheese Cottage Homestays in 2019. She completed her engineering and marketing studies in the UK .She could have worked anywhere but she chose to come back home and build something meaningful for her people and her community. She transformed and old forest property into warm,beautiful homestays that truly reflect kashmir’s culture and heritage . Insha uses traditional local materials, works with local artisans for decor, and offers guests experiences that go beyond just a place to sleep. Her homestays focus on sustainability, local employment, and cultural pride. Within a few years, she has created several homestays and provided jobs to many people in her area. Insha’s work shows that tourism can be more than business — it can be a way to preserve heritage, create meaningful jobs, and make visitors feel connected to the place and its people. Many tourists who have stayed at The Cheese Cottage talk about it as a life‑changing experience because they got a glimpse of real kashmiri life,shared local meals,learned customs straight from the families hosting them.

There are many other families in Kashmir where women play an important role in homestays — even if their names are not widely known. In towns like Srinagar, Gurez, Tangmarg, and other border villages, women and families are welcoming tourists into their homes and showing them the true essence of kashmiri life. In these homestays, women cook traditional meals, serve local kahwa and wazwan, and share stories about their culture. They take care of everything-From cleaning and welcoming guest’s to making sure the stay feels comfortable and memorable.

This involvement of women in tourism is not just about earning money. It is also about creating sustainable livelihoods and giving women financial independence. In many families, the income women earn from homestays goes directly towards their children’s school fees , household expenses, and medical needs. For the first time, many women are contributing financially to their homes, planning budgets, and making decisions about family matters. This change has a deep social impact because it gives women confidence and respect in their communities.

Homestays also help in preserving Kashmir’s rich heritage. Women often decorate their homes with traditional Kashmiri textiles, embroidery, woodwork, and local crafts. Guests get to taste traditional food, listen to folk songs, and learn local craft skills or home style cooking. This way, traditions are being kept alive not in museums but in everyday life. Tourists return to their homes not just with photographs of beautiful views, but with memories of conversations, shared meals, and cultural experiences they had in the homestay.

Another important aspect of homestays is that they are often more environment‑friendly than big hotels. Homestays reuse existing homes instead of building large new structures, use local food and products, and have less impact on the environment. When tourism grows through homestays, the environment stays safer because there is less waste and more respect for nature. Tourists who care about sustainable travel often prefer these homestays because they feel closer to nature and local culture.

Government support has helped this growth too. Policies that make it easy to convert homes into registered homestays have encouraged many families to join the tourism economy. These policies help people earn income while sharing local experiences with visitors. Some parts of Kashmir, like border areas in Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora districts, have also seen more homestays registered, bringing tourism and jobs to areas that were earlier less connected to the tourist flow.

Of course, there are challenges as well. Tourism in Kashmir can be affected by weather changes, road conditions, or political situations. But even during harder times, women homestay owners continue to welcome guests, finding their way through challenges, and build stronger networks within their communities. Their resilience shows how strong and determined they are in shaping the future of Kashmir’s tourism.

On this National Tourism Day, it is important to celebrate the women of Kashmir who are redefining tourism through hospitality, heritage, and sustainable livelihoods. These women are turning their homes into welcoming spaces where culture is shared, traditions are preserved, and visitors feel at home. They are not just earning money — they are creating new stories of empowerment, pride, and hope for the future.

Kashmir’s tourism is changing. Beyond its stunning lakes and mountains, the valley is becoming known for its warm hospitality, cultural richness, and sustainable experiences shaped by women. The rise of women‑run homestays reflects how tourism can be inclusive, respectful of heritage, and beneficial for local communities. On National Tourism Day and beyond, the contributions of these women remind us that tourism is about people and their stories, and that when women are given opportunities, they can create positive change that benefits everyone.

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