Hoteliers seek action against illegal homestays, camping sites in Kullu

Hoteliers of Kullu district have expressed concern over illegal tourism units operating in the region. The issue was highlighted after a joint inspection by various government departments revealed that 45 tourism units, including homestays, camping sites and hotels, were functioning without proper documentation or registration. The Tourism Department’s recent findings have revealed that a number of unregistered establishments were operating in the region, hurting both local economy and government revenue.

Anup Thakur, president of the Kullu-Manali Paryatan Vikas Mandal, emphasised that the rapid proliferation of illegal tourism units in the district was severely affecting the local hospitality industry. “Illegal tourism units not only harm the hotel industry but also deprive the state government of the much-needed revenue. There is an urgent need for stricter regulation,” he added.

The primary concern of the hoteliers is that many local residents have rented their homes to outsiders to run homestays illegally. This practice is directly impacting legitimate hotel business in the area.

Thakur said that homestays should only be allowed when the owner of the house was directly involved in its operation and outsiders should not be permitted to manage these units. The unchecked growth of these illegal units was causing a ripple effect throughout the tourism industry, leading to an unfair competition and financial losses to the registered establishments, he added.

Sunayna Sharma, District Tourism Development Officer, Kullu, acknowledged the malpractice and said that regular inspections were being carried out to check the problem. “We are aware of the situation and are working to identify and penalise offenders. In remote areas like Kasol, we have discovered that some operators are using up to 10 rooms, which is much more than the permitted two rooms for registered homestays,” she added.

Sunayna said that the department was closely monitoring these areas and an inspection was underway in Kasol to detect and shut down illegal units. The department had pledged to continue conducting thorough inspections and imposing penalties to ensure that only registered and legally compliant tourism units operate in the district.