As an important step towards promoting tourism in the province, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Tourism Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Bank of Khyber for the implementation of the provincial government’s Homestay Tourism Program “Maizban”.
A ceremony in this regard was held on Wednesday at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, with Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur as the chief guest. This unique project by the provincial government is being launched initially in seven districts of the province — Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Abbottabad, and Swat — at an initial cost of Rs. 395 million.
Under the program, interest-free loans of up to Rs. 3 million will be provided to local residents through the Bank of Khyber to offer quality residential facilities to tourists within their homes. Individuals meeting the required eligibility criteria will be able to obtain loans to renovate existing rooms or construct two new rooms for providing accommodation to tourists within their home premises.
