Lucknow, Feb. 14 -- The UP government's Bed and Breakfast and Homestay Policy 2025 has gained significant momentum, with certifications witnessing nearly a fivefold rise within just over a month. From around 150 certified units in the first week of January 2026, the number has climbed to nearly 700 by early February. Notably, January alone accounted for more than 400 certifications, marking a strong administrative push to fast-track approvals. Since the policy's rollout in mid-2025, nearly 2,000 applications have been received, of which around 700 have been certified so far. Officials attribute the sharp rise to faster clearances, greater awareness, and increasing public confidence in tourism-led entrepreneurship. "From January to June 2025, nearly 122 crore tourists visited the state, including over 121 crore domestic and more than 33 lakh foreign visitors. To meet this unprecedented scale, we are expanding stay capacity under the Bed and Breakfast model. Tourism is becoming a decentralised employment engine rooted in the spirit of 'Atithi Devo Bhava', said an official of the tourism department. The policy aims to add 50,000 new units, strengthening tourism infrastructure while supporting reverse migration and household-level income generation. Under the framework, residents can register as Urban or Rural Homestays or under the Bed and Breakfast category. Homestay owners must reside on the premises and can offer up to six rooms with a maximum of 12 beds. The Bed and Breakfast model permits rental of up to two-thirds of available rooms, with mandatory safety features such as CCTV cameras and fire extinguishers. Registered units benefit from promotion on the official tourism portal, residential-rate utility billing, skill training support and access to incentives. The initiative is witnessing participation across all 75 districts. Among the leading districts are Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot, Mirzapur, Mahoba, Lakhimpur Kheri, Lalitpur, Mathura and Pilibhit, reflecting strong uptake across pilgrimage, cultural and eco-tourism hubs....