Airbnb inks pact with Maha govt to boost tourism

Airbnb today signed an agreement with the Maharashtra Tourism and Culture department to boost tourism for both domestic and international visitors in the state.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Maharashtra tourism will be promoted through Airbnb's global platform, the network of quality home-stays will be expanded in
the state and joint skills development workshops for hosts on hospitality standards within the next six months will be held.
"In Airbnb, we have found a like-minded partner who is keen to collaborate in growing tourism in Maharashtra," state Tourism minister Jaykumar Rawal told reporters here.
"Through this partnership we aim to create at least 50,000 micro-entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector in the next five years, build the home-stay ecosystem in the state and improve hospitality standards of home-stay owners," said the minister.

The state government will also jointly promote, globally the destinations across 8-10 districts of Maharashtra in the coming year, he added.
Airbnb will share a portion of its booking revenue in Maharashtra with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), Airbnb Country Manager, India, Amanpreet Bajaj said.
MTDC will support the partnership by identifying high-quality home-stays and helping hosts to list on Airbnb.