In a new initiative, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is partnering with Airbnb to promote homestay and bed & breakfast (B&B) tourism in the state of Maharashtra.
By promoting homestay tourism, this partnership will encourage travel to lesser-known destinations and will enable inclusive community-led tourism in the state, which will further enhance economic prospects.
Under the agreement, the MTDC and Airbnb will promote nearby travel-to destinations in Maharashtra that are off the beaten track and offer a unique experience to travelers
Onboard are three MTDC properties within Maharashtra that will offer travelers differentiated offerings including farm stays.
Besides, they would conduct webinars and workshops to train homestay hosts and B&B owners on Airbnb’s enhanced cleaning protocol—the first overarching standardized guidelines for cleaning and sanitization in the home-sharing industry—to support hosts in advance of reopening communities for travel.
Announcing the partnership, the state’s Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray said that Maharashtra is an ecologically and culturally rich state and offers travelers unique travel experiences.
“We are committed to improving community-driven hospitality that is sustainable and offers travelers accessible, affordable and quality tourism. Safety is also key. With Airbnb, we will strengthen the ecosystem for the growth of homestays and B&Bs in the state, to revive tourism growth in the coming months,” he said.
Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager (India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan) at Airbnb, said, “This partnership is a valuable opportunity to drive rapid demand growth towards domestic tourism and to support economic recovery. Airbnb has always been committed to highlighting unique destinations that are off the beaten track, and to ensure that economic benefits of tourism reach as many communities as possible.”
The partnership furthers both parties’ commitment to supporting a sustainable tourism ecosystem while highlighting current and upcoming tourism destinations in the state.
Through knowledge sharing and training workshops with hosts, the partnership will also enhance the potential of tourism to create jobs and sustain livelihoods for local communities and will spotlight unique properties as more travelers explore stays near metro cities.