MAPUSA
The Department of Tourism on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbnb to promote Goa as a unique destination for hinterland tourism and also upscale the culture of Home Stays in the State.
The partnership also envisages encouraging travel to unique destinations that are lesser-known and enabling community-led tourism in the State.
“Identifying underserved areas and prioritising sustainable development efforts are constant decisions made by the Government of Goa and the Department of Tourism in relation to planning and allocating resources to further accelerate tourism recovery. Our primary focus, with this partnership, is the hinterland – bringing financial opportunities and empowerment to the women residing in the rural areas of Goa,” said Tourism Minister Rohan Khuante.
“This MoU with Airbnb is a step towards achieving our aim of creating a more inclusive tourism ecosystem in Goa that empowers local communities by driving micro-entrepreneurship and focuses on bringing quality tourism experiences to guests from all over the world," he added.
The Tourism Minister was addressing a gathering on the sidelines of the official launch of ‘Rediscover Goa’, a week-long celebration of Goa's vast cultural diversity beyond its beaches.
With the signing of the MoU, the Tourism Department and Airbnb expects to scale home stay capacity across the State and provide support to Goan home stay hosts in delivering quality tourism experiences to both domestic and international guests.
The signing of the MoU took place in the presence of Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte and Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager of Airbnb India.
Airbnb will support the Tourism Department’s vision by conducting workshops and seminars to train home stay hosts and B&B owners on the importance of responsible tourism and build host capacity. Airbnb will also endeavour to share global best practices, periodic travel trends and insights related to home stays.
“Goa is a priority market for us and this partnership furthers Airbnb’s efforts to provide guests with quality tourism experiences not just in popular tourist destinations but also off the beaten track. We want to ensure the economic benefits of tourism reach as many communities as possible, while we continue to invest in our local Host communities,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager Airbnb India.
“We are proud to partner with the Goa Tourism Department and support their vision of making Goa one of the most sought-after tourism destinations for travellers,” he added.
