Airbnb signs MoU with Maharashtra Government

Airbnb has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra. Through the partnership, the Department of Tourism and Airbnb will collaborate to boost tourism and create positive travel experiences for both domestic and international visitors in Maharashtra. Under the MoU, the parties agreed to promote tourism in Maharashtra through Airbnb’s global platform, expand the network of quality homestays in Maharashtra, and provide skills development workshops for hosts on hospitality standards, jointly conducted by Airbnb and Department of Tourism within the next six months.
Airbnb also announced a first-of-its-kind revenue sharing agreement with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), whereby Airbnb will share a portion of its booking revenue in Maharashtra with the MTDC. The MTDC will support the partnership by identifying high-quality homestays and helping hosts to list on Airbnb.
“Tourism is a key pillar for the State of Maharashtra and we are committed to increasing the number of global travellers to the State who could benefit our local communities. In a bid to attract foreign tourists, we have announced 2017 as “Visit Maharashtra” year. As our alternative accommodation partner, we look forward to working with Airbnb to achieve the goals of the Visit Maharashtra campaign, said Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra.