Airbnb has unveiled new data showcasing the nation’s evolving travel landscape, driven by a growing enthusiasm for domestic exploration as well as international adventures.

The surge in domestic travel has been remarkable, with overall domestic bookings growing by more than 30% year-over-year. This growth stems from more people looking for long weekend getaways, planning road trips and experiential travel, and more recently curating trips around religious/cultural and entertainment events, like the Maha Kumbh Mela or a concert.

Leading the charge are vibrant destinations that capture India’s diverse appeal. Goa maintains its position as the most-booked destination, renowned for its year-round leisure and cultural experiences. Following Goa, urban centres including Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Pune and Hyderabad have shown impressive growth, driven by work travel, events & conferences and most importantly given the proximity of several tourist destinations.

On the international front, Indian travellers are increasingly exploring vibrant global destinations. Popular choices include Dubai, London, Kuala Lumpur, Milan, Bangkok, and Paris — each offering a unique blend of culture, history, and entertainment. Whether it’s the shopping and modern attractions of Dubai, the rich history of London, or the romantic charm of Paris, these cities continue to capture the imagination of Indian explorers, further reflecting the growing global travel aspirations of Indian travellers.

The platform witnessed growth throughout 2024, with group travel (2+ travellers) in India emerging as a key trend – bookings for larger groups increased by more than 30% as friends, colleagues, and interest-based communities prioritized shared experiences. Gen Z travellers from India doubled their bookings in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to 2023, while millennial bookings surged by almost 30%. Traveller preferences evolved significantly, with increased demand for Airbnb categories like stays near national parks and in iconic cities, tropical stays, and homes with amazing pools.

“Our platform continues to serve as a bridge between cultures, connecting travellers with authentic local travel experiences. By empowering hosts across India to share their homes and traditions, we’re fostering meaningful cultural exchanges while supporting local economies. We look forward to hosting more travellers and continuing to connect people through unique, local experiences on Airbnb.” said Amanpreet Singh Bajaj, Airbnb’s Country Head for India & Southeast Asia.

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Airbnb, in continued collaboration with the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, has launched India’s first ever Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy in Goa, in the presence of Mr. Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, and Mr. Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager, Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This landmark initiative was launched as a part of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Airbnb and the Department of Tourism (DoT), Goa, to promote homestay tourism and build capacity among hospitality entrepreneurs across urban and rural areas in the state.

The Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy aims to promote inclusivity by introducing individuals from diverse and underrepresented communities to the world of hosting on Airbnb. This initiative empowers participants by providing them with the tools and relevant knowledge to begin their hosting journey. So far, through the academy, Airbnb and the Department of Tourism (DoT), Goa has trained 25 homestay owners through interactive workshops conducted in partnership with Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) Impact Ventures. The first round of workshops was held in Miramar Residency for participants from North Goa. The next round of training will be conducted in Madgaon, targeting another 25 trainees from South Goa.

Mr. Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, stated, “For Goa, the homestay segment plays a pivotal role in promoting regenerative tourism by preserving our rich Goan culture with renowned Goan hospitality. Our homestay policy, particularly designed to benefit rural Goa, aligns seamlessly with our Goa Beyond Beaches vision. Women, often the custodians of homestays, stand to gain significantly through various fiscal and non-fiscal incentives under these initiatives.

Building on our MoU with Airbnb, we are delighted to welcome the launch of the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy in Goa. This initiative presents an excellent opportunity for Goa to leverage its unique cultural and natural assets while empowering local communities. By equipping residents with the skills to operate homestays, we are fostering economic growth and advancing regenerative tourism and women’s empowerment. This program will enable us to showcase Goa’s diverse and authentic experiences, inspiring visitors to explore beyond conventional tourist hotspots and embrace responsible, inclusive travel.”

Mr. Suneel Anchipaka IAS, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Goa added, “The Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy is a significant step towards empowering Goan communities through tourism entrepreneurship. By equipping locals with essential skills, this initiative aligns perfectly with our vision of fostering inclusive growth and showcasing Goa’s authentic experiences to the world.”

The academy’s curriculum emphasizes entrepreneurship, experiential learning, and community building, focusing uniquely on addressing specific needs and growth opportunities within Goa’s vibrant tourism landscape. Participants don’t necessarily need to be Airbnb hosts, they need to simply share a passion for improving their hosting skills and authentically connecting with travellers. By joining the Academy, participants can gain financial independence and contribute to the local economy by turning spare rooms in their homes or properties into income-generating assets.

Mr. Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager – India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Airbnb, said, “With the launch of the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy in Goa, we are dedicated to transforming lives through tourism entrepreneurship. This program has been strategically designed and carefully curated to empower local communities with the right education and expertise to help them transform their homes into profitable ventures. With the launch of the Academy, we are committed to cultivating a vibrant local tourism economy that benefits everyone, creating sustainable opportunities for the participants while enhancing the overall guest experience in Goa.”

The Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy’s launch marks a new chapter in Goa’s tourism landscape, promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development. By empowering local communities and promoting responsible tourism, Airbnb and the Goa Tourism Department are paving the way for a thriving and resilient tourism ecosystem in Goa.

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In a recent revelation by STAAH, a global hotel technology provider with a network spanning over 19,000 properties, GoMMT, owned by Goibibo and MakeMyTrip, continues its reign at the top spot for the sixth consecutive year. Meanwhile, Booking.com and Agoda maintain their positions at number two and three respectively, showcasing their enduring influence in the market.

TravelGuru makes a notable leap, ascending two spots to claim the fourth position, while Expedia slips down to number five.

Commenting on these developments, Shoaib Ali, National Sales Head at STAAH, emphasizes, “With their extensive reach within India and beyond, these online booking channels are strategically positioned to capture a significant share of the burgeoning Indian travel and tourism market.”

Reports from Sabre and McKinsey indicate a remarkable recovery in domestic travel within India, surpassing pre-Covid levels. Furthermore, international trips are forecasted to surge from 13 million in 2022 to an impressive 80 million by 2040.

STAAH’s SwiftBook booking engine secures the sixth spot, demonstrating consistent performance and year-on-year revenue growth, despite a slight dip in ranking.

Shoaib highlights a growing trend of travellers opting to book directly with hotels in 2023, indicating a shift in preferences despite the resurgence of online travel agencies (OTAs). He attributes this trend to STAAH’s advanced features that enhance the competitiveness of hotel websites, coupled with enticing packaging and promotions offered by hoteliers.

As business travel rebounds post-Covid, Global Distribution Systems (GDS) make a noteworthy comeback, with STAAH GDS and WebBeds entering the top 10 channel list at the eighth and tenth positions respectively. This underscores the robust demand from the business travel segment. Additionally, HRS, a specialized online booking portal catering to business travel, secures a spot in the top 10 list.

Airbnb maintains its position at number seven in the Indian market, showcasing its continued relevance in the online marketplace for short-term and long-term rentals.

Drawing insights from STAAH’s extensive data covering over 19,000 properties across 90 countries and integrated with 350+ platforms, Shoaib observes a strategic shift among accommodation providers towards holistic commerce strategies aimed at attracting the right guests at the right time.

“Both emerging and established online channels are reshaping the distribution landscape, enabling accommodation providers to adapt to evolving seasons and changing traveller preferences across multiple platforms,” adds Shoaib.

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In response to the growing interest among Indian GenZs and Millennials in travel and language learning, particularly Japanese and Korean, Airbnb and Duolingo have collaborated on an innovative campaign. This unique initiative aims to provide travelers with an extraordinary opportunity to explore Japan and South Korea and immerse themselves in the rich cultural tapestry of these nations. The program addresses the language barrier that often hinders deeper cultural immersion, offering essential language skills to enhance travelers’ appreciation and understanding of local customs and traditions.

Recent trends indicate a significant increase in language learning on Duolingo, aligning with a rising demand for local stays on Airbnb. This campaign caters to the desire among Indians to break down language barriers and engage in more meaningful connections with local communities while traveling to Japan or South Korea. Airbnb data reveals a substantial uptick in travel interest to these destinations, with a nearly 75 percent growth in searches for Airbnb stays in Korea and an impressive 300 percent increase for stays in Japan. Simultaneously, Duolingo reports a noticeable trend in language learning preferences among Indians, with Japanese and Korean emerging as some of the most popular languages learned on the platform.

To capitalize on these trends, Airbnb and Duolingo are collaborating to transform travel experiences in Japan and South Korea. This partnership seeks to equip travelers with essential language skills, facilitating a deeper understanding and appreciation of local customs and traditions.

By combining Duolingo’s language learning expertise with Airbnb’s locally hosted stays, this initiative promises a more enriched and authentic travel journey. Travelers can now navigate through these destinations with newfound confidence in their language abilities while staying at local Airbnb stays that offer them the opportunity to live like a local.

Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, expressed, “Our collaboration with Duolingo goes beyond language learning; it’s about deeply immersing travelers in new cultures, creating lasting experiences and memories.” George Audi, Global Head of Business Development & Partnerships for Duolingo, added, “We are delighted to partner with Airbnb to bring an opportunity that blends learning and traveling in such a seamless manner, providing people with all the right tools to allow them to have an authentic experience and overcome language barriers during travel with ease.”

To make this experience even more exciting, Airbnb and Duolingo are launching a contest, offering two lucky winners (and their companions) a chance to discover Japan and South Korea authentically. The winners will engage in a continuous 10-day language learning streak on Duolingo before embarking on their journey, staying in locally hosted Airbnbs in each country. Additionally, the first 50 new Airbnb users who join the contest will win INR 5000 in Airbnb credits and a year-long Super Duolingo membership.

The contest is open to Indian residents over 18, available to travel to Japan or South Korea between February 1, 2024, and March 31, 2024. The application period is from December 11, 2023, at 11:00 AM IST to January 2, 2024, at 11:59 PM IST. Participants can apply by visiting airbnb.com/duolingo and completing the application form.

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New research from Oxford Economics found Airbnb is an important pillar of India’s tourism industry, contributing over USD$920 million (INR 72 Billion) to the Gross Domestic Product and supporting over 85,000 Indian jobs in 2022* alone. The GDP contribution and jobs supported in India have more than doubled since 2019 despite the COVID-19 outbreak and international border restrictions.

The report also highlighted the powerful multiplier effect Airbnb guest spending has within local communities. In 2022*, Airbnb guests spent a total of USD$815 million (INR 64 billion) in India in areas like purchases on transportation, restaurants, retail stores, and retail stores. The guests spent in 2022* more than doubled the 2019 levels.

In India, Airbnb’s presence was the highest in Goa, where Airbnb guests spending amounted to almost USD$190 million (INR 14.8 billion), this was followed by Bangalore and Delhi, Mumbai and Manali.

It details the significant contribution made by Airbnb guests to domestic tourism across the nation. In 2022*, domestic  Airbnb guest spending totalled USD$ 670 million (INR 52.6 billion) and accounted for approximately 82 percent of total Airbnb guest spending in India, around a three-fold increase from 2019.

The report also explores two profound changes in travel behavior since the pandemic: the dispersal of tourism away from urban areas, and long-term stays driven by the emergence of flexible work arrangements.

James Lambert, Director for Economic Consulting in Asia for Oxford Economics said, Airbnb has played a major role in the resilience and rebirth of the Indian travel and tourism sector in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Airbnb has been at the heart of some of the trends reshaping the nation’s travel and tourism industry, including the shift in travel away from cities and towards more rural communities, and the increase in demand for long-stay trips, exemplified by the life and work anywhere phenomenon, Lambert said.

“Domestic travellers have been crucial to the tourism sector’s resilience over the past three years as Indian guests saw opportunities in domestic travel as a substitute for international holidays, with self-drive and regional trips increasing in popularity which led to a wider dispersion of tourism spend outside the traditional or ‘popular’ destinations in India.”

Mr. Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan said, “The economic contribution to both GDP and jobs driven by travel on Airbnb in India has created powerful economic ripple effects that have enabled the growth of local businesses, such as shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes — which are often central to how travellers experience a destination — and created job opportunities for the locals.”

 “Travel is now more dispersed, and so the economic benefits are being shared across more destinations, enabling a valuable economic contribution to rural and regional areas. This dispersal is being driven by Hosts on Airbnb and in turn creating economic opportunities for various communities.”

“As destinations across India continue to recover, we are committed to partnering with governments and communities to rebuild their tourism economies in a way that is equitable, inclusive, and sustainable.”

This report explores the twelve months to March 2023 — representing a year since travel restrictions started to be removed across India.

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 Airbnb has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, to promote India as a most sought-after high-potential tourism destination and spotlight its rich cultural heritage.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Mr.G. Kishan Reddy, Union Tourism Minister, Government of India, Ms. V. Vidyavathi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Mr.Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, and Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager, Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, aims to underscore the cultural significance of India’s heritage properties and encourage travellers to embark on immersive journeys through the country’s diverse heritage.

At the heart of this partnership lies the launch of the exclusive ‘Soul of India’ microsite that showcases an array of heritage stays across the country. These heritage properties, steeped in history and architectural brilliance, offer an authentic glimpse into India’s rich cultural tapestry. Airbnb will also offer support to Hosts in untapped tourist areas, assist them in promoting their homestays, build host capacity, and foster a culture of responsible hosting.

This year-long partnership symbolises the shared commitment of both Airbnb and the Ministry of Tourism to enhance India’s standing in the global tourism market through promotional strategies and campaigns.

Key elements of the MoU include Destination Promotion – The Ministry of Tourism and Airbnb will work together on positioning India as a sought-after destination for cultural and heritage tourism, leveraging targeted domestic and international campaigns that showcase the distinctive heritage stays available throughout the country.,‘Soul of India’ Microsite – Airbnb will launch a dedicated ‘Soul of India’ microsite to promote heritage homes across India and share captivating stories behind the heritage properties and the destinations, with a goal to inspire visitors to embark on unique cultural adventures and immerse themselves in the unparalleled essence of India. Capacity Building and Insights – Airbnb will endeavour to train hospitality micro-entrepreneurs in emerging destinations that are part of the Ministry’s flagship scheme. Airbnb will also share travel and homestay insights with the Ministry of Tourism for informed responsible tourism policies and training requirements.

Highlighting the importance of promoting cultural tourism and preserving heritage sites, Mr.G. Kishan Reddy, Union Tourism Minister, Government of India, said, “India’s age-old dictum “Atithi Devo Bhava” equates guests to God and what better way to extend hospitality to guests than by making them stay in homes with local communities? Homestay accommodations offer travellers a personalised, immersive, and rooted-in-culture travel experience. We are delighted to partner with Airbnb, whose global reach will provide enhanced visibility to India’s unique and varied accommodation offerings and enable travellers an opportunity to experience our rich heritage first-hand. This partnership will contribute to the growth of inbound tourism, create economic opportunities for local communities, and position India uniquely on the global tourism map.”

Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager – India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Airbnb, said, “We are proud to partner with the Ministry of Tourism to celebrate the Soul of India. This MoU represents an essential collaboration towards unlocking new economic and social opportunities through tourism in India while bolstering the Incredible India brand and bringing the richness of what India has to offer to even more international travellers.

“Airbnb has consistently placed Hosts and their empowerment at its core and is pleased to see the G20 countries, led by India, sharing the same commitment to equipping communities with adequate skills and fostering responsible tourism practices.”

With the signing of this MoU, Airbnb and the Ministry of Tourism set the stage for an exciting journey that will not only promote India’s cultural heritage but also create transformative experiences for travellers, foster economic growth, and celebrate the vibrant diversity that defines India’s soul.

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Airbnb has partnered with SHEROES, a women-only community ecosystem, to foster entrepreneurship and love for travel among women, while also empowering them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to start hosting on Airbnb’s platform. Sheroes as a platform is known to provide women a safe space to connect, and create learning and engagement opportunities, enabling easier access to employment, entrepreneurship, and financial resources. Through its partnership with SHEROES, which has a community of 24 million Indian women, Airbnb aims to create opportunities that enhance local ecosystems for women micro-entrepreneurs to grow and thrive.

Under the partnership, Airbnb will launch a digital content and training program for six months, which will be accessible on relevant SHEROES community channels. This collaboration will provide digital content and training to support members of the social platform that are interested in hosting on Airbnb to harness their passion for hospitality, as well as enable more women in India to travel the world with confidence and independence. The program is designed to inspire, educate, and build a trusted community of women passionate about travel and hosting.

 “At Airbnb, we have always been committed to working closely with our communities and empowering local women Hosts to become successful entrepreneurs. Our mission is to foster the development of resilient local economies by bringing people together. Through continuous training and upskilling initiatives, Airbnb and its partners are dedicated to building a vibrant and trustworthy community that fosters women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship. We are excited to collaborate with SHEROES to create new opportunities for women entrepreneurs and to support the growth of a diverse Host and guest community in India. We believe this partnership will be a powerful tool for promoting women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship.” said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Sairee Chahal, Founder, and CEO, of SHEROES said, “Airbnb and SHEROES is a natural partnership with communities at the heart of both platforms. SHEROES is committed to the economic mainstreaming of women and their contribution to GDP. With the opportunities Airbnb offers to women Hosts and travellers, this opens literally so many doors for women across India. Our shared faith in investing in communities and economic outcomes for our communities make this an exciting partnership. India is home to the largest number of single women and a growing number of women travellers. Having more women Hosts adds an impetus to travel and local economies. Our commitment at SHEROES is to help our members, earn, learn, grow, find safe space, and belong to the new world. This partnership with Airbnb represents many of our core beliefs put into action.”

Through home sharing, women Hosts are able to significantly augment their earnings, and some women entrepreneurs have embraced hosting full-time. As a part of this partnership, Airbnb will work closely with women entrepreneurs to help them identify opportunities for new hosts and provide guidance in establishing their businesses.

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As the travel season picks up, Indians are planning overseas trips with renewed enthusiasm. New data from Airbnb reveals that long-haul favourites such as the US, UK, and cities across Europe feature prominently in guest searches overseas, with London, Dubai, Paris, Toronto, and New York ranking as the top searched overseas cities by Indians in Q3 2022*. Domestically, Indians are exploring popular beach destinations in the hills of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well as the North-Eastern region. Overall nights booked in India grew by almost half, while domestic nights booked grew by almost 80 percent in Q3 2022 when compared to Q3 2019.

Globally, the top-searched overseas country destinations by Indians on Airbnb this Q3 were: the United Kingdom, Canada, United Arab Emirates, United States, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Netherlands, and TurkeyMost searched for destinations in the Asia Pacific by Indians on Airbnb this Q3: Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Philippines most-searched-for overseas cities by Indians on Airbnb this Q3 include: London Dubai, Dubai, Paris, Toronto, NewYork Bangkok, Amsterdam Istanbul, Barcelona Bali

While interest in traditionally popular destinations remains high, Indians are also expanding their travel horizons and looking to explore new overseas destinations. Airbnb saw a whopping increase of more than 1250 percent in searches for stays in Turkey, an over 750 percent increase in searches in Norway an over 625 percent increase in searches for Portugal from Q3 2021 to Q3 2022, and a more than 600 percent increase in searches for South Africa. Other trending overseas destinations include Poland and Finland (both more than 500 percent), Greece (over 450 percent), and South Korea (over 400 percent).

When travelling, Indian guests are searching for amenities that help facilitate flexible new ways of traveling and living, with pools, wifi, kitchens, air conditioner, and washer all making up the top five most searched filters this winter and will continue to see guests visit destinations both near and far, seeking sun, sand, and water. The top five booked categories by Indians this winter are Tropical, National park, Pool, Beach, and Iconic cities.

Most searched for domestic destinations by Indian travellers on Airbnb this Q3:For shorter getaways, Indians are enjoying reconnecting with destinations domestically. When comparing Q3 2022 with pre-pandemic Q3 2019, overall nights booked in India grew by almost half, while domestic nights booked grew by almost 80 percent.

Across the country, domestic destinations most searched for by Indians this Q3 2022 continue to be: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Delhi, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan North East region of India has proved to be a trending destination amongst Indian travellers. Airbnbs search data shows an increase of over 450 percent in searches for stays in Meghalaya, over 400 percent increase in searches for Assam and an almost 300 percent increase in searches for Nagaland from Q3 2021 to Q3 2022.

Locally, Indian travellers are also exploring the popular beach destinations of Kerala (over 375 percent increase in searches from Q3 2021 to Q3 2022), Goa (almost 275 percent increase in searches), and Pondicherry (over 200 percent increase) as well as the hill stations of Uttarakhand (over 100 percent increase in searches) and Himachal Pradesh (over 50 percent increase in searched from Q3 2021 to Q3 2022). The most searched-for domestic cities by Indians include Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, and Dehradun.

Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, said: “As travel resumes across the globe, Airbnb is seeing a surge in interest amongst Indian travellers to venture overseas as well as explore destinations locally. Popular travel hotspots of Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States remain high on Indian travellers’ bucket lists. Closer-to-home destinations such as Thailand, Dubai, Indonesia, and Singapore also remain popular, as do local beach and hill destinations across India. This growing appetite for travel is a positive sign as tourism recovery gathers pace. Airbnb is also committed to working collaboratively with communities across India to make sure locals living in off-the-beaten-track destinations can also share in the economic benefits of travel.”

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Airbnb has signed an MoU with the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, to jointly promote Goa as one of the most sought-after high-potential tourism destinations in India and around the world.  This partnership is aimed at encouraging travel to unique destinations that are lesser-known and enabling economically regenerative community-led tourism in the state. On the sidelines of the official launch of  ‘Rediscover Goa’, a week-long celebration of Goa’s vast cultural diversity beyond its beaches and dazzling nightlife, Airbnb and the Goa Tourism Department have joined hands to scale homestay capacity across the state and provide support to Goan homestay Hosts in delivering quality tourism experiences to guests, both domestic and international.

Goa Tourism and Airbnb will work together to promote Goa as a destination for high-quality tourism, by upscaling the culture of homestays in the state, while spotlighting unique destinations for hinterland tourism and homestay tourism that travellers can discover. This will be done through targeted domestic and international destination promotion campaigns.

The announcement reflects the commitment of both parties to support the development of a sustainable tourism ecosystem in Goa while highlighting current and upcoming tourism destinations in the state. Airbnb will support the Department of Tourism’s vision by conducting workshops and seminars to train homestay hosts and B&B owners on the importance of responsible tourism, build host capacity, seek to amplify and create awareness of the local laws and encourage host registration; while continuing to work towards onboarding more Hosts and properties on the platform. These efforts will be aimed at equipping current and prospective Hosts with knowledge and guidance to boost inclusive and community-led travel in the state.

Airbnb will also endeavor to share global best practices, periodic travel trends and insights related to home stays, from time to time, to help the DoT make informed decisions on capacity-building needs, and other progressive policies that will help drive responsible tourism in the state.

The signing of the MoU took place in the presence of Mr.Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, and Mr.Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager, Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

On the signing of the MoU, Shri Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, said, “Identifying underserved areas and prioritising sustainable development efforts are constant mindful decisions made by the Government of Goa & 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 regions of Goa. 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.”

Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager – India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Airbnb, said, “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. To further our efforts, 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, both domestic and international. We have witnessed commendable efforts put in by the Government of Goa towards this cause and are fully committed to working closely with them to drive responsible tourism in the State, through awareness campaigns, knowledge-sharing sessions, and capacity-building programs.”

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Airbnb and IndiGo have come together to offer three lucky individuals (and up to one companion each) the ultimate dream adventure to ‘InterFriendtion’ anywhere in India*. Through the contest, Airbnb and IndiGo are seeking three special winners who will fly and live anywhere in India for a lifetime vacation with their friends.

The winner will win an incredible US$1000 each worth of Airbnb credits to book a domestic Airbnb stay of their choice and IndiGo will sponsor the return tickets for these winners and their companion to that destination! During their travel, the winners and their companions will get to travel to their bucket list destination with IndiGo and stay in some of India’s most unique Airbnbs.

“Indians today are eager to travel and are seeking unique, meaningful, and restorative experiences with their loved ones. Travelling has become a great way of spending quality time with family and friends and creating new memories at offbeat destinations and unique accommodations. Our partnership with IndiGo celebrates and caters to this demand. We are excited to provide our guests endless possibilities to explore and reconnect with their loved ones while traveling.” said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

“In the hustle and bustle of life, we sometimes forget to rekindle friendships, take a break, and create

new memories. IndiGo has always aspired to make the world a smaller place, by reducing the distance between people and fostering human connections. We are pleased to associate with Airbnb in a collaboration that encapsulates travel, exploration, and friendship. Through this unique partnership we aim to inspire friends to come together, experience destinations, and spark new memories that will last a lifetime.” said Neetan Chopra, Chief Digital and Information Officer, of IndiGo.

Participants must be over 18, and available to travel within India from 1 December 2022 to 30 April 2023. The shortlisted winners will be contacted directly by Airbnb and IndiGo on November 30, 2022.

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