Online accommodation platform Airbnb on Monday said it has entered into a partnership with Princess Diya Kumari Foundation (PDKF) to empower rural women in Rajasthan with micro-entrepreneurship opportunities.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed here between Airbnb and PDKF.
Through the partnership, Airbnb and PDKF will work together to help members of the latter become Airbnb hosts by sharing their homes or passions with travellers from around the world, the partners said in a joint statement.
This would create economic empowerment opportunities for women in rural parts of Rajasthan that do not typically benefit from such opportunities, it added.
PDKF and Airbnb will also partner to create social impact experiences to promote local culture and unique handicrafts made by local women in Rajasthan, the statement said.
The partnership builds on Airbnb's existing efforts in India to promote healthy tourism and provide economic empowerment opportunities to communities in rural areas, including with the Self-Employed Women's Association of India and North East Tourism Development Council, the statement said.
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"This partnership perfectly embodies one of Airbnb's core values of enabling local communities to benefit from the growth of tourism," Airbnb Global Policy and Communications Head Chris Lehane said.
Commenting on the tie-up, PDKF founder Diya Kumari said, "Rajasthan has a legacy of strong women who have overcome societal biases to prove their mettle right from the medieval times. It is only fitting, in this context, for us to develop a program, which will help our women become entrepreneurs".
Under the MoU, PDKF and Airbnb have agreed to promote micro-entrepreneurship among rural women in Rajasthan by providing skill development training to help them become hosts on Airbnb.
The partnership also provides for financial aid to support the Digital Scholarship Program under Project Shiksha Diya.
Both partners will identify and increase network of homestays and unique accommodations in Rajasthan available on the Airbnb platform.
They have also agreed to create two social impact experiences, which will highlight the state's artisan treasures, heritage architecture and local culture, with the proceeds going back to local communities.
The agreement also envisages support to select PDKF initiatives under Project Shiksha Diya with an aim to provide digital literacy to young women, it added.
Founded in 2008, Airbnb's accommodation marketplace currently provides access to 7 million unique places to stay in more than 1,00,000 cities and 191 countries and regions.