Dimapur, Nov. 15 (EMN): World’s largest online marketplace for lodgings, Airbnb is now the alternate accommodation partner for Hornbill Festival which will begin on December 1. The official declaration was made at a coordination meeting between Tourism department and Airbnb, India at Tourist Lodge in Dimapur on Thursday.
This was informed by the director of Tourism through a press release made available to the media on Friday.
‘The entry of Airbnb, an online marketplace accommodation company, to Nagaland signifies a major development in the tourism ecosystem of the state as it will bring the Homestays of Nagaland to the online global market, keeping in mind the potential revenue generation which will directly go to the grassroots level,’ read the press release.
‘The district senior tourist officers and tourist officers will be the district co-coordinators and they will be responsible for identifying potential hosts, homestays, tourist hotspots, trekking routes and upcoming events, fairs and festivals in their respective districts, as well as coordinating with village councils and in creating awareness and organising skill development workshops,’ it added.
As part of the marketing strategy and publicity, Airbnb will engage social media influencers and journalists to explore and promote the state through their travel blogs. Through the partnership with Airbnb, the state government is said to be ‘aiming at creating a more inclusive Tourism Sector in Nagaland that empowers local communities by creating skilled micro-entrepreneurs and build a sustainable homestay ecosystem’.
