PATA member Airbnb is taking the lead in bridging the digital divide, tackling barriers in rural and underserved regions to foster economic growth, promote inclusive development, and provide exposure to a global community with sustainability and a long-term impact in mind.

According to Asmita Joshi, Airbnb head of public policy, India and South Asia, the hospitality company is addressing issues such as infrastructure challenges, digital literacy and socio-economic and cultural barriers.

The online marketplace best known for connecting people with unique stays, experiences and adventures, has organised capacity building workshops, provided digital skilling and platform training and facilitating hosts communities, she added.

Joshi continued: “We have been engaging and partnering with governments at the central and state level, strengthened by on-the-ground support, and enabling ongoing training programmes and virtual resources.”

Initiatives include partnerships with Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board and Global Himalayan Expeditions (GHE) Impact Ventures; Goa Tourism Department and Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA); the Internet Society Foundation (ISF); the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy in the Philippines (AEAP); and Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board.

Joshi and partners from SEWA, ISF and AEAP were speaking at a recent PATA webinar titled Unlocking economic outlook through community intervention and digital skills: A new approach for tourism capacity building in Asia.

Joyce Dogniez, vice president, empowerment and outreach, ISF, pointed out that “connectivity is taken for granted and one-third of people on the planet do not have it”.

In 2023 in Indonesia, Airbnb launched an Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy to develop local tourism entrepreneurship through training and support.

The programme, conducted in partnership with Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, has reached 27 villages and continues to expand and disperse the benefits of tourism to more communities. According to Joshi, 197 homestay owners have participated in the programme, of which 46 per cent are women.

This year, ISF and Airbnb partnered to provide technical training and Internet connectivity to Sherpa communities in Nepal, providing access to more than 1,000 sherpas, boosting local income through Wi-Fi services and opening up new career pathways.

Joshi related how one beneficiary of the SEWA and Airbnb initiative earns more from hosting on the platform in a month than from a year of harvesting crops, and her success has inspired others in her community to start hosting.

Beyond homestays and strengthening local culture, GHE lead for community tours Simarpreet Kaur said communities have been transformed with electrification – such as solar-powered homestays and water heating – and understand the concept of being a super host, using social media and digital payments.

Over in the Philippines, Airbnb Philippines also launched a US$100,000 grant programme to empower women entrepreneurs this year.

Maica Neves, executive director, Spark Philippines, said confidence and economic independence of women entrepreneurs, problem-solving and interpersonal skills have been boosted through the Airbnb academy.

“We ensure continuity of participants after the training and have implemented job-matching employment with the industry to reinforce their skills with practical experience in a real-world setting,” shared Neves.