Skill India Mission to upskill Hospitality Entrepreneurs in collaboration with Airbnb

Hospitality is one of the largest industry sectors generating employment and scope for entrepreneurship. On 28th November 2017, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skill Council (THSC) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company, to provide hospitality skills training to hospitality micro-entrepreneurs in India. This is a major step in promoting entrepreneurship under Skill India Program by creating accredited skill development module for hospitality entrepreneurs offering homestay facilities, unique accommodations and local experiences.

Highlights of Skill India – Airbnb partnership to upskill hospitality entrepreneurs 

• Partnership builds on Airbnb’s commitment to support Skill India Mission by creating and empowering 50,000 hospitality entrepreneurs in India
• Create an accredited skill development module for hospitality entrepreneurs offering homestay facilities, unique accommodations and local experiences
• Empower those in rural and underserved areas to join the ‘alternate accommodation’ sector and pursue new livelihood opportunities by sharing their homes

Under the terms of the MoU, the parties agree to:

• ESTABLISH occupation standards and competency matrices for job roles and develop the courses for hospitality entrepreneurs offering homestay and facilities, other unique accommodations and local experiences for travellers
• CREATE standards for certification and accreditation as per the requirements and global benchmarks of Tourism and Hospitality industry for hospitality entrepreneurs offering homestay facilities, other unique accommodations and local experiences for travellers
• SET the framework for long-term Council-Industry partnership
• STRENGTHEN the Skilled Labour Pool required by Tourism and Hospitality industry

Shri . Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India i congratulated Airbnb, NSDC and THSC for creating a collaborative environment to support the tourism, skill development and entrepreneurship in India.

Shri Pradhan said, “We believe that this partnership will help to augment Skill India Mission by bringing in global best practices for the training of small hospitality entrepreneurs. The domestic tourism has immense potential in India and this partnership will benefit the ecosystem by creating opportunities for women and youth. We will extend all possible cooperation to make India a tourism hotspot.”

“India’s tourism sector is at the cusp of massive growth and this presents a significant opportunity for the adoption of healthy and sustainable tourism practices that ensure the benefits of tourism go back to local communities,” said Mr. Brent Thomas, Airbnb’s Regional Director of Policy for India, Southeast Asia and ANZ. “This partnership will help to create more skilled, digitally-literate hospitality entrepreneurs – especially among the women and those in underserved areas – who can create a homestay in every home, offer authentic experiences in every Indian locality and help spread the benefits of tourism,” he further added.

(This article is based on a press release from MSDE)