panaji the union ministry of tourism has inked a memorandum of understanding mou with airbnb today to promote india as a most soughtafter high potential tourism destination and shine a spotlight on its rich cultural heritagethe mou was signed in the presence of union tourism minister g kishan reddy secretary for tourism v vidyavathi and airbnb india general manager amanpreet bajajthe yearlong agreement aims to underscore the cultural significance of indias heritage properties and encourage travellers to embark on immersive journeys through the countrys diverse heritage said airbnb in a statementairbnb will offer support to hosts in untapped tourist areas assist them in promoting their homestays build host capacity and foster a culture of responsible hostinghomestay accommodations offer travellers a personalised immersive and rooted culture travel experience said union tourism minister reddy we are delighted to partner with airbnb whose global reach will provide enhanced visibility to indias unique and varied accommodation offerings and enable travellers an opportunity to experience our rich heritage firsthand this partnership will contribute to the growth of inbound tourism create economic opportunities for local communities and position india uniquely on the global tourism mapkey elements of the mou include destination promotion a soul of india microsite for heritage homes and capacity buildingwe are proud to partner with the ministry of tourism to celebrate the soul of india this mou represents an important 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 bajaj said