Women hosts in India earned over Rs 16M during the pandemic

'Airbnb' celebrated the journey of exceptional women, including hospitality entrepreneurs, who braved the challenges of the past year to nurture successful enterprises in the travel and tourism sector, including as 'Airbnb' hosts.

Data shows that for many first-time hosts around the world, sharing their homes on 'Airbnb' also provided an important safety net from the economic challenges of the pandemic.

In India, women hosts on the platform earned collectively over INR 16 million in 2020. In addition, in the period March 2020 to February 2021, over 27% of all hosts that had signed up to the platform were women.

Data also shows that homestays can catalyse broader economic impact within communities. According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the homestay sector, within tourism, has a significant employment multiplier effect, and also helps economically empower women.

It found that irrespective of ownership status, women manage most of the operations in homestays. The largest number of women hosts on 'Airbnb' list properties in Goa, followed by Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.