MUMBAI: India’s leading online travel company Yatra.com has signed a MoU with Uttarakhand to promote homestays in the state as well as highlight the state’s unique tourist attractions.
Being the largest homestays aggregator with an inventory of over 3000 homestays across 130 cities across India,Yatra believes this to be a fast growing sector in the travel business catering to two large & rapidly growing customer segments – one, seeking unique experiences and two, seeking value within the accommodation space, said the company in a press release.
The site will promote all the state tourism approved homestays, wherein guests (travellers) can rent a room in the home of a local family (host) or the entire house. Yatra and Uttarakhand Tourism will organize an orientation session for homestays where the villagers will be trained in guiding, cooking, hospitality and the cultural and natural heritage of the state. This partnership will give the tourists a chance to experience the hospitality of various families throughout Uttarakhand and enjoy wonderful home cooked food.
Speaking on the partnership, Sharat Dhall, COO (B2C), Yatra.com said, “We are delighted about this strategic alliance with the Government of Uttarakhand to boost the state’s tourism. Yatra is also seeking more such partnerships with other State Governments to promote local tourism and offer a taste of Indian hospitality and a very unique traveller experience.”
As a part of this partnership, the site will list over 500 homestay properties on its website and encourage the growth of homestays in Uttarakhand, giving tourists a very homely experience.
Launched in August 2006 and based in Gurgaon, the travel booking portal provides information, pricing, availability, and booking facility for domestic and international air travel, hotel bookings, holiday package, bus, railway and inter-city cabs. It lists more than 61,000 hotels in India and over 500,000+ hotels around the world, said the firm.
Musafir Namah Bureau
