Airbnb, SPARK! team up to boost women tourism entrepreneurship in PHL

AIRBNB is investing $100,000 in training programs to provide women in the Philippines access to employment opportunities in the tourism sector, it said on Monday.

Airbnb and SPARK!, a non-profit organization focused on women’s entrepreneurship, signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday, the former said in a statement.

“With the Philippines leading the pack with the second largest women-led Airbnb Host community globally, this partnership for us goes beyond agreements; it is a unified mission to uplift women and enhance the backbone of our tourism industry,” Airbnb Head of Public Policy for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan Mich Goh said.

In addition to the training programs, SPARK! will also focus on job-matching within the tourism sector.

“Our commitment extends beyond training; we are dedicated to creating a pathway for women to access meaningful and empowering opportunities may it be through employment or entrepreneurship or both,” SPARK! Philippines Executive Director Mikaela Luisa Carmen R. Teves said.

SPARK! will lead the yearlong program that was recently piloted in Quezon City with the support of the local government unit.

“Women are the perfect ambassadors for tourism. Through this program, we hope that more women can explore business models that would boost local tourism, generate more job opportunities, and contribute to the development of the city,” Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” G. Belmonte said.

“Private and public sector partnerships like Airbnb’s initiative showcase the transformative power of education in unlocking opportunities for economic growth and development,” said Department of Tourism Office of Industry Manpower Development Director Arlene A. Alipio. — A.R.A. Inosante