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On the occasion of International Women's  Day, Airbnb brought together actor Lara Dutta, culinary expert Pooja Dhingra, Shivina Kumari from the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation and Super Host Anne Jyrwa to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of women #HostWithHer at WeWork in Mumbai. 

Airbnbâ  super host Anne Jyrwa from Meghalaya, talks to IANSlife about  her journey which is nothing short of inspirational. She started out with the travel portal to achieve financial independence and hosting on the platform has enabled her to enhance her entrepreneurial spirit.

As part of her identity as a super host, she has been able to inspire other women to become independent by joining the platform as well as train them on how to attain the best standards in hospitality, and playing an important role in the development of women and the rural communities in Meghalaya.

 Excerpts:

Q. Do you feel it  essential that women have their own financial independence and source of income? 

 It is very important for women to have financial independence and source of income because it helps them to make decisions for the future. The economic independence enables them to run the house, look after the children and also plan for the future.

Increasingly, more women are becoming entrepreneurs and are pursuing unconventional career options such as becoming hosts with Airbnb. Thereby, fostering successful entrepreneurship in the burgeoning travel and tourism segment.

Q. You are self-taught and have created a name for setting standards in hospitality in your region, share details about your journey.
 
 Signing up as a host has been a tremendous journey of self-growth for me with a lot of learning involved. I came into the profession when I heard about Airbnb and decided to become a host so that I could earn some income. Plus, I am a travel enthusiast who has always stayed with host families during, inspiring me to become a host.

The tourism boost in Meghalaya also encouraged my efforts in hosting guests in the state and showcasing the best of what the destination has to offer. I have always given my best to the guests who have come to my house and I have realized that it has worked. Plus, I have realized that giving them time is also important and spending quality time with them is essential. This is purely because the travelers coming to my part of the country are looking for some rejuvenation and revitalization.

Q. The travel business is not an easy business how do you intend to grow?

Yes, it was not easy because it requires a lot of investment in terms of time and energy apart from money. However, as my business is doing well, I am keen on expanding my business by adding 3-4 rooms and continue to provide the best of hospitality to my guests.

Q. How important is it for women to support one another?

 The thing is if I did not share my entire journey as a host with other women, then I would never feel happy. Because I was able to train them in hospitality, share how to use the Airbnb app and how to help them to communicate with a guest, they were happy and able to attain financial independence.

When they saw that their bank balance increasing, it created a sense of trust and confidence that they are able to earn a living. I believe that these little moments of seeing others grow, creates a sense of satisfaction and happiness for me.