Airbnb & MTV #LiveThere contest is a hit among Indian travellers

In line with its vision to make travel magical, Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company, partnered with MTV India to curate the #LiveThere online contest in September last year. Through this contest, Airbnb invited three lucky winners for a trip of their lifetime to explore the vibrancy of Milan, London and Thailand like locals in the company of popular icons Anusha Dandekar, Radhika Apte and Nikhil Chinappa.

As a part of the contest, the winners got to stay in amazing Airbnb Homes with Nikhil Chinapa, Radhika Apte and Anusha Dandekar in Thailand, London and Milan. The experiences and adventures of the winners were captured in a series of videos.

#InMilan featuring Anusha Dandekar while discovering the hidden fashion hubs in Milan, #InThailand featuring Nikhil Chinapa where they explored the breathtaking locales of Bangkok and #InLondon featuring Radhika Apte where they immersed themselves in the vivacity of London’s art and culture. Till now, all three videos have received a phenomenal response and have garnered over 3.2M+, 1.7M+ and 1.6M+ views respectively as they continue to inspire travellers across the world to break away from the ordinary and travel differently.

Speaking about the contest and campaign, Varun Raina, India, Marketing Manager Airbnb- India said, “Travel on Airbnb is all about exploring the city like locals and going beyond the tourist hubs. With the #LiveThere campaign and contest, we wanted to give travellers the opportunity to live like locals in their favourite cities by giving the Indian youth access to popular icons and the chance to explore a city based on passion points that are important to them - Adventure, shopping and art, we were able to add a new dimension to way they perceive travel and that is truly what Airbnb is all about.”

Here is what VJ Anusha, DJ Nikhil Chinappa and Bollywood Actress Radhika Apte had to say about their experience:

1. #InMilan with @VJAnusha

Facebook  - 3.2 Million+ views // 42'k+ Engagements

Twitter - 302'k Views // 500+ Engagements

Back from her fabulous stay in Milan, fashion icon VJ Anusha Dandekar, said, "Travel is more than just seeing and doing. It obviously includes a whole lot of shopping from that part of the world and discovering a new style. Most of all it’s the feeling of truly living there like a local. Airbnb is great for that. My love for fashion is not unknown and getting a chance to explore that in the global capital was great! We also visited some beautiful Churches, ate gelato, had some wine and cheese and ended the day in the comfort of my gorgeous home, all making for an incredible time in Milan."

2. #InThailand with @nikhilchinapa

Facebook  - 1.7 Million+ views // 46'k+ Engagements

Twitter - 228'k Views // 400+ Engagements

Talking about his experience in Thailand, DJ Nikhil Chinapa, said, "Travel is more than just landing up somewhere with your luggage. It’s the feeling of truly living somewhere, and
experiencing that destination like a local.  I am always in search of new waters and newer diving spots. And when I heard about Thailand, I was stoked to share my love for diving and exploring the magnificent underwater world with our winners. The feeling of being so close to, and surrounded by nature is just surreal. Scuba diving in the day, hitting beach bars at night and one incredible home in Ko Tao with a gorgeous view overlooking the ocean. What more can one want? I had a great time in my Airbnb home and can't wait to go back to the island life!”

3. #InLondon with @Radhika_Apte

Facebook  - 1.6 Million+ views // 23'k+ Engagements

Twitter - 154'k Views // 200+ Engagements

Speaking about her time in London, Actress Radhika Apte said, “Theater has been my first love and London is really close to my heart. And the two together was like living the perfect dream. Traveling is not about being a tourist. It's all about belonging to the place, exploring it, soaking in its vibe and living like a local. And I was glad to share this philosophy with Airbnb along with our winning couple. I got to show them London like a true Londoner from cooking English breakfast at home to morning jogs along the Tower Bridge to even seeing some artists perform at Leicester Square, all while having the luxury of returning to the comfort of my own beautiful Airbnb home. I definitely cherish this experience and hope more people explore London like we did."

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