LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
On a flight, recently, the gentleman sitting next to me was – to my surprise - a timeshare consumer; an avid vacation seeker at that. Someone who was happy he was with a reliable player in the industry - realizing the benefits of long-term vacation payoffs.
When I presented my card to him, he was pleasantly surprised and soon, full of questions. Answering his questions, was both my job and something I like doing, to clear doubts and enlarge the picture.
How does a concept like AIRDA fit into the timeshare marketplace?
The All India Resort Developers Association (AIRDA) is also a consumer focused body that provides vacation seekers useful advice in the planning and choosing of timeshare holidays. AIRDA is also a mirror held up at an industry level to reflect on quality, standards and customer orientation.
It helps to understand here that organizations such as AIRDA exist in markets where timeshare is evolving as a strong industry vertical in the tourism industry. As they represent the collective voice of members they are neutral, balanced, fair and transparent.
But what really underlined the need for an organization such as AIRDA?
In the initial years, timeshare did not see a regulated start up curve. Early movers made the mistake of short terms gains and ignored the wisdom of long term growth for the industry. As a result, there was no focus on customer retention, leading to a negative rub-off on timeshare.
Today, the industry projects a different picture, with many established players, giving timeshare a very positive image. As a collective force, we have also managed to erase the negative profiling of the early years. This was largely possible through a coming together of resorts represented by AIRDA with a view to collaborate, consolidate, grow and eventually deliver a higher level of experience.
How will AIRDA take the industry to the next level?
So, while on the one hand, we interact with member resorts in terms of pathways and practices, we also advise consumers on rights and fair practice measures that go towards making it a fair playing ground.
Today, a large part of AIRDA’s extended horizon is in representing the industry at policy making levels in government circles. Our objective here is to enable sanctions and redefine interpretations to give timeshare a wide berth in the industry. We also seek to give resorts and hotels under our umbrella, flexible options that let them explore timeshare as a viable business model.
To put this very, very simply, we’re the “coach that travels with the team,” looking into needs from different points of view. We see ourselves as PR managers, conscience keepers, sounding boards and enablers – to bring in a clear sense of team spirit and belonging.
That’s the formula that will take us to the next level.
B. S. Rathor
Chairman, AIRDA
|
