LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

In this month’s Q&A, you will see an interview with Mr Ravi Reddy – a new timeshare customer. Someone who is so excited about his plan that he can make a feature-benefit presentation on his own.

To me this is indicative of changing lifestyles and consumer profiles. The trend is largely linked to the fast changing range of offerings at timeshare resorts.  Today, you have exotic locations, modern amenities, theme cuisines and professional sport and fitness gurus as holiday evangelists.  

With younger profiles, the experience can get adventurous, with fishing, water sports, scuba diving, skiing, rock climbing and trekking. Extended in-house facilities could include health clubs, games rooms, play-parks for children, upgraded laundry and dining options. Some resorts even have a compact course for the golf-inclined.

Among the key reasons for the growing popularity of vacation ownership in India is AIRDA’s role as an industry barometer and business catalyst. In addition to promoting vacation ownership as an independent business driver in the travel and tourism industry, we serve members through a self-regulatory framework and constructive consumer relations management.

Is Mr Ravi Reddy a good example of the “emerging consumer” in vacation ownership? He definitely is.

As we have seen, young upwardly-mobile consumers are getting onto the bandwagon - with the resources to make timeshare purchases early in life. They are also committed to annual holidays, for welcome breaks from highly stressed work environments.

Over the years, the industry has seen stability, resilience and flexibility – allowing travelers to choose plans, swap locations and trade calendar bookings with considerable ease. The convenience of the pre-paid model further adds the reassurance of being inflation proof over the years – one of the key reasons why Mr Ravi Reddy opted for timeshare.

B. S. Rathor
Chairman, AIRDA