Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd (MHRIL) is set to invest approximately Rs 400-500 crore towards capacity expansion over the next 18 months to meet the increased membership base. This information was provided by Deepali Naair, Chief Marketing Officer, MHRIL.
“MHRIL recorded an Annual Total income of Rs. 799 crores for the year ended 31 March 2014 as against Rs. 716 crores last year. The last quarter of FY 2013-14 has been particularly fruitful as the month of March 2014 recorded the highest ever membership sales in the history of the company. The total membership base as of March 31, 2014 stands at approximately 171K. Meanwhile, with ongoing efforts to enhance member experience, including a wide bouquet of resort offerings, MHRIL is now set to realise the full potential of the Vacation Ownership business,” she added.
At MHRIL, the focus on sustained growth will see an increase in both the number of resorts and member base. According to Naair, with a higher propensity to travel among the growing middle class and rising discretionary incomes of people, MHRIL has expanded its sales and marketing activities to 10 new tier II cities as prospective sales from these markets are seeing a positive trend.
Recognising the importance of the travel trade as a selling tool in India, Naair informed that, in the event of a situation where there is unused inventory at the resorts, MHRIL works with the travel trade to pitch to non-members to stay at the resorts. “This is a part of our strategy to also convert non-members into members through our on-site sales team. To this end we organise FAM trips for agents on a regular basis that help acclimatise the agents with the resorts thereby helping them promote the destination better to non-members. Furthermore, we participate in road shows of key travel agents. This gives us a platform to showcase our product and reach a large section of the trade fraternity,” she said.
She further added that the company ensures that Club Mahindra is included in marketing collaterals that helps create awareness not only in India but outside of India as well.
