LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN

February 2012

Towards self-regulation and education

At public forums I am often asked about AIRDA’s self regulatory role and our responsibility to educate member resorts and customers. I take this opportunity to present a recap on the subject, for customers and resort owners who will find the information very useful. 

Today, the vacation ownership industry has to its credit high benchmarks on overall excellence, quality and choice of product offerings – especially in F&B, entertainment, leisure activities and lifestyle experiences.  

We have also achieved notable success, with  newer resorts coming up in “uncharted” tourist locations. While growth and development is a good sign, there is an urgent need to invest in new infrastructure, facilities and amenities so that customers can look forward to hassle-free holidays resorts that can be easily tagged “world class”.

Fair practice leads to fair trade
Good facilities need to be backed by fair trade practices and service excellence. And that’s where AIRDA’s code of ethics comes in to help create a self-regulated environment in which committed resort developers can ensure fair trade practices and superior standards. The introduction of a 10-day cooling period and recommended withdrawal of utility fees are positive steps in this direction.

Another constructive move enabled by AIRDA was the classification / rating of timeshare resorts by the Ministry of Tourism – which is restricted to AIRDA members. This ensures that there is complete standardization in facilities, amenities and costing practices across AIRDA resorts in the country.

Seeking a larger share of voice in the industry
One of our key objectives is to ensure adequate representation of the vacation ownership industry at various policy and non-policy making forums. And size does matter out here – if we have more resorts under the AIRDA banner, we have a larger share of voice.

In addition to playing a lobby role at influencer circles, AIRDA is responsible for disseminating information among members and providing them the opportunity to discuss the latest industry news. This could go a long way in helping members in planning growth, expansion and adopting new customer engagement options.

AIRDA as a knowledge repository
Over the years, AIRDA has developed a network of associates who have over the years gained expertise in matters relating to vacation ownership. And the knowledge repository that we have put together is available to AIRDA members as a source for facts, information and industry reference.

The topics are wide-ranging: the building of sustainable business models; handling and mitigating customer related issues; helping developers comply with regulatory and statutory issues; providing information on classification related matters. There’s a whole lot more out there.

As I can see it, we have gained a lot of ground and crossed many milestones - but there’s still a long way to go. I’m sure we can get there, together.

B. S. Rathor
Chairman, AIRDA