Kerzner, developers of the hotel brands Atlantis, One & Only Resorts and Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort Morocco, plan to enter the India market with their first property under the One & Only brand in Goa. The company is currently looking for a suitable partner for the same. This information was divulged by Brett Armitage, Senior Vice President Global Sales, Kerzner on his recent visit to India. He revealed that the company is looking out for a local partner who will understand the brand and its value.
In addition, the company is also looking to promote its One & Only properties to the Indian market, following the success of Atlantis The Palm here. He further added that Kerzner will focus on certain target markets for select properties. For instance, the Le Saint Geran in Mauritius and Royal Mirage in Dubai will be showcased for Indian weddings and The Palm in Dubai will be highlighted for honeymooners.
“We have focused on promoting Atlantis or the last five years and have seen tremendous success, so much so that 10 per cent of Atlantis The Palm’s bookings are fuelled by India. We have a strong commitment to the market and as we see Indian travellers becoming more adventurous, sophisticated, inclined towards a better lifestyle and seeking more from their holidays, we sensed it’s time to promote the high end One & Only brand as well which has been quiet in the Indian market thus far,” said Armitage.
He added that while promoting the brand, Kerzner would talk about all the properties under the One & Only umbrella, but would focus on the Maldives, Cape Town, Mauritius and Dubai properties as the locations are well established destinations among Indians. “As Indian travellers become more courageous we can expand and further highlight the other properties as well,” opined Armitage.
Speaking about engaging with the travel trade to promote the brand, Armitage stated that Kerzner is planning roadshows across India, both in metros as well as tier II cities such as Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Ludhiana post July 2013. “We realise that we need to provide support to the travel trade in order to effectively sell our properties and reinforce the One & Only brand in the market. Our first step will be to get a structured distribution chain in place and then match rates to the market. Following this, we have PR activities, print media campaigns, Bollywood tie ups and travel show coverage planned to increase visibility,” he revealed.
Kerzner is now set to add two new properties to One & Only’s global portfolio – one in Sanya, China and one in Montenegro, both slated to open by 2015.
