Timeshare exchange company RCI is attempting to set foot in Madhya Pradesh by tying up with wildlife resorts in the state, revealed Radhika Shastry, Managing Director, RCI. She further added that, having made their presence felt in the wildlife segment in Karnataka and Rajasthan, among others, it is time to penetrate Madhya Pradesh where the time share concept is yet unexplored.
The company recently announced its affiliation with Hotel Shevaroys in Yercaud, adding another feather to its cap in India. The property was the first to start the trend of offering villa style accommodation in Yercaud. “Our affiliations are tuned to suit families perfectly, which is our focus segment. The property’s surroundings, the activities it offers, its cuisine and service are all in accordance with the comfort and satisfaction of a family holiday,” explained Shastry.
Speaking about the timeshare market, Shastry stated that RCI has been notching an 18-20 per cent growth year-on-year and has witnessed several trends in the Indian traveller habits over time. “Initially, travellers did not understand the time share concept as holidays were restricted to visiting relatives in native villages. Also, at the time, economy was not cohesive to leisure holidays. Over the years, Indians have become discerning travellers. A holiday has almost become a necessity. And investing in time share ensures that they take the holiday since the accommodation has already been paid for. Shorter and more frequent holidays to closer destinations have become more popular. In addition, we have begun to see Indians plan their travels early, whereas the trend so far has been last minute planning,” she said.
Highlighting the popular destinations, she opined that for Indians, Switzerland was still the top of their list and for inbound tourism Goa still ranked the highest. “Families with children have added to the demand for Orlando, Hong Kong and Paris owing to Disneyland, while others are inclined towards Oman, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, among others. The flights to these destinations are shorter and cheaper adding to their appeal. Among long haul destinations, Turkey and Greece are fast gaining popularity,” she concluded.
