The Hindu Business Line : Sterling plans 3 new resorts in South

Speaking to Business Line, the company's President & CEO, Mr Steve Borgia, said these places would be experiential centres that would put on show the region's heritage to the fullest extent possible. The holiday resort company is mulling the option of setting up a resort and museum in Chettinad to display its cultural wealth. Negotiations are on to lease property in the region.

"Holidaying is migrating from the concept of shelter to experience. Earlier, holidays and tourism were not linked," said Mr Borgia. The tourism industry is looking at new destinations in smaller `prospects' closer to cities or towns to fulfil this thirst for experience. The company is mulling opening up several destinations which will cater to a range of interests and combine some of those - nature, ethnic, historical and religious, to name a few.

Sterling is also exploring options to develop a haven for weary techies in Bangalore. The company has also bought some property in Pulicat to be developed into an island lodge for an eco-tourism resort, but plans for this are still fluid, he said.

Sterling's aim is integrated development - it wants not only to develop tourism but also to protect and promote the local community and its assets by using them in its properties, he added. Eighty per cent of the employees in many properties are locals, he said, adding that this was a standard Sterling has set for itself. For instance, in its Swamimalai resort near Thanjavur, a potter has been employed by Sterling to make and sell his wares on the premises and the small in-house dairy gives its surplus milk to charity. Sterling recently opened a resort in Mahabalipuram. Unlike its earlier resorts, "which went the Western way" by being located in hill-stations and such, the more recent ones have a range of experiential activities, such as ayurvedic massages and yoga lessons, to offer, he said.

The company was also interested in getting tourists to experience more of Tamil Nadu, Mr Borgia said. Tourists who visited Madurai would go off to Kerala from there, ignoring the other attractions the State had to offer, and this is where new destinations like Chettinad would come in handy, he said.

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