The Hindu Business Line : AIRDA helpline for timeshare owners

THE All India Resort Development Association (AIRDA), which has as its members resort owners in the timeshare industry, has set up a customer helpline to assist timeshare owners and potential buyers.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr B. S. Rathor, Chairman and Principal Advisor, AIRDA, said the helpline was a direct and transparent option for customers with grievances and enquiries. This is part of AIRDA's drive to re-establish consumer confidence in the vacation ownership industry. AIRDA will try to solve problems by facilitating negotiations between customers and the resort in question. In cases where the parties in dispute prefer legal options, AIRDA will not get involved but allow the law to take its own course.

Mr Rathor said AIRDA is lobbying with the Ministry of Tourism to get resorts classified, based on the services and facilities they offer, like hotels. The consumer will be assured of the high standards of overall quality as per the classification.

AIRDA is a member of the Confederation of Indian Industry's National Tourism Committee to represent the interest of its members. It is keen that the benefits available to the hotel industry should be extended to the resorts sector, Mr Rathor said.

According to him, the domestic tourism market, which stood at 300 million people, was not being explored. Though the infrastructure (airports, charters, accommodation and so on) is inadequate, there is more effort on getting more foreign tourists to visit the country, he added.

The domestic tourism market has immense potential and the timeshare sector is an ideal platform to attract leisure tourists as it suits requirements of affordability, variety and accessibility. Encouragement to this market and sector would attract investment, boost the local economy and would thus improve infrastructure which could be leveraged to attract international tourists, he said.

With regard to consumer services, AIRDA has also prevailed upon its members not to charge utility fees on exchanges. Timeshare owners are now required to pay a consolidated annual maintenance fee. Action is taken against resort managements which continue to charge the utility fees, Mr Rathor said. This move to migrate to a unified annual maintenance fees is part of the industry's efforts to align itself with global practice.

AIRDA came into being because of the industry realising its need for self-regulation, Mr Rathor said. It is trying to create awareness even among non-members that their operations have to be ethical and transparent and that they would have to adhere to quality standards. AIRDA has 15 members covering 37 resorts.

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