The Registry Collection is the largest luxury exchange programme in the world. Gregg Anderson, global vice president of The Registry Collection on why he considers the growing luxury traveller base in India to be a big opportunity for his company By Sudipta Dev
What is the Unique Selling Position of The Registry Collection for the new age global traveller?
The great benefit of vacationing with The Registry Collection and its affiliates is that vacationers do not have to own a vacation home outright, which is a much larger financial commitment and limits travellers to one location. Through the programme’s luxury affiliated vacation properties, they can instead own part of a particular property, but still benefit from the flexibility and exchange options available through The Registry Collection. And, because The Registry Collection is a leader with established standards and services – we are already experts in the industry, so vacationers can feel confident that they will have many years of good experiences through us.
As a source market what kind of potential do you see from India?
I see great potential in India. Initially, we expect to see an influx of domestic travel within India, as the developers we affiliate with create exceptional, experiential resorts that cater to the high-end, luxury travellers associated with The Registry Collection. As these properties grow in popularity and establish themselves as high-quality hospitality products providing fabulous vacation experiences, we will likely see more interest from international guests. Since The Registry Collection members are typically adventurous and have a desire to travel internationally, affiliation with The Registry Collection can only help grow inbound travel into India. And, while we expect members from India to want to travel within India to high-quality affiliated properties, we also see them wanting to travel abroad to many of the hundreds of other affiliated properties on six continents within the programme.
Which international properties / product segments are you trying to promote here?
There are so many opportunities for Indian travellers through The Registry Collection programme. For people who like fast-paced, cosmopolitan, big city life, any of our affiliates in Dubai will be of interest, including the Fairmont Heritage Place, The Palm, on Palm Jumeirah. On the other hand, nature lovers may take an interest in our affiliated properties in Africa, like the Kruger Park Lodge where they can experience a once-in-a-lifetime safari vacation. There are also many opportunities in the Americas, from popular destination in the US to the mountains of Canada, all the way down to the pristine beaches of Mexico.
Your plans for including more Indian properties in The Registry Collection.
With the huge potential we see in the region, we are bullish. My commitment is to be back over for another visit at the beginning of next year to meet with developers and see more properties. We have a very active office in Bengaluru, and we are making expansion in this market a high priority.
Are you looking at any particular region in India for expansion?
No, we are not. This is actually one of the things about India that I love so much. Every time I visit, I experience somewhere new – whether it’s the beaches of Goa, or mountains in the north, or the country for relaxation, there seems to be an endless amount of unique places to explore and experience. This translates to interest in several different regions, which will each appeal to different travellers at different times.
Any other significant factor you would like to highlight.
I will leave you with this last thought: I consider India to be the biggest opportunity for The Registry Collection right now. With the growing luxury traveller base, there is a huge market of people looking for unique and exciting places to go. The Registry Collection offers a product that has just recently come to India that meets these needs, so we predict a lot of excitement around how The Registry Collection can help this group enjoy vacationing even more.
