Mahindra Holidays to first reopen resorts near metro cities post lockdown

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Ltd (MHRIL) on Sunday said it plans to first reopen resorts that are at drivable distance from the metro cities once the coronavirus lockdown is lifted.

The Mahindra Group firm has currently suspended operations at its resorts in compliance with the government directives.

"At Club Mahindra we have over 255,000 member families and once travel restrictions are relaxed and state borders open up, and people feel comfortable enough to travel again, we expect our members and their families to start travelling to our resorts in their own vehicles, since we are at drivable distances from major cities,"MHRIL MD and CEO Kavinder Singh told PTI.

The company is gearing up for this by putting in place all the necessary safety related standard operating procedures (SOPs). It will ensure the highest levels of hygiene standards (hospital grade) to achieve a quick return to normalcy, he added.

"We will first open resorts that are at a drivable distance from the major metro cities," Singh said. He, however did not share the number of resorts that would be opened in the first phase.

The company has over 100 resorts in India and abroad.

Asked about the steps the company is taking to ensure the health and safety of guests and employees at the resorts, Singh said: "In view of the current situation we are implementing various SOPs which will cover hygiene and disinfection norms at all the touch points in our resorts."
Asked about the impact of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown on the hospitality industry, Singh said: "COVID-19 is a true Black Swan event that presents an unprecedented challenge to the hospitality and aviation industries in India and globally. It has deeply impacted the hospitality industry with occupancies declining sharply, as India went into lockdown from March 25."