AIRDA-Club Mahindra commence tourism training

Chennai, December 11, 2006: The All India Resort Development Association (AIRDA) & Club Mahindra Holidays, India's leading lifetime family holiday company together kicked off their first 'Capacity Building for Service Providers' [CBSP] programme at Hill Country Resort, Kodaikanal recently.

The training programme is an effort to upgrade the behavior and service skills of the 'unorganized sector' of the Indian tourism industry that includes staff at bus/railway stations, coolies, taxi/coach drivers, staff at monuments, taxi drivers, dhabawala's amongst others.

The training covers topics such as importance of tourism in the country's economic growth, communication & behavior tools, appearance and service orientation, first aid techniques, hospitality etiquette etc that will help them serve their customers better, which in turn will boost tourism activity in India. The programme was conducted by local experts selected by AIRDA and Club Mahindra and overseen by officials from the Regional Directorate, South.

Mr. Ramesh Ramanathan, Managing Director "� Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Ltd. said: "As India's number one family holiday brand, we are privileged to be an AIRDA member. This is an extension of our strong relationship with the association and a strong desire to better the vacation ownership segment of leisure tourism holiday and tourism service in our country."

Mr. D. Ravi Kumar, Executive Officer, AIRDA, said: "We are happy to have Club Mahindra Holidays as our host partner. The people in the unorganised sector are the first point of contact with tourists.

CBSP programmes help to re-instill a sense of responsibility in these people towards tourists and re-enforce the confidence of foreign tourist towards India as a preferred holiday destination. The Kodaikanal programme is a pilot project for us and we plan to roll-out the next one in January 2007 at Club Mahindra Ooty resort as well as in resort destinations of our other members."

Around 107 participants from in and around Kodaikanal, participated in the training programme. The five-hour programme covered topics such as behaviour and communications skills, manners and etiquette, hygiene and first aid and a special module on HIV and AIDS. "The participants enjoyed the programme with much fervor and enthusiasm," added Mr. Amarnath Bakshi, Resort Manager, Club Mahindra, Kodaikanal.

About Club Mahindra Holidays & Resorts

Club Mahindra, the flagship brand of Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Ltd., is a subsidiary of the USD 3.8 bn Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. Club Mahindra is a leading player in the leisure & vacation ownership industry with an aim to enrich people's lives by making family holidays a part of their lifestyle and lays emphasis on the benefits of consistent quality and economy through customer-friendly investment payment options.

Club Mahindra today provides its customers 15 five-star resorts of its own and also through affiliations provides access to 40 resorts in India and through RCI exchange, 3,700 premier resorts worldwide. For further information: www.clubmahindra.com

About All India Resort Development Association (AIRDA)

AIRDA is the national representative of the Vacation Ownership (Timeshare) industry in India and works towards disciplined expansion of this industry, self-regulating business conduct, building credibility and image through education and communication.

AIRDA ensures fair practices and ethical business policies that work to the advantage of both consumers and developers. AIRDA member resorts are committed to deliver good clean image, upkeep resort quality and transparency in sales practices.

The Vacation Ownership industry is acknowledged as a great driver of domestic tourism. The investments made by AIRDA members in resorts in tourism destinations contribute significantly to economic activity in these regions.