V Resorts bags the prestigious UNWTO Award for Sustainable Tourism

V Resorts, a boutique Indian leisure travel & hospitality brand, bagged the prestigious World Tourism Award (UNWTO) 2018-19 held at St Petersburg, Russia, recently. V Resorts has been felicitated by the coveted award in the Enterprises category, for its “Community Impact by V Resorts”, an initiative of the brand under the aegis of Bliss Inns Ltd India.

 

V Resorts competed with global enterprises from Canada, Colombia, India, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the Philippines. The list of finalists for the 2019 UNWTO Awards ranged from community-based tourism development and innovation-driven nature conservation to heritage tourism and promotion of accessible tourism. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Awards recognize inspirational projects that make an invaluable contribution towards advancing sustainable tourism.

 

Elated on the felicitation, Ms. Aditi Balbir, Founder and CEO, V Resorts said, “I would like to thank UNWTO for this prestigious award and for recognizing our efforts for community friendly initiates at V Resorts. We have been identified for contributing to advancement of the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is a proud moment for an Indian company in the Tourism sector. With our properties employing 90% local staff, ensuring 100% local procurement, and assimilating local culture, we have been continuously working towards achieving the 12 goals identified by UNWTO and UNEP for the development of circular and inclusive economies.We want to create inroads for local community upliftment and revamp tourism globally through our asset light and sustainable business model.”

[caption id="attachment_135452" align="aligncenter" width="778"] Aditi balbir receives the award[/caption]

Ms. Balbir further added, “Also, I would like to convey my sincere thanks and gratitude to our entire V resorts family, our esteemed customers, my family and friends without whom it would not possible to receive this prestigious award.”

For the 15th UNWTO Awards, a total of 190 applications from 71 countries were received in the three categories - Public Policy and Governance, Enterprises, and Non-Governmental Organizations.

About V Resorts

With over 120 resorts spread across 22 Indian states, V Resorts is a micro-tourism focused hospitality management company, providing boutique stays in the leisure travel space. With resorts around offbeat and rural destinations of India, the company is deeply committed to working with local communities, growing micro-economies, and providing its guests rich and diverse experiences seeped in the local culture.

With all properties employing 90% local staff, ensuring 100% local procurement, and also assimilating local culture, the company brings empowerment to local communities, especially women, thus, also facilitating the development of circular and inclusive economies.

About UNWTO

TheWorld Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

As the leading international organization in the field of tourism, UNWTO promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability and offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

UNWTO encourages the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, to maximize tourism’s socio-economic contribution while minimizing its possible negative impacts, and is committed to promoting tourism as an instrument in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), geared towards reducing poverty and fostering sustainable development worldwide.

UNWTO generates market knowledge, promotes competitive and sustainable tourism policies and instruments, fosters tourism education and training, and works to make tourism an effective tool for development through technical assistance projects in over 100 countries around the world.

V Resorts appoints Arvind Razdan, Ex VP Sales (Royal Orchid Hotels) as Senior VP, Sales and Marketing.

V Resorts, a boutique leisure travel brand announces the appointment of industry specialist Arvind Razdan as Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing. Razdan will be responsible for driving the Marketing, Sales, Brand and PR strategies for the group in India and overseas. The newly hired leader is expected to play a crucial role in developing and implementing short term and long-term business plans for the firm.

[caption id="attachment_133187" align="alignleft" width="233"] Mr. Arvind Razdan, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, V Resorts[/caption]

At V Resorts, he will be in-charge of creating a strong offline business support by market penetration in feeder markets like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad. V Resorts’s product portfolio offers properties ideal for market segments like Inbound, Student groups, niche corporate groups for offsites & trainings.

Before joining V Resorts, Arvind Razdan was Vice President Sales at Royal Orchid Hotels where he was responsible for driving business for the group’s 16 hotels in the north. Prior to this, he has worked with InterContinental the Grand New Delhi, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts.

Speaking on his new role, Razdan said “V Resorts is an amazing experiential and boutique hospitality chain in India, and I feel extremely upbeat in joining the group. I will work towards developing the brand - V Resorts as the most preferred boutique resort company offering experiential stays at offbeat picturesque destinations”.

He further added, “My focus will be on consistency, business planning and development of the company for an overall robust growth in the long run. I look forward to working meticulously with the core team of V Resorts to achieve our goals together."

“It’s been our pleasure to welcome Arvind Razdan onboard with us. I firmly believe that with his industry experience Arvind will help us achieve new targets and expand our footprints in India as well as abroad. His experience, knowledge and leadership abilities will lend a hand to achieve our goals in a shorter span of time”, opines Aditi Balbir, Founder and CEO, V Resorts on this appointment.

About V Resorts

V Resorts, established in 2014 is a new age travel solutions company that provides standardized boutique experiences in the leisure travel space. With over 150 properties currently spread across 20 Indian states, the company offers experiences in some of most pristine and untouched corners of Indialike Orchha, Ghanerao, Sattal, Kumbhalgarh, Narkanda, Kalagarh and Kotabagh. It helps the harried Indian traveler discover boutique locations and resorts, make stay reservations, plan their itineraries, standardise service elements during their stays and help them soak in the best of local experiences.

Hospitality Chains Startup V Resorts Raises $10 Mn Series A funding from HNIs

Noida-based Bliss Inns, which owns and operates travel solutions and hospitality startup, V Resorts, has raised $10 million in Series A funding led by a clutch of high net-worth individuals (HNIs) and existing investors including Bedrock Ventures and RB Capital.

Currently with over 150 properties spread across 22 states, V Resorts plans to use the freshly raised capital from
in expanding its footprint in India and also enter new markets across South Asia and the Middle-East, with a target of reaching 1000+ properties and 15,000+ rooms in the next three years.

A significant part of the growth will be focused on firmly establishing markets within India such as Andhra Pradesh where the company is already in talks with the Andhra Pradesh Government to promote state-wide tourism.

Founded in 2011, by ISB Hyderabad alumnus Aditi Balbir, the startup with its in-house tech infrastructure, also plans to invest more on the technology platform, giving customers a 360-degree independent travel experience, and plans to now build its own SAAS products for the hospitality industry.

Aditi had earlier worked with Bedrock Ventures, which is also an investor in V Resorts.

According to Economic Times, the startup claims that its asset-light model and operating efficiencies helps its properties break even at 20% occupancy within the first six to nine months, and achieve a 50% profit margin within the first three years itself.

Talking about the latest funding, Aditi Balbir, Founder and CEO, V Resorts said, "Our focus will remain on providing our guests with high-quality unique experiences in new and unexplored destinations. Excellence in product delivery can only be developed through training and we plan to strengthen that aspect of our work as well. We shall also broaden our association with local women communities, standing true to our commitment on creating women entrepreneurs at every level."

With a highly profitable asset-light model, V Resorts began with operating properties that had small room inventory. Without the cost-burden, V Resorts’ properties break even at 20% occupancy within the first six to nine months, and achieve a 50% profit margin within the first three years itself. The model also directly impacts micro-economies at the grass-root level by its very design.

With the impact created at an individual resort level, the model has a potential of reaching $1 billion in terms of local community impact over the next 10 years. In 2018, the company also launched its in-house local store – Pitara, where they work with native women groups to package and sell their local products.

Source - News Baron

V Resorts Raises $4M in Its Third Round of Funding from Seedfund and RB International

V Resorts, an asset-light resort management company, recently raised $4 million in its third round of funding, with Seedfund and RB International. V Resorts currently manages over 70 resorts across 15 states in the country. The company operates on a business model of aggregating existing properties and managing the operations of those properties on a revenue share basis.

With this infusion of funds, V Resorts is all set to make a paradigm shift in the landscape of the leisure travel sector in India. Commenting on the development, Aditi Balbir, Founder and CEO of V Resorts said, “Our competitors are aggregators who solve the problem of discovery – ‘Where to go’. The travel space is flooded with such aggregators but no player is currently targeting the problem of on-ground experience. We at V Resorts solve the problem of customer experience – from manpower to vendors, procurement, booking, feedback etc – covering the entire gamut of hospitality services. The funds will be utilized to further invest in these consumer and operator interfaces. We are also looking at doubling our inventory by the end of this year and are geared towards a three fold growth in the company.”

“Initiatives are in place to increase our footprints to over 1000 locations in India in the next two years. Keeping in mind our goal of going where Indians go, international expansion is on the cards as well. South East Asia is amongst the favorite overseas destinations with Indians, so it’s a prudent decision to focus our initial expansion efforts there,” added Aditi Balbir.

Commenting on the investment from RB International, “In this challenging ecosystem, V Resorts has a differentiated business model that allows for high profitability with occupancy increase. And given the high capital efficiency, the model can be scaled quickly”, said Mr. Harshavardhan Bothra, RB Investments Pte Ltd.

Executive Director Shailesh Vikram Singh, Seedfund which has invested in V Resorts in the initial phase as well said, “This is indeed exciting times for the travel leisure segment. Our strategy will be to build travel choices even to the most inaccessible places and create profitable businesses with the involvement of the local community.”

V Resorts is an alternate accommodation provider in the leisure travel space. Since 2014, the company has been operating on the foundation of bringing superior quality and standardization to the less explored but breathtaking destinations of India. For customers who want to travel to new places and explore parts of India, the company promises a seamless standardised experience – from searching for information, making a booking, reaching the place to experiencing the local appeal of that destination.