Anirudh Lakhotia, Director, Ivory DestinationsThe Golden Tusk is redefining the boutique resort model by shifting the focus from "bucket list" tourism to immersive, conservation-led hospitality. Since its inception in 2012, the resort has anchored its growth strategy on two key pillars: institutionalising guest loyalty and maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the Jim Corbett National Park ecosystem.
Idyllic located within an exotic landscape the resort is a doorstep to Endless Immersive Wildlife & Recreation Experiences. Offering intimate hospitality, the Resort & Its team is constantly working to give its guests newer and better experiences. In conversation with TDM, Anirudh Lakhotia, Director, Ivory Destinations shares more about the resort.
Travel Daily Media (TDM): How do you ensure a repeat customer feels a personal connection to your resort and engages with The Golden Tusk’s brand and its values?
Anirudh Lakhotia (AL): For someone to revisit a place for leisure, I feel one seeks a balance of familiarity and newness which we try to always strike. The familiarity first & foremost comes with the interaction with the Resort team. Our team members who have been with us over the years are our biggest asset as they are able give our guest a sense of instant familiarity as well as a feeling that they are in safe and sensitive hands. That value system carries forward to our new team members as well. This is coupled with constant work towards upgrading and adding experiences that keep our guests excited to try them first hand.
Being a new venture in an age-old industry and with no real-world experience under our belt, there has been so much to learn and absorb that we are practically evolving by the day for last 13 years. We are constantly working to better ourselves for the new discerning Guests, more competition ready, more efficient yet rooted in our approach.
TDM: Can you share an experience when a loyal customer became your brand advocate for their family and friends?
AL: We have been blessed with unconditional patronage of our Guests who have recommended us to their family, friends and even their organisation & work colleagues. One such Guest is a family that has been visiting us for 12 Years now (in our 13.5 years of existence). The youngest member of that family was 3 years old when he first visited the resort. Now 15 years, he prefers to call his travel to The Golden Tusk as ‘visiting home’. This is one of the many heartwarming ways our guests have embraced us and recommended us to countless other Guests.
TDM: What are the challenges of recruitment that you are facing and how do you manage attrition?
AL: Getting in new people especially with large scale expansion in the industry has been a growing challenge. Two things which are very central to find a good employee and which are becoming increasingly rare are domain knowledge and a stable career record. The other pressing challenge is long-term commitment. While there are no guarantees in this world but for an industry that is all about human-touch, intent to say the least, is important. Like most, our new hiring is a mix of referrals, affiliate institute freshers and alumina and interests shared with us through various recruitment platforms. We prioritise referrals as trust building is much faster and probability of long-term association is higher.
TDM: Who forms the core of your guests and from where do you receive them?
AL: Our core guests are the ones looking for intimate family friendly holidays – whether they travel as a couple, a family or a group of friends. We have guests coming in from across India – from Northern & Central India for most part of the year, from Western & Southern India during holiday seasons; also, NRIs and also Foreigners. We have seen foreigners majorly coming from France, UK and the US.
TDM: Why are experiences becoming so important for boutique resorts?
AL: Holidays are no more for just ticking off a traditional touristy bucket list but much more than that. Travellers are today open to experience a destination differently and also mix it up with in-property experiences. The traveller is no keener to keep running through the day but to pace it and go for more immersive experiences. Hence making working on experiences more important than ever.
TDM: Why is understanding flora and fauna more important, especially for resorts at the edge of Jungles?
AL: Jungle is what has given us an opportunity to engage in this Business and so it cannot be detached from our day-to-day operations. The idea is to co-exist and not take over. So the understanding becomes important from two standpoints – Firstly to ensure that our operations & activities doesn’t create an inharmonious balance and Secondly to sensitise our Guests towards the same so that they leave with a greater sense of appreciation for its diversity and concern for its fragility.
TDM: Why do resorts around the jungle safaris need to speak about conservation?
AL: I feel ‘conservation’ as a concept has come of age where most of us have understood the importance of it. How we can contribute to it or how our actions can threaten it is still to be understood by people in general. There is no better backdrop to sensitise people towards it than in an eco-sensitive area where one is already witnessing co-existence of a Jungle in all its glory with rich flora & fauna & Human settlements.
TDM: How do you embed conservation into your resort philosophy?
AL: We have created various touchpoints from the time guest is enquiring with us about the stay, initially itself the information is shared with the guest. For example, we have a traveller’s code of conduct that is shared with every guest who is enquiring for a reservation. This is a Do’s & Don’ts guideline not only for the resort but for the destination i.e., around the resort. This is followed by various verbal and written briefing during the course of the stay.
TDM: How do you maintain Golden Tusk’s relationship with the forest department?
AL: We coexist in the ecosystem that they protect and nurture. We regularly engage in initiatives and activities that support the cause of protecting this eco-sensitive area like Cleaning drives, Visitor education, wildlife rescue initiatives. A constant engagement with them helps us maintain a cordial and productive relationship.
