Ayushmann Khurrana professes love for domestic travel in Club Mahindra's new spot

With its new campaign, the company is encouraging people to share their travel memories. We spoke to the brand's CMO Ramin Saherwala about it.

Amidst selective restrictions on travelling in India due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, Club Mahindra is out with a campaign to remind people of their travel memories.

Through its ‘India Dekho’ initiative, the Mumbai-based travel company calls upon people to share their favourite holiday destinations in India, and relive those memories once again, while staying indoors.

The brand has roped in Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana, as part of the #LoveIndiaSeeIndia campaign. In the brand's latest film, he is seen professing his love for India and its multi-dimensional attractions.

The idea ‘Mai Phir Aunga’ was jointly conceptualised and executed by the marketing team of the brand and its agency partners - Interface and PivotRoots.

Talking about the conceptualisation of the campaign, Ramin Saherwala, chief marketing officer, Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited, tells afaqs! that the film aims to build a resonance with the audience and evokes a strong desire in them to relive their travel memories.

“All of us have fond memories of our favourite travel destinations and it is during times like these that there is a sense of nostalgia about them. Although the lockdown has forced people to stay indoors, their love for travel has not diminished. They are yearning to reconnect with engaging and exquisite experiences that only travel can offer,” he says.

Speaking of the execution, Saherwala shares that the film was shot at home by the artiste and amplified through digital platforms to create engagement.

On the sidelines of the release of the campaign, we checked with Saherwala on the impact the lockdown has had on the hospitality industry. He mentions that during March itself, the occupancy rate in hotels across the top 13 markets dropped by 53 per cent, as compared to the same month last year.

“The COVID-19 pandemic presented unprecedented challenges to the hospitality industry with sharply declining occupancy rates, as India went into lockdown from late March,” he says.

Talking about how the brand is dealing with it, he says that Club Mahindra is going digital in its marketing and sales efforts. “Our member base is being served well by our member experience management team through the mobile app/website and contact centres,” adds Saherwala.

He is of the opinion that domestic travel will grow in the near future. “As our country emerges steadily from the lockdown, we understand that safety and hygiene are key concerns for travellers. People’s trust and confidence with the brand to deliver these will be of paramount importance. At Club Mahindra, we're looking to address this concern, and communicate the same to our members and prospective consumers,” he said.