Each resort-type has specific features that are tailored to its customers’ particular needs and desires. Some features might overlap and some resorts might offer a variety of activities. But generally speaking, each type of resort has its own unique opportunities and challenges.
In today’s competitive tourism market, it is becoming increasingly incumbent upon resort developers to provide a variety of activities that complement – and enhance – the proposed area’s principal recreational product. This means being able to develop facilities that have the potential to attract visitors to the resort on a year-round basis.
By linking complementary all-season activities, the resort product will become more attractive in today’s competitive tourism market, in turn improving the probability of financial success for the resort developer.
Table of Content
12 Types of Resorts
The different types of resorts are:
- All Inclusive Resorts
- Beach Resorts
- Golf Resorts
- Island Resorts
- Lake Resorts
- Luxury Resorts
- Mountain Resorts
- Pet Friendly Resorts
- Ski Resorts
- Spa Resorts
- Theme Park Resorts
- Adventure Resort
All Inclusive Resorts
All inclusive resorts provide all of the common amenities of a resort and, at a minimum, unlimited food, drink, sports activities, and entertainment for a fixed price per person. Therefore, guests at an all-inclusive resort simply pay one price to have an unlimited amount of food, drink, and activities. All Inclusive Resorts differently as the business model revolves around very particular customer behaviour patterns in respect of usage and consumption, which in operational terms changes the way in which performance is monitored and managed.
Beach Resorts
Beach resorts are resorts that are located on or within a short distance from a major beach. Many beach resorts have activities that include snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, parasailing, and boating. Some even have their own on-site beach, especially for guests. Recreational fishing and leisure boat pursuits have recently become very lucrative, and traditional fishing villages are often well positioned to take advantage of this. A seaside resort is a coastal settlement, usually with a beach or harbour, that has developed its cultural, natural and built environment characteristics as a result of becoming a destination for visitors.
Historically, seaside resorts developed from a desire to improve people’s health, wellbeing and opportunities for pleasure. Visitors were attracted by the offer of an experience different to, and better than, that found at home.
Resorts have residential communities too, with inhabitants who appreciate their unique character. They are often interesting, unusual and creative places to live.
No two resorts are the same, and all have embraced different elements of the seaside experience. Many have a wealth of historical and public space features (for example bathing houses, piers, promenades, winter and formal gardens), while others major on their natural landscape and marine environment.
The long coastline of India has several beaches which offer ample scope for promotion of beach tourism. A number of beautiful beaches of Goa and that of Kovalam in Kerala are quite popular with the tourists. There are vast stretches of shining golden sands of beaches at Chorwad and Ahmedpur-Mandvi.
The Maharashtra coast has eight small beaches from Mumbai’s famous Juhu to Murud at a distance of 220 km. Goa’s 105 km long coastline has as many as 40 beaches, out of which 12 are very popular with the tourists. Karnataka’s beaches are at Mangalore and Karwar.
The sun-swept Marina beach in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) is the world’s second longest beach. It runs for a distance of 12 km from Chennai harbour in the north to Santhome (St. Thomas) Church in the south. Two beaches of Andhra Pradesh, namely Ramakrishna Mission and Rishi Konda are located in the close proximity of Vishakhapatnam.
Orissa’s Gopalpur beach is surrounded by sand dunes. Besides Puri and Konark, Chandipur near Balasore is known for its 55 km recession of the tides each day at its head. Digha beach of West Bengal is very close to the Ganga’s sea mouth. With a total length of 6 km it is one of the widest in the world amidst gently rolling sea and thick casuarina forest on its two sides.
Golf Resorts
Golf resorts include resorts that either have an on-site golf course or are located within a reasonable distance from one or more golf courses. Some accommodations at these resorts will come with golf passes to allow guests to play the course free of charge. They are resorts that cater specifically to the sport of golf, and include access to one or more golf course and or clubhouse.
Golf resorts typically provide golf packages that provide visitors with all greens and cart fees, range balls, luxury accommodations and meals. Accommodation in the resorts may take the form of hotel like rooms or private spacious villas. Many resorts feature golf courses; however, some resorts take it to the next level and identify themselves as Golf Resorts.
Although they will have the expected attributes of gorgeous surroundings, nice restaurants, comfortable accommodations, it is their tremendous greens that attract travelers. These destinations will often attract a guest that is less focused on the culture of the destination, and more concentrated on controlling his slice. These guests don’t just squeeze in nine holes between other activities; they squeeze other activities around eighteen holes of golf every day.
Although golf is an international sport, the highest concentration of golf resorts is in North America, Caribbean, Mexico, Ireland, and Scotland. In most cases, they will be located in destinations that offer a nice climate and playing conditions.
Island Resorts
Island resorts are resorts located on an island. Resort amenities usually include snorkeling, sun bathing, swimming, Theyare resorts located on an island. Resort amenities usually include snorkeling, sun bathing, swimming, fishing, boating, parasailing, kayaking, along with other types of water sports.fishing, boating, parasailing, kayaking, along with other types of water sports.
Lake Resorts
Lake resorts include any resort located directly on or very near a lake. Most travelers visit lake resorts to go boating, fishing, swimming, or water skiing.
Luxury Resorts
A luxury resort is a very expensive vacation facility which is fully staffed and often boast many visitor activities and attractions such as golf, water sports, spa and beauty facilities, skiing, natural ecology and tranquility. A luxury resort is an elite luxury property which exhibits an exceptionally high degree of customer service and hospitality. A flawless execution of guest services will be the resort staff’s and managements main concern.
A luxury resort will commonly also feature a superb architectural interior and exterior design as well as an interesting physical location. It is an expensive vacation facility which is fully staffed and has been rated with five stars. It often boast many visitor activities and attractions such as golf, watersports, spa and beauty facilities, skiing, natural ecology and tranquility. Because of the extent of amenities offered, a luxury resort is also considered a destination resort.
Mountain Resorts
These resorts are resorts located on or at the base of a mountain. Activities include down hill skiing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, sight seeing and more. Almost all mountainous and hilly areas of India are dotted with places of tourist interest. In the north are the Himalayan ranges; blessed with scenic beauty which is beyond description.
Besides, there are high hills in the northeast and in and around the Nilgiris in the south. There are hill ranges of medium to low heights in the Western Ghats, Vindhyas, Satpuras and the Aravalis in addition to isolated hillocks elsewhere. Hill resorts are divided into following three categories according to their altitude.
Pet Friendly Resorts
A pet friendly resort is a resort that allows pets such as dogs and cats to stay in the rooms. Some pet friendly resorts do have restrictions on the size of the pet. Therefore, we highly recommend contacting either the owner of the timeshare or the resort to determine if any restrictions apply before buying or renting at a pet friendly resort.
A resort that allows pets such as dogs and cats to stay in the rooms. Some pet friendly resorts do have restrictions on the size of the pet. Therefore, we highly recommend contacting either the owner of the timeshare or the resort to determine if any restrictions apply before buying or renting at a pet friendly resort.
Ski Resorts
Ski resorts are located within or close to a ski area or ski village. Many ski resorts have other activities to engage in besides skiing and snowboarding, such as snowmobiling, sledding, horse-drawn sleds, dog-sledging, ice-skating indoor swimming, hot-tubbing, game rooms, and local forms of entertainment. It is a developed recreational facility, usually on a mountain or large hill, containing ski trails and vital supporting services.
It is common for a ski area to have food, rental equipment, parking facilities and a ski lift system catering to the sports of skiing and snowboarding. Some of them offer an all-inclusive program that includes facilitated fitness classes, healthy cuisine, educational classes and seminars as well as similar services to a beauty salon or a day spa. Guests reside and participate in the program at a destination spa instead of just visiting for a treatment or pure vacation. Some destination spas are in exotic locations or in spa towns.
Spa Resorts
Spa resorts are resorts that have a health or day spa located on-site. Spa resorts are a great way to get away from the stresses of work and career. It is a short term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa-goers to develop healthy habits. Historically many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters.
Typically over a seven day stay, such facilities provide a comprehensive program that includes spa services, physical fitness activities, wellness education, healthy cuisine and special interest programming.
The spa (called resort spa by insiders) is just another amenity for guests, and often it’s quite large and lavish, with 40,000 square feet and 30 treatment rooms. It provides a relaxing, pampering experience for people staying at the resort and often locals who want to enjoy a day at the spa.
Theme Park Resorts
Book lodging at numerous timeshare resorts near major theme parks worldwide. Maps show distance from resort to major theme parks.
Adventure Resort
Adventure tourism includes a large variety of activities such as trekking, skiing, river raffling, water games, mountaineering, rock climbing, hang gliding, paragliding, hiking and camping in habitats of wildlife.
This type of tourism is not very popular as only about 7 per cent of the total tourists’ traffic opt for adventure tourism. However, there is great scope of making it popular if young people particularly in the age group of 25-35 years are motivated for adventure tourism.
- Trekking: Trekking involves walking or hiking over long distance for fun and recreation. The real thrill of trekking comes by walking over rugged and remote terrain lacking in good means of transport, going up and down the hills, crossing passes and coping with extremes of variable weather in high altitudes. Some of the well defined trekking routes are marked in Ladakh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, etc.
- Mountaineering: Lofty peaks in the Himalayan region have attracted mountaineers from all over the world. Mountaineering became very popular with the adventure lovers after the conquest of the Mount Everest in 1953. The Himalayan region has the largest number of high peaks in the world. Most of the high peaks are under permanent snow and throw great challenge to mountaineers.
In Jammu and Kashmir, there are a series of mountain peaks in Pir Panjal, Great Himalaya, Zaskar, Ladakh and Karakoram ranges. These are between 5,000 and 7,000 metres above sea level. High Himalayan ranges in Himachal Pradesh have about 150 peaks located at altitudes of over 5,400 metre.
On an average, there is one high peak after every 20 km. In Uttaranchal, the source of the holy Ganga, a few kilometres above Gau Mukh ice cave, lies one of the best mountaineering areas of the world. Towards the east, Sikkim offers great opportunities to climbers. - Winter Sports Resorts: Winter sports have become very popular with tourists (both Indian and foreign) in the recent past. Skiing is one of the most popular winter sports on the snowy slopes of the Himalayas, Gulmarg (2,730 m) in Jammu & Kashmir, Narmada (2,700 m), Kufri near Shimla as well as slopes along Solang Nala close Manali in Himachal Pradesh and Auli near Joshimath in Uttaranchal offer excellent opportunities for winter sports.
- Hand gliding and Paragliding: These two sports are full of thrill as they give the joy of soaring high in the sky. Facilities for this sport are available in the valleys of Bilaspur, Manali and Bir (Kangra) in Himachal Pradesh and at Udagamandalam in Tamil Nadu.
- Water Sports Tourism: Rafting is the most important of all the water sports in India. It has become quite popular in the recent past and has tremendous scope for promotion in the near future. Facilities for raffling exist in Ganga near Rishikesh, Beas near Manali and Indus in Ladakh.
However, Tista in Sikkim, Brahmaputra in Assam, Chandra in Lahul (Himachal Pradesh) and Bharati in Arunachal Pradesh hold great potential with regard to raffling. India’s numerous natural and man-made lakes offer large scope for developing aquatic games like sailing, angling of trout fish and wind surfing.
Rivers and canals criss crossing Goa have been developed as water bodies for water sports. Clear sea water surrounding Andaman and Nicobar Islands in Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep in Arabian Sea provide ideal sites for developing diving sports. - Cave Tourism: India has a large number of caves and rock-cut temples some of which still await development as tourist designations. There are about 30 caves around Aurangabad, of which Ajanta is the most popular. Around 500 caves are found around Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. Some of them have paintings of early man. The twin hill of Khandagiri and Uraygiri near Bhubaneswar have caves showing rock sculpture.
Cherrapunji in the Garo hills of Meghalaya has a beautiful cave in limestone area. The cave has well developed stalactite and stalagmite formations. A recent discovery of Asia’s longest 19.2 km cave besides 200 other caves in the Jaintia hills of Meghalaya has given a big boost to cave tourism in this state.
Cave tourism has a large number of attractions varying from their sites, geological formations to rock paintings, sculpture myths and legends. - Wilderness Tourism: With her rich and diverse biological heritage in the form of varied flora and fauna, India offers vast scope for wilderness tourism. Wilderness tourism develops on National parks, sanctuaries and wetlands.