KARMA GROUP Going from strength to strength with global expansion

As Chairman and Founder of Karma Group, John Spence has overseen his company’s rise to become one of the largest independent travel and boutique lifestyle brands in the world outside of North America. Currently, the group owns and operates 44 resorts across 11 countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the United Kingdom.

In India also the group has extensive operations. Starting off with a resort in Goa in India, Karma Resorts spans an impressive portfolio of brands that comprise Karma Estates, Karma Resorts, Karma Retreats, Karma Royal, Karma Beach, Karma Spa, Karma Kasa, Karma Club and Karma Boutique. In 2002, he founded Karma Resorts, introducing the concept of boutique villa resorts in Asia with the opportunity for clients to purchase freehold villas. The visionary entrepreneur’s goal is to continue adding resorts in wonderful new locations.

I ended up actually being the worst guitarist in the world,” he joked. “And I moved to London to try and play in bands. This was back in 1980, in the punk days. And when you can’t get a job in the punk bands in the 80s, you know you’re pretty bad,” he added.

He drifted on the other side of the fence and became an agent and a manager and looked after a number of bands that went on to do great things like ‘Culture Club’ and ‘The Eurhythmics’ and ‘Bananarama.’ It turned out to be a great experience in sales and in business. And then in 1984 he drifted into the tourist world. And then in 1993, he went to a conference in India and saw a huge opportunity.

“I saw a country where there was a lot of wealth being created. I went to Goa; I saw a beautiful destination and fell in love with Goa. I saw a place where the Indian consumers wanted to take holidays and they were very aspirational; and a place where foreigners wanted to go because it was a very cheap alternative to winter sun destinations like the Caribbeans, Mauritius or Seychelles,” he reminisced.  So, he went back to his bosses at the time and said, “This is a great opportunity.” They laughed and retorted, “No India. No one’s got any money there.”

Started Own Enterprise

So, he took a gamble. He resigned from his role as MD, cashed in on his life’s savings, sold his London flat, and started his own business. He persuaded a number of colleagues to come with him and they opened up their first resort on the beaches of Goa, back in 1993. Probably it shouldn’t have worked but it did. And from the humble beginning was where the Karma Group really began.

Part of the Karma mantra is that “we are not really in the lodging business; we are in the entertainment business. And our job is to give our members and our clients fantastic experiences, wherever it is in the world that they are going to holiday in, in whichever of our resorts they go to.” And those experiences may vary. 

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