Karma Group, the award-winning international travel and lifestyle brand offering extraordinary experiences and exclusive curated entertainment in the world’s most beautiful locations, including in Indonesia where Karma Group now operates more than 10 properties, mostly on the island of Bali.
Bali which is a world class travel destination and has its economy almost entirely built upon its tourism industry has of course been hit very hard by the pandemic which has been going on for more than a year now, and has seen international tourist arrivals spiraling to almost zero, even until now.
Although not spared from this global economic downturn, as part of its social responsibility under the “KARMA CARES” program, Karma Group has continually supported activities to help its staff and local community in Indonesia during this pandemic.
One of the golden keys in handling this pandemic is to support a widespread vaccination process, and Karma Group under the “Karma Vaccines” program is proud to be one of the very first hotel groups in Bali to ensure that all of its staff has been vaccinated.
In total 1200 staff and their families have been vaccinated, as well as 600 local residents to ensure that the entire community around its resorts are properly vaccinated against COVID-19. Another key factor in handling the pandemic is “Testing and Tracing”, and so far Karma has covered the cost of regular COVID-19 testing for all its staff and their families, with a cost totaling more than USD $100,000 since the start of the pandemic.
Since June 2020, Karma has been giving thousands of food vouchers to their staff on top of their payroll / monthly salary. This food voucher is worth Rp 600,000 cash per voucher and is given to staff members every month on top of their monthly salary. With this voucher the staff can buy more food supplies i.e. rice, oil, etc for their families. Whether they are working or not, Karma Group staff are still being paid a decent salary.
Most Karma properties in Bali are located on the south side, around the Ungasan and Jimbaran area. To help the community and people who live around those Banjars, in July 2021 Karma gave hundreds of rice bags (each one filled with 5kg of rice) to 4 Banjars, (Banjar Wijaya Kusuma (Ungasan) – Banjar Kerta Lestari (Ungasan), Banjar Sari Karya (Ungasan), and Banjar Ubung (Jimbaran)).
Following the second peak of COVID-19 outbreaks in Indonesia during the month of July and August 2021, local healthcare facilities saw shortcomings, including in Oxygen supply, which is much needed in moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 infections. The Udayana University Hospital, which is situated in the Jimbaran Hills between Jimbaran and Ungasan, where Karma has three resorts and a large operational office, was in much need of additional Oxygen.
To fulfill this additional need, Karma Group acted and donated several Owgels OZ-501 GWO Oxygen Concentrator 10 L. with German Technology. The units were presented and accepted by Doctor Arya as Vice President of Udayana University Hospital. Exceeding CHSE COVID-19 protocols, Karma Group has also acquired a couple of oxygen concentrators to hold in reserve for its staff and guests. In an emergency, they can be sent to the hospital with their own Oxygen Concentrators. No need to wait for one to become available.
Through its “KARMA CARES” program Karma Group hopes to help save lives in Bali. As stated by Karma Group Chairman and Founder, John Spence, “Bali is a special place for Karma, we would love to keep supporting the community, giving back to those who have contributed to our success.”
Background on Karma Group
Karma Group is an award-winning international travel and lifestyle brand offering extraordinary experiences in the world’s most beautiful locations. The company is headed by Chairman and Founder, John Spence, a former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and member of the judging panel for the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year. Among his numerous other awards, John was honored with the Edward P. Bass Honorary Fellowship at Yale University in 2019 in the School of Architecture, marking the first time Yale has extended this to the same person more than once.
The Karma Group comprises Karma Estates, Karma Resorts, Karma Retreats, Karma Royal, Karma Beach, Karma Spa, Karma Kasa, Karma Club and Karma Boutique. The Group has developed multiple resorts and is currently operating 35 resorts in more than 10 countries, including Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the United Kingdom. Four of these resorts were acquired in the past six months with Karma Group demonstrating an ability to acclimatize quickly and successfully to a drastically shifting landscape, with the company choosing to focus on domestic travel markets.
These new additions to the company’s ever-growing portfolio include the opulent Karma Seven Lakes in India’s romantic Udaipur, and the historic Karma Salford Hall, a property formerly owned by King Henry VIII in the English countryside. There are presently seven properties in development, with Karma Group negotiating further acquisitions in Australia, India, Indonesia, Egypt, Kenya, Spain and the UK.
In 2021 a series of new offerings were introduced, including a private member’s club with a difference, Karma Club, and the establishment of a brand new bespoke service for existing Karma Group members in Karma Concierge.
Karma Group is additionally involved in the world of fine wines and spirits. Since 2016, John Spence has been collaborating with key winemakers across the world to produce bottles that have formed the Karma Wines offering, from Tuscany to Bordeaux. A signature handcrafted small batch gin has also just been welcomed, a spirit crafted from botanicals sourced from the destinations where the group’s resorts, hotels, and retreats are located.
Outside of the hospitality realm, Karma Group remains a company devoted to supporting its surrounding community. Karma Group continues to run and support a number of philanthropic initiatives worldwide under the Karma Cares banner.
These include ongoing sponsorship of Bangalore’s non-profit Christel House India, The Bali Life Foundation for disadvantaged children, and Vietnam’s Children’s Hope In Action (CHIA), alongside involvement in ongoing scholarships and fundraisers annually. More recently, Karma Group spearheaded the drive for mass vaccination in Bali, and joined forces with Operation Recuperation, a UK initiative focusing on supporting front-line healthcare providers recovering from the fight against Covid-19.
