First Timeshare & Resort Investment Conference in the Middle East heralded as great success

David Clifton, managing director of Interval International, a leading vacation exchange company and patron sponsor of TRIC commented: "The focus of this event has been to educate interested parties from the hospitality and real estate sectors about the potential for timeshare in the Middle East. I believe that the response and the high calibre of delegates demonstrate exactly why we have such faith in the future of timeshare in this region."
Focusing on the world of vacation ownership, fractionals, and resort development, the conference addressed fundamental issues including:

• Why consumers are embracing the timeshare concept in record numbers
• Motivations for entering the business
• Multiple-profit centres associated with timeshare
• Methodologies for sales and marketing

"In order to make this first ever timeshare investment conference in Dubai beneficial and unique we invited some important industry players to explain to potential investors about the benefits of timeshare," says Mr. David R. Clifton, Managing Director, Interval International for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia.

These speakers included Mr Hassan El Shafey, managing director, Dream Plaza Vacation Club and Mr Miguel Ruano, vice president, development & project management Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI). Mr EL Shafey explained his company's motives for entering the timeshare sector and how it is integrating timeshare into its Dreamland leisure complex in Egypt already home to luxury hotels, an 18-hole golf course and Egypt's first theme park. Mr Ruano discussed the MVCI success story and the role it plays as part of Marriott's overall hospitality offering.

Developer motivation for entering timeshare, according to speakers at the conference, is due to a number of convincing financial and operational benefits. These include:

• Year round timeshare occupancy at up to 20% over comparable hotel industry statistics
• Multiple profit centres including development profit, finance profit and resort management profit
• Propensity for timeshare owners to come back more often, stay longer and spend up to 20% more than traditional hotel guests
• Greater resilience than traditional lodging during economic downturn

TRIC was co-sponsored by Arabian Falcon Holidays, Dreamland, Grand Sharm & Sahara Touristic Development, HVS International, Marriott Vacation Club International, Network Gardenia, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Urban Land Institute, Sun House Vacation Company, The Palm, Wimberley Allison Tong & Goo and the World Travel and Tourism Council.

The timeshare industry has experienced a double-digit growth over the past two decades, enjoying an unprecedented global expansion. Today there are 5,500 resorts in 110 countries with 6.7 million owners globally. With US$ 9.4 billion in annual worldwide sales, timeshare is one of the fastest growing segments in the hospitality industry worldwide and has proven its resilience in times of economic downturn and international tension.