INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL TO LAUNCH SHORTSTAY EXCHANGE
Miami, Florida, March 30, 2009 –Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services, will debut its online “ShortStay Exchange” program this spring, giving its upgraded, Interval Gold® members the opportunity to vacation in shorter increments.
“With today’s hectic schedules and tighter budgets, many consumers are opting for weekend or four-day vacations. ShortStay Exchange allows us to provide great value to our members by expanding the overall flexibility of the vacation ownership product,” said Sharon Freed, senior vice president of consumer marketing for Interval International. “This enhancement also will be a great selling feature at Interval-affiliated resorts, since it offers buyers the chance to tailor their vacation time to fit their needs.”
In fact, the ShortStay Exchange program reflects emerging consumer travel preferences. Research findings from the 2008 National Leisure Travel MONITOR show that “weekend trips” (defined as trips of four nights or less that include a Saturday) now represent 53 percent of all vacations taken by Americans.
Another program benefit is that the shorter stay encourages Interval Gold members whether they transact in weeks or points — to trade their time for accommodations at resorts they have not previously visited, thus broadening their experiences within Interval’s ever-expanding network.
Interval International operates membership programs for vacation owners and provides value-added services to its developer clients worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market for more than 30 years. Today, Interval has a network of over 2,400 resorts in excess of 75 countries and offers its resort clients and nearly 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through 25 offices in 16 countries. Interval is an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: IILG), a leading global provider of membership and leisure services to the vacation industry
