INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL AND ITS RESORT AFFILIATES SUPPORT CTO EDUCATION FOUNDATION FOR 10TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR
MIAMI, FL, June 22, 2009 - Interval International and resorts affiliated with its exchange network continued their financial support of Caribbean tourism education with a $15,000 donation to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Education Foundation. The check was presented by Neil Kolton, Caribbean region manager, resort sales and service, Interval International, to Hugh Riley, interim secretary general, CTO, and Jacqueline Johnson, CTC, chairman, CTO Foundation, during Caribbean Week in New York City.
“We are very grateful to our resort affiliates who have made significant donations to this worthy cause for the past 10 years. They recognize that investing in human resources and education plays an important role in the growth and success of the hospitality industry in the region,” said Kolton.
“The CTO Foundation administers one of the largest scholarship programs available in the Caribbean hospitality industry today and it continues to flourish,” noted Riley. “The foundation is deeply appreciative of the ongoing support that we have received from Interval International and its member resorts.”
Since 1997, the CTO Foundation has provided 51 major scholarships and 90 study grants to deserving Caribbean nationals amounting to nearly $600,000.
“In 2008, we received more applications than usual and also saw an increase in both the number and value of scholarships we were able to offer,” said Johnson. “We are delighted when donors understand that financial contributions have a considerable impact on students’ lives and help them become highly skilled tourism professionals.”
The 2009 contributors to the scholarship fund include: Aquarius Vacation Club® at Boquerón Beach and Aquarius Vacation Club® Dorado del Mar Beach and Golf Resort (Puerto Rico); Barceló Punta Cana (Dominican Republic); Bay Gardens Beach Resort and Bay Gardens Hotel (St. Lucia); Cayena Beach Club (Dominican Republic); Club Internacional de Cancun (Mexico); Coral Costa Caribe Resort (Dominican Republic); ESJ Towers (Puerto Rico); Flamingo Beach Resort (St. Maarten); Hyatt Hacienda del Mar (Puerto Rico); Island Seas Resort (Bahamas); Jolly Beach Vacations (Antigua); Jolly Harbour Beach Resort (Antigua); La Cabana Beach & Racquet Club (Aruba); Marriott's Aruba Surf Club and Marriott's Aruba Ocean Club (Aruba); Ocean Reef Resort (Bahamas); Oyster Bay Beach Resort (St. Maarten); Paradise Beach Villas (Aruba); Pelican Marina Residences (St. Maarten); Playa Linda Beach Resort (Aruba); Ramada Grand Caymanian Resort (Cayman Islands); Renaissance Aruba Beach Resort & Hotel (Aruba); The Royal Sea Aquarium Resort (Curacao); Sun Village Resort and Spa (Dominican Republic); Westin St. John Resort and Villas (USVI); The Aruban Resort and Casino at Eagle Beach (Aruba); and Woodbourne Resort (Bahamas).
As a strategic partner of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association and a board member of CTO’s Education Foundation, Interval is committed to understanding the unique needs of the Caribbean region and providing products and programs tailored to this market.
For its roster of Caribbean resort developer clients and new entrants into the vacation ownership industry, Interval offers a range of services including program design, sales and marketing support, reservations, travel, and financial services.
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 33 years. Today, Interval has a network of over 2,400 resorts in more than 75 countries and offers its resort clients and approximately 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.
