INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL SPONSORS 2007 COSTA RICAN TOURISM INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Miami, FL, February 27, 2007 – Interval International, a leading global vacation exchange company, was once again a sponsor of the Costa Rican Tourism Investment Summit. The two-day event, held recently in San Jose, was organized by the Costa Rican Coalition of Development Initiatives (CINDE), the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture, and the consulting firm of KPMG. The inaugural conference took place in 2006 and attracted more than 300 attendees.
“We continue to support this meeting and the efforts being made to foster foreign investment in Costa Rica because tourism is vital to the economy,” said Marcos Agostini, region director for Latin America for Interval International. “This sector affords numerous investment opportunities since the demand for new projects goes hand-in-hand with the increasing number of visitors to the country year after year.”
The objective of the conference was to provide a forum for participants to meet hospitality executives, developers, tourism officials, and representatives from financial institutions. The agenda focused on existing business opportunities, the types of investment the ICT’s national sustainable tourism development plan is hoping to attract, and key factors to be considered when undertaking major projects in the tourism sector.
Statistics generated by the National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR) in Costa Rica show the tremendous growth the tourism sector has experienced in recent years. It posted a 12 percent growth rate during 2005, which compares very favorably with the 5 percent worldwide rate. It is also the second highest hard-currency generator for the country’s economy.
About Interval International
For more than 30 years, Interval International has led the vacation ownership industry with its commitment to providing quality exchange services and other value-added programs to its vacation-owning members and resort developers worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, Interval has a network of more than 2,200 resorts in 79 countries and serves its clients and nearly 1.9 million members through 28 offices in 19 countries. Interval is part of IAC, which operates leading and diversified businesses in sectors being transformed by the Internet, online and offline. Other IAC companies include Ask.com, Citysearch, Entertainment Publications, HSN, LendingTree, and Ticketmaster.
