INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS CARIBBEAN HOTEL EDUCATION FOUNDATION WITH $15,000 DONATION
Miami, FL, June 28, 2007 - Interval International and resorts affiliated with its exchange network presented a $15,000 donation to the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) Education Foundation, the education arm of CHA, during the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Conference in Miami. The check was presented by Dmitri Pekhterev, region manager for the Caribbean,
resort sales and service, Interval International, to Peter Odle, president of CHA.
“We are honored to support the Caribbean hospitality industry through the CHA Foundation. Our commitment to this worthy cause and to the region is long-term and CHA continues to be one of our most important strategic partners,” said Callaghan. “We hope to have a positive impact on the hospitality industry by assisting in the education of its future leaders.”
“We are grateful for the generosity of Interval and its member resorts that generate funds for these scholarships and grants through their tireless efforts,” said Odle. “They have been extremely loyal over the years and we truly appreciate their dedication to our region and the CHA Education Foundation.”
“Applicants for these scholarships have a wide variety of educational interests and industry backgrounds, reaffirming CHA Education Foundation’s standing as the largest scholarship program in Caribbean hospitality,” said Ivette Martínez, CHA director of the membership benefits department, which manages the work of the Foundation.
The CHA Education Foundation was established in 1987 as a non-profit organization to provide scholarships and special assistance to Caribbean hotel industry personnel and students. To date the CHA Education Foundation has awarded a total of 300 scholarships and grants totaling US$840,000.
The 2007 contributors to the scholarship fund include: Aquarius Vacation Club at Dorado Embassy Suites (Puerto Rico); Bay Gardens Beach Resort (St. Lucia); Caribbean Palm Village (Aruba); El San Juan Towers (Puerto Rico); Grand Caymanian Resort (Cayman Islands); Hyatt Hacienda del Mar (Puerto Rico); Jolly Beach Vacations (Antigua); Long Bay Beach Resort and Villas (Tortola); Ocean Reef Resort (Bahamas); Oyster Bay Beach Resort (St. Maarten); Paradise Beach Villas (Aruba); Plantation Village Beach Resort (Cayman Islands); Playa Linda Beach Resort (Aruba); Pelican Resort & Club (St. Maarten); Renaissance Aruba Beach Resort & Hotel (Aruba); and The Sea Aquarium Resort (Curacao).
According to the Future Timeshare Buyers: 2006 Market Profile, the latest in a series of studies that offers unique insights into the vacation habits, preferences and intentions of leisure travelers who are interested in owning vacation time, the Caribbean is one of the preferred international destinations of choice for prospective timeshare owners.
As a strategic partner of CHA and a board member of the Caribbean Tourism Organization’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.
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.
