MEMBER PROFILES
RCI
RCI, the global provider of leisure travel services
and the world leader in vacation ownership exchange, controlling over
85% of the market, was incorporated in Indianapolis, USA, in 1974. A
subsidiary of Cendant Corporation NYSE (CD), a provider of travel and
real estate services, RCI’s core business is providing vacation
exchange services to Timeshare property owners. This exchange service
has proved to be the catalyst for the meteoric growth of the vacation
ownership industry.
Vacation Ownership essentially means owning a week
annually at a resort. RCI has affiliations with a number of such resorts,
thus forming an exchange network. Owners at these resorts become RCI
members and RCI facilitates the exchange of the week they own with any
other resort within the network, to enjoy vacations across the globe.
With over 3,700 resorts in 101 countries and over 3 million member families
living across 200 countries, RCI is the undisputed world leader in the
vacation ownership industry.
The Vacation Ownership business is today the fastest
growing segment of the travel and tourism industry with a growth rate
that is twice the industry growth.
Worldwide, this industry is growing at an average
of 14% as against the 6% growth of the tourism industry. According to
research by Ragatz Associates, the leading market research company in
the Vacation Ownership industry, there are approximately 6.7 million
Timeshare owners and 5400 timeshare resorts worldwide today. It has
attracted some of the leading global brands in the hospitality industry
such as Hilton, Disney, Marriott, Hyatt and Sol Melia, which are some
of the names that are a part of this business today.
Research has shown that investment by developers in
vacation ownership resorts contributes to significant return on investment
and at the same time, generates local employment, contributes to the
local exchequer through tourist spending and enhances the overall hospitality
infrastructure of that particular area.
Working closely with their developers, RCI follows
stringent quality benchmarks and enforcement processes to ensure memorable
holiday experiences for its members. Going further from merely providing
holiday exchanges, RCI aims towards making every holiday experience
a rich and fulfilling one for its members. The changing trends in members’
holidaying habits have shown that they are now looking for something
beyond just a “brick and mortar” resort and in keeping with
this, RCI has introduced in its fold a varied mix of resorts - heritage
properties, wellness getaways, wildlife resorts, resorts offering sporting
activities etc, - which provide vacationers a plethora of unique experiences
across various regions.
Apart from the regular exchanges to affiliated resorts,
RCI also offers its members great value-for-money rental deals in sought-after
urban destinations such as Paris, Sydney, Rome, Singapore, Berlin etc
where the member pays a special rate that is much lower than the rack
rate listed by the hotel.
Management Guru’s believe that the Resilience
Gap determines the success or failure of any industry. It has been amply
proved time and again that the Vacation Ownership industry, despite
9/11, SARS, Outbreak of the Gulf War or the Bird flu has continued to
show remarkable growth. This is the hallmark of an industry that will
sustain and support the burgeoning tourism industry in India. Therefore,
it comes as no surprise that Hospitality giants such as Marriott, Disney,
Hyatt, Hilton. Four Seasons, all have an element of Timeshare in their
product mix.
About RCI:
RCI is a global provider of leisure travel services to businesses
and consumers, with market leadership positions in vacation property
exchange, rental and resort management. As a growth partner to its business
clients, RCI leverages core competencies in networks, technology, brand
and product development and world-class customer service to deliver
superior vacation experiences for travelers anywhere in the world.
RCI's core business is the RCI Community, an exchange
network of 3.2 million timeshare owners around the world who enjoy dream
vacation experiences through RCI's traditional week-for-week and points-based
exchange networks. RCI provides consumers the world's largest and most
diverse selection of holiday rental properties and operates rental programs
on behalf of resorts, property management companies and vacation property
owners around the world.
RCI is a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation (NYSE: CD),
a global provider of services primarily in travel and real estate.
For further information please contact:
Anita Mathew Ranjana Biswas
Corporate Voice Weber Shandwick RCI India Pvt Ltd
Ph: +91 80 25253891 Ph: +91 8- 25591307
email: shefali@corvoshandwick.co.in or rbiswas@europe.rci.com
For more details please visit: www.rciindia.com
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