VIRNA Jan-March 2020

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IN BRIEF
Names in the News
Craig M. Nash, Interval International chairman and the company’s
former president and CEO, has rejoined Greenspoon Marder as an
of counsel attorney in its national corporate real estate timeshare and
resort practice group. He will represent the firm in timeshare industry
relations and as a board representative to the American Resort
Development Association (ARDA). Nash was previously employed
with Greenspoon Marder before becoming Interval’s general counsel
in 1984, its president in 1989 (a role he held for nearly 30 years), and
in 2008, chairman, president, and CEO of ILG. Nash will continue to
be active in his current capacity with Interval, and as senior advisor to
Marriott Vacations Worldwide.
Resort News
Sixteen courtside units at Grand Seas by Exploria Resorts
reopened their doors this summer, part of an ongoing refurbishment
project to bring back the Daytona Beach, Florida, property from
damages caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Entirely renovated with
modern furniture, amenities, and decor, the resort’s new interior
installation is being led by Orlando-based Sena Hospitality Design,
Inc., with plans to renovate an additional 72 units in the resort’s
North Tower.
Research
Americans spent more than US$480 billion on travel in 2017, of
which over one-quarter (US$123 billion) was for lodging, according
to a new study published by Skift Research. The U.S. Traveler
profile was culled from an analysis of travel data sourced from
several government agencies. Of the total aggregate amount,
other key expenditures included transportation at 43 percent and
restaurants, cafes, and bars at 20 percent. Read the full report at
Education
The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism
Association (CHTA) has begun offering a
series of educational courses for industry
professionals looking to advance in their careers. The CHTA
Education Foundation’s new professional development program
comprises a series of short one-day training classes on customer
service, housekeeping, supervisor and management training, and
other curriculum areas. According to the CHTA, as of August, nearly
300 hotel and tourism associates have participated in courses in
Barbados and Aruba, with more scheduled through 2020 in St. Lucia,
St. Maarten, Tobago, and other island locations. For more information,
email .
Giving Back
Marriott Vacations Worldwide
(MVW) set a new fundraising benchmark
when it raised US$250,000 through the
Caring Classic, MVW’s annual charity
golf tournament benefiting Children’s
Miracle Network Hospitals. Following
the sold-out event at The Ritz-Carlton
Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, which
drew 160 participants, 100 percent of
the proceeds — US$30,000 more than
last year’s event — were earmarked
for development of a new fetal surgery
program at the Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children’s
Leon Pediatric Neuroscience Center of Excellence. The project is the
latest revolving pediatric initiative supported by the golf tournament;
most recently, it bolstered funding to build out a 142-bed, neonatal
intensive care unit at the hospital.
Awards and Recognitions
Thirty-six resorts managed by VRI Americas
have been recognized by TripAdvisor with its 2019
Certificate of Excellence. All three dozen qualified
for the top honor by maintaining an overall rating of four out of five,
amassing a minimum number of excellent traveler reviews, and
being listed on TripAdvisor for at least one year. Winners included
highly rated properties spanning the U.S., as well as resorts based
in Mexico.
Meetings
RDO10 wrapped up two days of business and educational sessions,
industry expert panels, and guest speakers last September, marking
not only the 10th anniversary of the annual global conference, but 21
years of its host association, the Resort Development Organisation.
The event was held at the Don Carlos Leisure Resort & Spa in
Marbella, Spain, and brought together more than 100 delegates
representing the worldwide vacation ownership industry, including
guest speaker Darren Ettridge, Interval’s senior vice president
of business development for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia
(EMEAA). According to event organizer Janice Anderson-Pearne,
Interval’s vice president of client services and operations EMEAA,
the conference theme of “The Next Chapter” addressed the future
movement of the industry in Europe. It also marked the appointment
of Lee Dowling, Marriott Vacation Club’s senior vice president
and managing director, Europe and the Middle East, as RDO’s new
chairman of the board; he succeeds Susan Crook, who stepped
down at the conference at the end of her four-year tenure.