Timeshare Information

RCI®, the global leader in vacation exchange, was recently recognized by the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA) with a Crystal Pineapple Award in the category of Outstanding Tourism Industry Partner.

The award winners were recognized at a ceremony in November at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino in St. Maarten.

“SHTA has unanimously chosen RCI as the recipient of its 2012 Outstanding Tourism Industry Partner Award,” said Alfred Harley, executive director of the SHTA.

“This award recognizes international industry partners that have made a significant contribution toward the development of our tourism industry, and in this case we are confident that the timeshare industry on St. Maarten has benefited tremendously from a fruitful relationship with RCI,” Harley said.

Among RCI’s contributions to the tourism industry in St. Maarten, the SHTA cited RCI’s ability to gather, analyze and provide information about timeshare exchange travel trends on the island.

With this information, businesses were able to tailor their tourism products and services to grow the industry in St. Maarten. RCI, along with other timeshare industry leaders, also worked with the SMTA to draft comprehensive legislation to assist in the regulation of the timeshare industry, which was submitted to Parliament and the Minister of Justice in October.

“We are so happy to be presented with this prestigious award,” said Eugenio Macouzet, managing director, RCI Caribbean.

 “The timeshare industry has developed quickly and beautifully on the island of St. Maarten, and we look forward to being a part of its continued growth in the future.”

RCI became the first vacation exchange company in St. Maarten in the early 1980s through an affiliation with the island’s first timeshare property, the Pelican Resort. RCI is now affiliated with more than 20 quality properties on the island.

Photo Credit: stmaarten.blogspot.com

The French Caribbean destination of St Martin will make history when it hosts the first state of the industry conference organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) in September.

President of the St Martin Tourism Authority, Ida Zin-Ka-Ieu, and the CTO secretary general, Hugh Riley, made the announcement at a joint news conference. The event was also attended by Edward Dest, the marketing manager of Dutch St Maarten’s tourism bureau and Lisa Noel, the product development assistant, also of Dutch St Maarten.

“The Caribbean Tourism Organization is thrilled that St Martin has taken this opportunity to demonstrate its creativity to the Caribbean and the world by hosting our first ever state of the industry conference,” said Riley.

“We are excited about the event and we are confident that St Martin will make itself and the Caribbean proud.”

The September 14th-17th conference will look at the current state of the Caribbean tourism industry and how to deal with issues that impact on the sector, with a view to building for the future. Bringing together policymakers, executives and tourism industry professionals, this conference will mark the premiere State of the Industry Conference for CTO, who represents tourism for over 30 Caribbean countries.

This year’s conference will focus on the themes of beating the global recession and the ways to succeed within a competitive environment. Organized in part with the Saint-Martin Tourist Office, the event will also demonstrate the ways in which the Caribbean has overcome current economic challenges and how they are continuing to improve local tourism. Topics to be covered will include maximizing on limited resources, how to influence the affluent traveler, and tips on being competitive.

This conference will also see the return of the Tourism Youth Congress at which Caribbean youth will debate issues of concern to the tourism industry.

“This is a very important conference which deals with a number of issues that are relevant to St Martin and the Caribbean tourism sector,” added Ms. Zin-Ka-Ieu. “We are very pleased that the CTO has chosen St Martin to host this historic event.”

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), with headquarters in Barbados and marketing operations in New York, London and Toronto, is the Caribbean’s tourism development agency.

If you’re looking to travel to St. Maarten this year, you won’t want to miss the luxurious accommodations at the Oyster Bay Beach Resort timeshare . Their dramatic upgrades, improvements and 40 new rooms offer guests a travel experience to remember.

“The new timeshare units will enhance the quality of the resort by allowing more families to enjoy the oceanfront at Oyster Bay,” says Jan Borsje, General Manager of Oyster Bay Beach Resort. “Also, by adding 20% more capacity, it will be easier for owners and Interval International exchangers to get the date and location they want,” he said.

Some of the upgrades at the resort include beautiful granite kitchen and bathroom countertops, spacious tiled showers, new plumbing fixtures and top-of-the line cabinets. “The units are really quite beautiful and are equal or better than any top-rated hotels in the Caribbean” said Jan. “The view of the Atlantic ocean from the spacious, private balconies is unique and makes the resort a treasure.”

For those travelling with a group, you’ll appreciate the new four-story timeshare pavilion which features “flexible room configurations” that assemble into efficiency, one- and two-bedroom units. These units are very unique with the added convenience of a full-size kitchen and refrigerator, four burner stove and plenty of kitchen space for food preparation. Some of the rooms are also equipped for those with special needs or physical impairments.

A recent guest to the resort had this to say:
“It is absolutely spectacular and in the perfect location. The rooms are beautiful as are all of the common areas. The resort is everything you could possibly want in a boutique, high end, luxury resort and keeps getting better. It is by far one of the most desirable resorts to stay on the island. You won’t be disappointed!”