Marriott Vacation Club taps into HK demand for quality travel products (With photos)
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    Hong Kong's proximity to the Mainland Chinese market, high purchasing power and increased demand for travel services and products has attracted a worldwide leader in timeshare holidays.

     The Marriott Vacation Club International (MVCI) today (October 29)announced the opening of its new sales gallery in Hong Kong. MVCI is a global leader in holiday timeshare ownership. With a portfolio of more than 8,900 timeshare resort villas throughout America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia the company hopes to tap into the growing demand across Asia for quality travel destinations and services.

     "Rising incomes have resulted in an expanding, increasingly wealthy middle class in Asia which is shaping new consumption patterns and driving new demands for tourism and leisure products. MVCI Asia Pacific sees tremendous potential for timeshare ownership in this strategic market," Managing Director of Marriott Vacation Club Mr Harold Derrah said.

     "Hong Kong is an ideal location for us, with its proximity to the Mainland Chinese market and access to the Asia Pacific region," Mr Derrah said.

     Speaking at the launch of the new venture, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Mr Frederick Ma said, "We warmly welcome the Marriott Vacation Club's decision to locate their new sales gallery in Hong Kong. This global brand joins a large community of international companies that together enjoy Hong Kong's pro-business environment, strategic regional location and global reputation for service excellence."

     Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Mike Rowse, whose department assisted MVCI in setting up in Hong Kong, said, "Hong Kong is an ideal location for Marriott Vacation Club to showcase their brand and expand their business in the region. The city not only attracts tourists in their tens of millions but the people of Hong Kong have a growing interest in foreign travel, fuelled in part by Hong Kong's growth and prosperity."

     "The Marriott was the first branded hospitality company to enter the timeshare industry in 1984. Since then it has rapidly expanded and now over 357,000 individuals enjoy the benefits of timeshare ownership. The company's investment in the city comprises a Sales Gallery in Times Square staffed by a team of more than 170 and a marketing centre in Quarry Bay," Mr Rowse said. For further information: www.marriottasiaholidays.com.

     Invest Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government department charged with encouraging and facilitating inward investment into the city by providing the support needed to establish or expand a business presence here. For more information, please visit the website at www.investhk.gov.hk.

Ends/Monday, October 29, 2007
Issued at HKT 19:17

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