Interview: David Clifton, md Europe and Asia, Interval International

The new UK chief of timeshare exchange giant Interval International, David Clifton (left), believes the sector is at last shaking off its image as the cowboy division of the travel industry.

The perception of timeshare hit rock bottom over the past decade with persistent stories of people being pressurised into paying a lump sum which entitles them to a week every year in an apartment abroad. But Clifton insists that membership is rising and complaints against the industry are falling.

Clifton told TravelMole: “Trade associations like OTE (Organisation for Timeshare in Europe) have a strong code of ethics.

“There has never been any problem with the concept or the product, but the way it has been sold. Now we have companies like Marriott and Disney in the business and they have a good reputation.

“Throughout Europe we have had flat growth in timeshare ownership over the past few years, but we are now starting to see it become more popular.”

When holidaymakers buy a timeshare property they receive automatic affiliation to either Interval or its rival RCI. They then pay an annual sum of around 50 pounds for membership, which allows them to trade their ‘week’ each year with other members or simply hang on to their property and keep returning to it.

Interval has 1.5 million members worldwide, although it does not disclose how many of those are from the UK. The average timeshare purchase in the UK is around $10,000 or 7,000 pounds, but that may not allow you to trade in the big league.

You can only swap for equivalent accommodation and a week in a studio at a Disney property in Orlando, one of the more popular timeshares, typically costs $12,000 or 9,000 pounds.

Clifton only took up his post in July but has been involved in timeshare since 1979 as both a marketeer and developer and as an employee of rival RCI. He freely admits that in the early days, unsavoury characters populated the industry.

“There were no regulations and people with little knowledge of the concept were selling it. I went to a conference in the US and it was full of people in white suits, dripping with gold and wearing crocodile skin shoes and I thought ‘what kind of business is this?’

“But there has been a huge change and it is up to us to communicate that.”

In contrast to the hard-sell tactics of previous years, Clifton insists that timeshare should not be seen as an investment or is not ideal for everyone.

“You can get condominiums which are more suitable and offer more room for families,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to lock into buying future holidays at today’s prices. And you know you will get certainty of quality in resort.”

Clifton said Interval was concentrating on encouraging developers to build properties in China and other parts of the Far East, so that it can offer more choice to its members who want to discover other parts of the world.

And he said that the growth in timeshare would lead to more earning opportunities for the travel trade.

“We have our own travel agency and we would love to be able to sell all our members flights and car hire to go with their accommodation, but the reality is that many will shop around for those products.”

See previous TravelMole Interviews:
04-Nov-02: David Norris, brand manager, ifyouski.com
29-Oct-02: Chris May, managing director, Hayes and Jarvis
21-Oct-02: Fiona Jeffery, Reed Exhibitions director
14-Oct-02: Brent Hoberman, ceo and co-founder, lastminute.com
09-Oct-02: David Burdon, sales and marketing director, Cosmos
02-Oct-02: Jeff Rebello, UK marketing manager, SAS
24-Sep-02: BITOA chief executive Richard Tobias
17-Sep-02: Alan Croft, deputy managing director, Bridge Travel Service
10-Sep-02: Noel Josephides, managing director, Sunvil Holidays
04-Sep-02: Geoffrey Lipman, World Tourism Organisation adviser
26-Aug-02: Jo Rzymowska, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
20-Aug-02: TravelMole Interview: Peter Shanks, senior vice-president, Cunard Line
13-Aug-02: Tom Allen, The Theme Park People
05-Aug-02: Chris Kroeger, Sabre
30-Jul-02: Chris Mottershead, TUI UK
23-Jul-02: Seamus Conlon, Airtours Holidays
15-Jul-02: David Soskin, cheapflights.co.uk
09-Jul-02: Bruce Bishins, Genesis TDS
01-Jul-02: Howard Frost, Travelink
25-Jun-02: Rob Wortham, RWA
17-Jun-02: Paul Blackney, Worldspan
11-Jun-02: Mark Jones, Online Travel Corporation
27-May-02: Oliver Hillel, UNEP
20-May-02: Keith Webber, Telewest
13-May-02: Mark O’Brien, Rosenbluth International
07-May-02: Alicia Gardner, Sabre
29-Apr-02: Carolyn Ezzell, Delta Air Lines
23-Apr-02: John Davis, Pegasus Solutions
15-Apr-02: Gregory Hunt, ABTA Arbitration Scheme
09-Apr-02: Stuart Winter, Atinera
03-Apr-02: Roberto Da Re, Dolphin Dynamics
26-Mar-02: Arnaud Debuchy, Amadeus
19-Mar-02: Helen Baker, Lastminute.com
12-Mar-02: Pat Minogue, Galileo
07-Mar-02: Jon Hart, MyTravel
28-Feb-02: Lawrence Hunt, Rapid Travel Solutions

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