Timeshare Executive Appointed to Corporation for Travel Promotion Board

Eleven leaders of the travel, tourism, hotel and timeshare industry have been appointed by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to serve on the Board of Directors for the Corporation for Travel Promotion.

The CTP, is the newly established non-profit corporation developed to promote tourism and travel to the United States; it was created through the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. (Read more here: Travel Promotion Act Signed. What Does it Mean to Tourism, Timeshares, and the US Economy? Travel Promotion Act Could Bring Mega Dollars to Campgrounds, Timeshare Parks, and RV Parks)

Over 8 million US jobs hinge on the travel and tourism industries in America along with $1.3 trillion of our economy. Roughly one in every sixteen Americans works in some aspect of travel and tourism. The need for a united focus on tourism was critical. With the flow of international tourists already in decline over the last decade, as the US economy began to tank, there was simply no acceptable margin for additional loss.

While other countries have long operated ministries of tourism, proactively seeking to market their country as an international vacation destination, the US casually relied on its ‘drawing power’ to sustain if not grow tourism. But add safety concerns following September 11, 2001, to the growing cost of travel and the increasing development of tourism markets in other countries, and international tourism to the US fell into a steady downturn.

Make no mistake about it; this industry is vital to our national and ultimately global economies. The eleven individuals serving on the Board of Directors carry incredible responsibility.

The Timeshare Industry Represented

New Board appointee, Stephen J. Cloobeck, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Resorts International® timeshare. With more than 25 years of experience in development, construction, management, operations, marketing and sales of timeshares, vacation ownership resorts, hotels, and retail shopping centers, he is uniquely qualified to serve on the Board of Directors for the CTP.

Three years ago, Stephan Cloobeck acquired Sunterra Corporation, bringing the publicly traded timeshare sales and development company into a privately-held operating entity that came to be Diamond Resorts International timeshare.

Today Diamond resorts includes more than 150 branded and affiliated resorts located throughout North America, the Caribbean, Asia, Europe, Australia and South Africa. With nearly 400,000 member/ owners, Diamond Resorts International is thriving brand and a tribute to Cloobeck’s vision and leadership.

In addition to Cloobeck, the CTP Board Members are:

• Al Weiss, President, Worldwide Operations, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Orlando, Florida
• Caroline Beteta, President and CEO, California Travel & Tourism Commission, Sacramento, California
• Daniel Halpern, President and CEO, Jackmont Hospitality, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia
• Diane Shober, Tourism Director, State of Wyoming, Cheyenne, Wyoming
• George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company, New York, New York
• David Lim, Chief Marketing Officer, Amtrak, Washington, D.C.
• Roy Yamaguchi, Owner and Founder, Roy’s Restaurant, Newport Beach, California
• Lynda S. Zengerle, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Washington, D.C.
• Mark Schwab, Senior Vice President-Alliances, International and Regulatory Affairs, United Airlines, Chicago, Illinois
• Tom Klein, President, Sabre Holdings, Southlake, Texas

Follow this link to learn more about the Travel Promotion Act: http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/about/Travel_Promotion_Act.html

Diamond Resorts® and Diamond Resorts International® are registered trademarks of Diamond Resorts Holdings, LLC. SellMyTimeshareNOW, LLC is not affiliated with Diamond Resorts Holdings, LLC in any way.