EVENT: LAST CHANCE! ATHOC Annual Conference

Sunday September 14 - Tuesday September 16

Australia, New Zealand and Fiji Timeshare associations will once again come together to talk through current industry issues and have the opportunity to network with their fellow colleagues on the balmy Fijian Island of Denarau.

The 2008 ATHOC Conference is the leading event for the industry in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

The annual conference is a terrific networking opportunity and a chance for industry representatives to connect and catch up. It is a great chance for suppliers to show their wares and meet the ultimate purchasers of their products. If you have left this to the last minute and need more details please contact us.

EVENT: Barefoot Bowls is BACK!

31st October – 5.30pm for 6pm start

Surfers Paradise Bowls Club (Gold Coast Commerce Club)
70 Remembrance Drive Surfers Paradise

Includes bowling and tuition ABSOLUTE SPECIAL ONE OFF PRICE OF $10 PLUS a FREE BBQ and drink (1). Prize for best dressed team!

RSVP by 24th October - Contact us for a registration form.

EVENT: Southern Seminar

Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th November – Nepean Country Club Victoria

The Southern Committee is putting together an excellent program that will cover a number of different aspects of your business with a particular focus on Viewpoint Training with Peter Vandehorst - @ Work International.

The training will run from 10am Tuesday through to 4pm Wednesday with a Gala Dinner (Post Melbourne Cup Theme) on the Tuesday night.

Full information will be sent out following the National Conference.

HOME GROWN - New Baby for Sandy Point Resort

Congratulations to Steve and Julia Whitton – proud parents of Cooper who was born on the 6th August. 8lb 3oz.

WORLD AROUND US: Homeland Tightens Security Measures

New anti-terrorism measures have been introduced in the US which means travelers could face having their electrical devices being seized by federal agents.
The Washington Post reports that the Department of Homeland Security has been granted the power to hold onto items of anyone arriving by air, land or sea (including laptops, hard drives, flash drives, mobile phones and iPods) for as long as they like.

DHS claim “the most dangerous contraband is often contained in laptop computers or other electrical devices”. Federal agents are able to copy data but it must be destroyed once a review is completed. Travel Daily News

WORLD AROUND US: IFA Joins Forces with the Registry Collection

IFA Hotels & Resorts has affiliated with The Registry Collection to offer luxury timeshare exchanges for its new exclusive vacation club.

Under the agreement, IFA Collection Club members have access to a portfolio of prestigious resorts and developments including villas in Tuscany, yachts in the Caribbean and mountain resorts in Colorado.

Members of The Registry Collection – a Wyndham Worldwide brand – will be able to exchange into properties and yachting holidays in the IFA Club collection in Portugal, France and Dubai. The agreement is a first of its kind Vacation Club that encompasses a variety of shared ownership and leisure real estate products being sold by IFA.

“The programme wraps many elements of leisure real estate ownership under one roof, from timeshare to fractionals to high-end whole ownership real estate,” said Nick Turner, managing director in the Middle East of Group RCI, parent company of The Registry Collection programme.

Footnote: IFA Hotels & Resorts is a self-styled international leader in the development of premier integrated and mixed-use hotel and tourism resort projects. Listed on the Stock Exchanges of Kuwait and Johannesburg, it has a market capitalisation of more than $1billion. The company’s head office is in Kuwait; its main operating office is in Dubai.  OTE Issue 17

WORLD AROUND US: High Court Shuts Down UK Holiday Club

Following an investigation by the Companies Investigation Branch of the Insolvency Service, the High Court in the UK ordered the shutdown of TAG World Services (TAG) for offences relating to membership of a holiday club. The order also cited offences involving alleged evasion of Value Added Tax (VAT).

TAG has also operated a timeshare re-sale service. OTE Issue 18 August 08

BUSINESS: PHD Research on the Hospitality Industry

This research investigates psychological empowerment in the hospitality industry. This research will also investigate manager’s dimensions of psychological empowerment within accommodation properties that are associated with job satisfaction, organisational commitment and turnover intent. Basically, the research is to explore whether managers are satisfied with their jobs, committed to their organisations and also what their intentions are towards job tenure. If you have any questions about this research please feel free to contact the author David Ponton at this email address: davidponton@hotmail.com.

GREEN NEWS: The Federal Governments releases Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme ‘Green Paper

The Federal Government has released a draft discussion paper on its ‘Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme'.  As part of this new scheme, the Government will place a cap on the amount of carbon pollution industry can emit and will require affected businesses and industry to buy a ‘pollution permit' for each tonne of carbon they contribute. The Government intends to use the money raised from the sale of pollution permits to help households and businesses adjust to the scheme and invest in clean energy options. 

QTIC has urged the Government to consider tourism as a trade exposed industry and, as a result, the industry should be eligible for funding assistance with complying to the restrictions of this new program.
Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) has embarked on an extensive research programme to help the Australian tourism sector to adapt to predicted climate changes. QTIC, 1/7/2008