TIMESHARE exchange company RCIhas signed a two-year deal with accommodation-only specialist Seligo to sell timeshare through a 32-page brochure distributed to agents.
Agents can earn commission from Seligo on week-long trial holidays featured in the Quality Apartments brochure with bonus commission of 8% on any timeshare sale in resort.
RCI Europe executive director Steve Allen said the ground-breaking move is designed to raise the profile of timeshare on the high street. Thomas Cook now sells the product after setting up a dedicated division last year.
“Timeshare is growing 10% each year, which makes it the fastest growing sector of the travel industry. We now want to move it into the public arena,” he said.
“Travel agents are an obvious distribution point for the product and it opens up a new revenue stream for them,” said Allen.
“Although the agent will not actually sell timeshares, they will earn bonus commission if a customer goes for the trial week and buys the timeshare in resort.”
Allen admitted there was a risk of some customers taking advantage of the cheap holiday and having no intention of buying the timeshare in resort.
“That is why it is important to identify the right customer. Agents will be sent a training pack to help them do this,” he said.
Seligo managing director David Cockerton expected around 15%-20% of the trial holidays to lead to timeshare sales.
“Agents do not have to be timeshare experts. What is important is that they pick the right customer,” he said.
Week-long trails lead in at ú59 for two people on condition they attend a 90min timeshare presentation.
The brochure, which will be distributed within the next week, features three to five-star apartments in Spain, the Canaries, Ibiza, Portugal, Greece, Malta and Florida.
Allen said timeshare had changed its image over the past few years, with well-known brands such as Marriott, Stakis and Inter-Continental entering the market and giving it respectability.