Diamond Resorts International Forms Partnership with Expedia

Diamond Resorts International (DRI) announce that they have partnered with Expedia in an innovative agreement covering marketing, distribution and lead generation. Under the terms, Expedia will provide global distribution for DRI resort destination offers on Expedia and hotels.com-branded sites worldwide; generate leads and qualify travelers interested in DRI vacation ownership; and provide concierge services to guests at DRI resorts.

This is one of the most sophisticated deals of its magnitude in online travel in terms of the integration of multiple Expedia business capabilities for a single partner. It covers online media, marketing and advertising; distribution for DRI resort properties worldwide; in-destination concierge services and lead generation; Expedia's private label technology to power travel bookings on DRI's own websites; and corporate travel services by Egencia, an Expedia, Inc. company.

"This venture brings a new level of marketing to the mainstream and propels the capabilities of both companies across multiple vertical markets. It is truly a unique endeavor and creates a paradigm shift for the vacation ownership industry," says Simon Crawford-Welch, Ph.D., R.R.P., president and chief operating officer at DRI.

"Expedia's extraordinary online capabilities coupled with its offline presence in key tourist destination markets provide DRI with unparalleled reach to tap consumers with vacation ownership offers. Additionally, DRI's more than 380,000 existing owners, members and guests worldwide will have the opportunity to benefit from Expedia's trusted travel services," says James R. Danz, RRP, chief marketing officer at DRI. "We see this partnership as a creative approach to leveraging Expedia's strengths to reach our target customers while expanding our benefits platform within THE ClubSM at Diamond Resorts International and adding to the quality level of hospitality services we provide to our owners, members and guests."

Deal signals new opportunities for travel suppliers
The agreement goes beyond Expedia's traditional role as an important distribution and marketing partner for travel suppliers globally, to tap the unique media value of the Expedia marketplace, whose monthly traffic volume is unsurpassed in online travel. DRI will partner with Expedia Media Solutions Group in developing custom interactive media programs throughout Expedia sites to help generate leads and qualify travelers considering vacation ownership. Several other Expedia business units are also engaged under the deal.

• DRI will engage the Expedia Local Expert (ELE) team to operate concierge desks at DRI resorts, starting in Hawaii, Orlando and Las Vegas.  ELE concierges will provide DRI guests with face-to-face personalized assistance in booking events, activities, tours, attractions and other services.  ELE concierge staff will also help DRI qualify guests interested in learning more about the benefits of vacation ownership.
• The global team of hotel relationship managers within Expedia Partner Services Group will provide DRI property managers with strategic distribution and marketing expertise in reaching the millions of travelers worldwide who visit Expedia to book travel every month.
• DRI has selected Expedia Travel Network's World Wide Travel Exchange (WWTE) technology to power travel bookings on its own sites.
• DRI has selected Egencia (formerly Expedia Corporate Travel) to provide full-service travel management including an industry leading self-booking platform and global customer service to DRI employees worldwide.