Leading Luxury Villa Vacation Rental Specialist Sees Explosive Growth in Market

Market leader WIMCO makes key hires, staffing up for growth in private, luxury villa vacations

NEWPORT, RI (PRWEB) April 7, 2006 -- Ever dream of fleeing the masses in your own private villa?

Increasingly vacationers are acting on that dream, booking villas instead of hotels and resorts, and the villas they’re booking, says villa industry leader Wimco, reflect the growth of the luxury travel market and the trend to book even luxury products and vacations online.

Barclay H. Warburton IV, Wimco’s CEO, says that Wimco’s reservation patterns align with the fact that luxury holidays represent one of the fastest growing segments in travel today, outpacing growth in the cruise or resort vacation segments. Compounded by the $78 billion in baby boomer wealth set to be transferred via inheritance over the next 10 years, he anticipates that Wimco’s luxury villa segment is poised for even greater growth.

He says that an increasing number of Wimco bookings originate online. Nationally the percentage of Internet users with household income exceeding $150,000 was predicted to increase nearly 20%, from 8.6 million in 2004 to over 10.3 million in 2005. With 52% of all vacations now originating online (either research or reservations), this trend will further fuel the growth of the luxury travel segment in general, and private villa rentals in particular.
Warburton, preparing his company to assimilate growth on both luxury vacation and online booking fronts, announces two key personnel who will help lead the charge.

Stiles Bennet has been named Vice President – Marketing, and Bob Brown Vice President – Sales, overseeing customer service and reservation teams.

“Both are uniquely qualified to help us manage the growth of this company while making the Wimco villa vacation experience even more special for our clients,” says Warburton.

Bennet has 10 years of consumer products brand management and online marketing experience, including three years with a luxury wine company. Bennet worked at Kraft Foods, the American Homeowners Assn. and YourWineServices.com He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

“His knowledge of the affluent US consumer and his sensitivity to what our brand stands for take our marketing department to a new playing field,” Warburton says.

Brown has over 20 years experience in customer care, and developing customized solutions for customers, with Northwest airlines and several custom manufacturing companies. Brown earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont, with finance and accounting credits from Northeastern University.

“His professionalism and attention to the entire client experience from the initial reservation all the way through to the flight home is invaluable in continuing to place Wimco at the forefront of the industry in terms of customer care and service innovation” says Warburton.

With these hires and recent technology investments, Wimco is positioned in the forefront of Internet marketing and web technology with live villa availability, booking on line, and accurate, database-driven villa information at the clients' and travel agents' fingertips.

However, says Warburton, the heart and soul of Wimco’s villa reputation remains the team of veteran villa reservations agents that he has recruited and cultivated.

By investing in highly skilled, destination- knowledgeable and experienced villa experts, Wimco has produced the people power as well as the technology systems to bring privately owned villas and the destination knowledge of the villa environment directly into the travel plans of affluent consumers and the travel agents that serve them.
He says that Wimco’s extraordinary level of repeat business in Caribbean villas is due in large part to this experienced reservations staff and the high level of personalized service they provide. In addition to fitting the client to a dream villa, customized services that elevate the vacation from normal to extraordinary are arranged. Want a personal chef to prepare a private romantic dinner in the villa? No problem. How about arriving to a villa fully provisioned with gourmet foods and wines? Wimco will also set up reservations for private massages and yoga sessions by the villa’s pool, make local restaurant and rental car reservations and more. No request goes unanswered.

About WIMCO
Wimco is the leading Caribbean luxury villa vacation and boutique hotel reservations specialist. The company with its Caribbean partner, Sibarth Villa Rentals, has represented private villas on St. Barts and on 11 other Caribbean islands for over 23 years. Wimco added select private luxury villas in Europe to its portfolio starting in 1988 and now represents hundreds of private luxury villas in France, Italy, Greece, Morocco and Ireland.

The reservations staff at Wimco personally visit each villa before the property is offered to the public and they explore the surrounding region for choice dining and cultural attractions.

WIMCO is the publisher for the Vendôme Guide series, a collection of destination-specific guidebooks with detailed insider information, photos of each villa they represent, and recommendations on what to do and see in each destination.

Wimco’s 2006 international villa inventory can be previewed on line at www.wimco.com. By phone, please call toll free 1-800-932-3222 (US) or 44-0870-850-1144 (UK).

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