Vacation Clubs Report 73% Occupancy in Quintana Roo Low Season

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Vacation clubs in Quintana Roo are holding occupancy more than 20 points above the state’s traditional hotel sector, even in the middle of low season, according to industry figures.

While the statewide average sits at around 50 percent, the timeshare segment has already booked 73 percent for October, 81 percent for November and 78 percent for December, said Miriam Cortés Franco, executive president of the Quintana Roo Vacation Club Association (Acluvaq).

Cortés Franco said the overall figure reflects the contribution of member resorts, noting that even lodging properties with the lowest occupancy rates draw close to 70 percent of their guests from the timeshare model.

She credited the results to the industry’s front-line sales force — promoters, in-house representatives, off-premises sellers known as OPCs, and closers — a group that faces dozens of objections for every sale and, unlike management and ownership ranks, has historically lacked a dedicated forum for professional development.

To fill that gap, Acluvaq announced the 14th edition of its DisrUP Marketing and Sales Forum, to be held Nov. 4 at the convention center of the Iberostar hotel from 2:50 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The event, now in its 14th year, expects to draw more than 1,000 executives from across the Mexican Caribbean in an interactive format aimed at hotel development directors and vacation club department managers. The program includes talks by Gaby Vargas on personal growth and transformation; Karla Berman, a former Google and SoftBank executive and Shark Tank México investor who specializes in marketing, sales and innovation; and Edgar Straffon, who will speak on the shift from salesperson to leader. A pavilion featuring 13 supplier companies will also be part of the event.

As part of its self-described disruptive approach, the forum will host the Acluvaq Arena: Marketing vs. Sales, a debate in which specialists from both fields will take on myths, real-world challenges and strategies for working as a single, customer-focused team.