Vacation exchange specialist RCI has announced the addition of six new affiliates in China to its worldwide network, bringing it’s presence in China to 24 affiliated resorts.

Geoff Ballotti, president and CEO, Group RCI, says that the move recognises the growth in interest in vacation ownership within China: “These six new affiliates significantly augment our presence in, and commitment to, China. Our growing presence in China is a clear indication of the confidence our members and developers have in the concept of vacation ownership.

“The strong economic growth in China has created an unprecedented demand for leisure travel and accommodation, and we are confident that vacation ownership will be a significant facet of China’s tourism development and will soon become a trend among Chinese consumers. Our commitment to China positions us well as we continue to build on our successes here to transform the vacation experience for our members, our resort developer partners and their owners.”

RCI’s inbound guests to resorts in China have more than doubled since 2004, while the same period has seen the number of outbound Chinese members to affiliated RCI resorts worldwide increase more than four-fold.

The six new affiliates include Beijing BBMG BaDaLing Hot Spring Resort in Beijing (a 377-room resort with indoor swimming pool, badminton and tennis courts, and a natural hot spring) and LuGuHu Holiday Inn in Sichuan, located at near the water’s edge at Lugu Lake.

Three hotel resorts affiliated to the scheme are the Ramada Plaza Hotel Yantai in Yantai, Ramada Hotel Wuxi in Wuxi and Zen International Hotel in Henan province. The final addition is Sunshine Water World Resort in Xiaotangsha,  part of the Beijing Suncity project (which will consist of two four-star resorts, two three-star resorts, a shopping center, two treatment centers, a spa, five restaurants and a cultural center).