Interval International, a subsidiary of Interval Leisure Group, unveiled this week the addition of the Gardenia Resort, located in the town of Hurghada on Egypt’s Red Sea Riviera, to its vacation exchange network. The timeshare resort, which is scheduled to open in 2011, will be located between the Red Sea’s sand beaches and a popular hub of Hurghada nightlife.

Though Hurghada was a small fishing village not one decade ago, it has quickly become one of the most popular beach settings on the Red Sea. Receptive to an array of tourists, the local airport now serves about 60 cities across Europe and the Middle East. While snorkelers and divers may enjoy the town’s famous offshore reefs, many other tourists enjoy sailing, deep-sea fishing, windsurfing or surveying the area’s exotic flora and fauna at the Marine Biology Museum. "Today, we’re seeing that Egypt in general and the Red Sea in particular are proving more and more popular as year-round destinations," said Darren Ettridge, Interval International’s vice president of resort sales and services for the Middle East. "With the addition of this notable resort to our network, Interval will be better able to cater to the increased demand."

Membership with Interval International gives timeshare owners the option to use their vacation intervals at any affiliated timeshare resort around the world. As many American consumers buy timeshares closer to home, vacation exchange networks allow them to stay at timeshares in Hawaii, Malaysia or Egypt for a small additional fee. RCI, another major player in vacation interval swaps among timeshare owners, provides a second network of affiliations from which vacationers may choose their ideal destination.

The affiliated vacation exchange networks of RCI and Interval International together span 6 continents and 8,000 resorts including Disney, Caribbean and South Pacific timeshares. Those who wish to buy a timeshare on the resale market may visit Timeshares Only.