Richard McIntosh speaks to Fiona Klonarides about what consumers should look for before they buy timeshare, how the market is evolving, and how RDO can help both consumers and quality developers in this growing industry.
Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: IILG), today announced the renewal of its master affiliation agreement with Marriott Vacation Club International, the timeshare division of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR). The multi-year agreement extends the relationship first established in 1990 between two leaders in the shared ownership industry, each highly regarded for their commitment to quality, exemplary customer service, and innovation.
Timeshare's biggest names will gather at the Venetian Resort Hotel and Casino for the premier timeshare industry event of the year in the States, the 2010 ARDA Convention and Exposition.
Top timeshare companies and service providers will be in Las Vegas, March 14-18, for this year's ARDA (American Resort Development Association) Convention. There's an impressive line up of speakers and Signature Sponsors for the networking event, with presentations, exhibitions and plenty of opportunities for discussion about industry trends, all part of the agenda.
The Corn Exchange at Brighton's Dome is the venue for this year's 2010 Enjoy England Awards For Excellence. The finalists have just been revealed, and the event takes place on April 23, to mark St. George's Day. Competition in the various categories is exceptionally strong, and a large number of entries are in for the Sustainable Tourism Award.
Last year “Staycations” (holidays spent “at home” in the UK rather than overseas) were big news. There are a number of reasons to holiday closer to home – economising on the cost of travelling internationally, the convenience of driving or letting the train take the strain rather than heading off to an airport. Britain has no shortage of beauty spots to rival its European neighbours. There's Cornwall, The Lake District, The Peak District, The Scottish Highlands, The Northumberland Coast - everyone has their favourite and the list is a long one.
Some travel experts are even going as far as predicting that if global warming continues, British holidays will rise in popularity – all we need, it seems, is a bit more sun, because inspiring beaches, scenic landscapes and historic villages are all on our doorstep!
Hotel and timeshare giant Disney is putting its guests' left over soaps and shampoos to good use. Walt Disney World's Florida hotels now participate in the Clean The World charity campaign to recycle soap and shampoo products from hotel rooms. The charity sends the soap to regions in need – even in this decade people are dying from lack of hygiene in parts of the world.
Charter operator Jet2.com is introducing new flights from Edinburgh to Majorca for its summer 2010 schedule. Mallorca's busy airport will be the airline's twelfth destination from Edinburgh and Jet2 will begin the new flights on June 26th.
The island is the largest of the Balearics, but equally popular Ibiza, renowned for its famous Café del Mar beach bar and dusk-till-dawn nightlife, will also be served by Jet2.com which plans to increase its frequency of flights for Ibiza lovers with three weekly services due to passenger demand.
Visitors will be able to fly into Turkey's Antalya airport this winter from three UK airports – Gatwick, East Midlands and Manchester, as two operators, Thomson and First Choice, extend their year-round flight schedules, making it easier for timeshare members to catch some winter sun in that region.
Already one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations, Turkey is hoping that tourism in 2010 will further boost its economy. It has been giving Spain a run for its money in recent years - popular resorts such as Bodrum and Antalya have ample amenities, clean beaches, plenty of sun and the fact that Turkey is a euro-free zone is a significant plus.
Novaterra Resorts today announced that Arcos Gardens Golf Club & Country Estate in Cadiz, Spain, has affiliated with The Registry Collection® exchange programme, the world’s largest luxury exchange network.
Located among the Andalusian hills and adjacent to the famed white village of Arcos de la Frontera in the province of Cadiz, the Arcos Gardens Golf Club & Country Estate is an exclusive low-density golf community designed for upscale luxury living. The 440-acre property was a former olive grove that was transformed through the transplanting of over 2,000 olive trees into a leading golf destination featuring a championship 18-hole course.
UK timeshare owners looking for a different kind of holiday this summer have plenty to choose from. Thanks to the exchange programmes at RCI and Interval International, they could be watching the World Cup in South Africa, getting a taste of the States featured in Jamie Oliver's American Road Trip series, and exploring Istanbul, next year's European City of Culture.
Perspective Magazine, the leading monthly publication for the shared ownership industry has again created another industry first – a standalone social networking platform based on the most popular features of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter all on one site.
Perspective Forums (http://www.perspectiveforums.com) has been created to encourage communication between developers, marketers and suppliers of the timeshare and fractional ownership industry on a global scale providing opportunities for forging new alliances and collaborations, discuss pertinent issues and learn what’s currently working best in the sales and marketing arena.
Hutchinson & Co Trust Company Limited is proud to announce that on the 5th February 2010, the Group celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a gathering of nearly one hundred staff, past and present, at the beautiful Elvetham Hall in Hampshire. Elvetham is steeped in history, having been owned by the family of Jane Seymour, one of Henry VIII’s wives and famed as being the site of the first performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Perspective Magazine has announced that 11 new companies have selected the timeshare and fractional ownership publication for marketing campaigns.
The magazine said that the deals had been secured since the news broke of the launch of Perspective Magazine North America, which will be introduced in both online and print forms later this month.
Timeshare owners in the north east of England can enjoy a number of historical sites in the area, including Bamburgh Castle and Holy Island.
Other major attractions in the region are Cragside as well as Alnwick Garden and Castle, explained Sheelagh Caygill, spokesperson for Visit Northumberland.
Timeshare owners heading abroad have been advised to take both cash and plastic with them.
Sarah Munro, head of Post Office Travel Services, explained that carrying cash around will help with things like paying for taxis and drinks, while in many destinations it will be needed to buy goods.
Endless Vacation Rentals (EVR) has launched the Armed Forces Vacation Club, allowing military families and government workers to easily look for and book discount holiday rentals at resorts worldwide.
Sean Lowe, managing director at Endless Vacation Rentals and Revenue Management, explained that the improved site, www.AFVClub.com, lets visitors search for available dates for certain destinations, book securely and complete the reservation transaction in just three simple steps.
Timeshare organisation RCI has renewed its affiliation with Bluegreen Vacations Unlimited and Bluegreen Corporation, two of the biggest holiday ownership companies in the industry.
The deal means that Bluegreen Club Members will gain access to a wide selection of holidaying experiences that make up the RCI exchange networks.
Bulgaria and Andorra are great places for timeshare owners to enjoy some good value skiing as they are said to be two of the cheapest destinations in Europe for the activity.
They are great places to go for those timeshare owners who are new to skiing, according to Anthony Chenery, travel expert at Teletext Holidays.
Timeshare owners do not have to spend considerable sums of money if they want to head on a trip to the capital of Japan.
Many English people believe that when they go to Tokyo it will be an expensive trip, but this is not the case, according to Reiko Tani, director for City Sales at the Tourism Division in the Bureau of Industrial and Labour Affairs of Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
A trip into space will be a dream for some and now they may be able to enjoy this life-changing experience.
Virgin Galactic recently unveiled the world's first manned commercial spaceship, the SpaceShipTwo, and it is designed to take private astronauts into space after test programming.
The Trades Publishing Company, which runs online timeshare and fractional ownership magazine Resort Trades, has joined forces with operations and technology consulting firm 6 Dimensions Consulting (6DC).
Together, the companies will start by creating mobile sites for the timeshare industry online newspaper www.ResortTrades.com, 6DC co-owner Jay Edmonson told Fractional Life.
On a gondola in Venice is women's top pick for where they would like to be proposed to, with Times Square, New York in second, according to a survey.
Sunshine.co.uk questioned 1,694 single women where they would like their man to pop the question, with the gondola option named by 86 per cent as a dream location for such an occasion.
The biggest timeshare building in the world, PH Towers Westgate in Las Vegas, celebrated its grand opening January 29th.
As part of the celebration, property tours were be on offer, while the ribbon-cutting took place with company executives and Miss America 2009 Katie Stam present, TravelAgent Central has reported.
Timeshare and fractional ownership industry publication Perspective Magazine North America is looking to convert its online readership to print subscribers.
The magazine believes the first print issue, which will focus on timeshare and fractional ownership issues within the USA, Canada, Mexico and Caribbean regions, will see a launch circulation of over 7,000 subscribers.
The launch of a new Michelin guide to Kyoto and Osaka will lure foodie travellers to visit the two Japanese cities, it has been said.
Indeed, timeshare owners can enjoy plenty of gastronomic treats in both destinations, according to Kylie Clark, press manager at the Japan National Tourist Organisation.
There are other places that timeshare owners can head to for their Valentine's Day break other than the typical European destinations of Rome and Paris.
Marrakech in Morocco is one example, which offers the benefit of hot temperatures, added to the fact that it is out of the eurozone, which can prove expensive for British travellers at the current time, explained Nick Trend, editorial director of Simonseeks.com.
Fractional ownership is set to be introduced in Bulgaria, with property consultants OOD (BPC) planning to launch a product in the eastern European country.
The organisation has come up with a new business system which calculates the viability and effectiveness of a fractional ownership club system, meaning it can offer tailor-made applications that can match up with any specific project, Fractional Life has reported.
There are plenty of places across Europe that timeshare owners can head to for a great Valentine's Day, with the obvious destinations being Paris and Rome.
Venice is also another top choice for the most romantic time of year, according to Nick Trend, editorial director of Simonseeks.com, as it coincides with the Venice Carnival, which starts on February 16th.
India is emerging as a top timeshare destination, according to Dimitris Manikis, senior vice-president of business development in Europe at RCI.
The nation's timeshare industry has been established for some time but now there are opportunities for developers to get in there and enter the market, Mr Manikis commented.
Timeshare association TATOC has announced that Stephen Cloobeck, chairman and chief executive officer of Diamond Resorts International, will be the keynote speaker for the Working Together conference.
With 25 years of experience in the timeshare industry, Mr Cloobeck is considered to be one of the most accomplished entrepreneurs in the global holiday ownership sector.
The Vancouver Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games start next month and timeshare owners can head over to the country to enjoy the various events and celebrations.
Indeed, it appears the event is already proving popular, with Skyscanner reporting a 71 per cent rise in flight searches to Vancouver compared to last year.
Fine & Country is set to launch a fractional sales unit over its 350 licensed affiliates throughout the UK and Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Richard Combellack, head of Fine & Country International, told Fractional Life that the new side of the business has been approved by the board and the steering committee is happy for it to launch as well.
Timeshare owners can have a special holidaying experience in Jamaica, with decent year-round temperatures a treat as well.
Not only does the island offer timeshare owners warm, dry winters and hot, humid summers, there are also a variety of attractions and some stunning beaches, said Francesca Escery, global sales director of Cheapflights.co.uk.
Timeshare owners can enjoy some hidden treats on holiday throughout Australia, with Ningaloo Reef being a natural one in the western part of the country.
The coral reef, located off the western coast of Australia, has now been nominated for World Heritage Listing because of the area's outstanding natural beauty, biological wealth and international geological significance.
Preferred Residences, a hospitality branded membership and exchange programme for luxury whole and shared ownership resorts, has announced the affiliation of Los Altos Club in La Romana.
It is the first resort based in the Dominican Republic to join the network of Preferred Residences, which is run by a subsidiary of Interval Leisure Group.
Interval International has announced the affiliation of the Dawn Beach Club in St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles, in to its global holiday exchange network.
The resort is situated on the south-eastern shore of St Maarten and features 2-bedroom, 3-bath oceanfront condominiums with fully-equipped kitchens.
Satellite television, Wi-Fi and an oversized patio or balcony are also to be found in the units.
Timeshare brand Marriot Vacation Club has opened its 50th resort and will officially welcome owners and guests on January 15th.
The first phase of Marriott's Oceana Palms - The Palm Beaches, located on Singer Island in Riviera Beach, offers some splendid ocean views from the 75 2-bedroom villas and the complex is just steps away from golden sands and beautiful sea.
Demand for vacation exchange and resort rentals in the Caribbean is strong at present and Interval International is continuing to affiliate new projects across the region.
This is according to David Gilbert, executive vice-president of resort sales and marketing for Interval International, who said that shared ownership offers resort developers a convincing business model that provides higher occupancy levels than hotels.
As Britain freezes, Spain’s St. Tropez still hogs the top spot as Europe’s winter sun getaway. Fiona Klonarides writes about our love affair with the Spanish village that could.
Many Britons may choose to take advantage of timeshare resorts in the UK and Europe this year, at the expense of long-haul trips.
Studies carried out by research group TNS for Travel Weekly found that of those intending to go on holiday this year, one in four will choose a holiday in the UK or Ireland.
Those heading off to timeshare resorts this year should take into account changes to the booking systems of the major UK airlines.
According to timeshare specialists Club La Costa, holidaymakers now have to supply advanced passenger information at the time of booking a flight with many carriers, which includes full passport details of each person travelling.
