By Howard Nusbaum

May 14, 2012

As I travel the world talking to timeshare developers, owners and other industry watchers, it occurs to me that many of them are probably wondering how ARDA can say that it has a global reach when our title has “American” in its name.

Well, the only real part of our charter that is uniquely "American” is our advocacy effort. One of the big things we do for our members is to monitor and impact the regulatory issues that affect timeshare by engaging in lobbying efforts. These efforts focus on the establishment of a legislative environment that enhances consumer confidence and protection.

But beyond this, everything we do is global. 

Our convention attracts industry people from around the world, and this year it was dubbed “ARDA World” to highlight the focus on global issues and opportunities, as well as the global marketplace in which we all operate. 

In addition, the ARDA International Foundation (AIF) offers professional and educational development and important primary research to our members. We are close to releasing our World Wide Shared Vacation Ownership Survey that will give perspective on the timeshare market in many countries around the world.

So whether our owners want to travel to Breckinridge, Bangkok, or Belize, they will be supported by the “ABCs” of ARDA.

By Howard Nusbaum

May 11, 2012

This year’s convention was the best I’ve seen in years. And it’s not just that Las Vegas is such a great destination—what has changed is the mood of the industry. After several years of struggling in the economic downturn, things are changing. The feeling was electric.

I believe the biggest positive factor right now is renewed access to capital, which is driving built-up demand to make new deals and form new global alliances.

For some developers, especially those large enough to go straight to the “Street” for securitizations, the credit freeze began to melt in 2009. But for many mid-sized and smaller developers, the hypothecation lending took much longer to de-frost. It is only within the past six months that the world of credit has stabilized for the vast majority. The good performance of our consumer notes coupled with healthier balance sheets has opened a wider flow of capital for the larger part of the industry. And, if this downturn taught us anything, it is that access to capital is at the foundation of our business.

Pairing this with the positive changes the industry has made and the overall entrepreneurial spirit that exists among us made for an upbeat convention, and hopefully an upbeat year to come. 

By Lou Ann Burney

May 9, 2012 

While our industry always celebrates the value of vacationing, the week of May 5-13 gives us yet another reason to do so. This week is National Tourism & Travel Week, a week-long annual celebration of the tourism industry that began in 1984 with a proclamation from President Ronald Reagan.

ARDA is marking this week as a time to revisit our consumer outreach campaigns that showcase timeshare as a better way to vacation. VacationBetter.org, ARDA’s consumer website, houses our current Timeshare Fan initiative—where you can get a first-hand look at real timeshare owners and learn why they love vacationing with timeshare.

We are now expanding upon the success of this initiative to feature stories and highlights from vacation resort employees who help make vacations a special and time-honored tradition for owners. In addition to monthly owner spotlights, we will be sharing profiles of the “Faces of Timeshare” to not only celebrate the efforts of those working in the industry, but also to provide consumers an inside look at the resorts and the employees who make our owners rave about their annual vacations.

Take some time this week to plan your next vacation!  

by Jason Gamel, ARDA State Affairs

May 7, 2012 

 What do the Florida Office of the Attorney General, Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS) all have in common?

They are all working tirelessly to protect timeshare owners from fraudulent actors in the secondary resale market. In the past six months, the industry has seen the passage of landmark timeshare resales legislation (thank you to Attorney General Bondi and her staff), dozens of investigations and arrests made by DACS related to timeshare resales fraud, and educational efforts spearheaded by DBPR to inform consumers about their rights as timeshare owners. After meeting with representatives from each of these offices this week, I am more convinced than ever that Florida is truly finding ways to help those who take their hard-earned vacations there.

Expect plenty of industry cooperation in the upcoming months to help identify fraudulent businesses (that have targeted timeshare owners as their victims) and to aid in the drafting of future legislation to put more tools in the hands of law enforcement to eradicate fraud in the industry. Along the same lines, expect increased educational efforts to come from the state and the industry that will put consumers in a better position to make good decisions about how they sell their timeshare interests. You can also visit www.arda-roc.org/resales for information related to timeshare resales and other consumer protection issues.

For now, if a consumer wishes to file a formal complaint against a person or company who they suspect may be involved in fraudulent activity, we encourage them to visit the Florida Attorney General’s website, the Florida DBPR website, and the Florida DACS website.

ARDA and ARDA-ROC are very excited about working with these agencies and see great things happening for the industry and consumers in 2012 and beyond.

by Jason Gamel, ARDA State Affairs 

April 30, 2012 

On Friday, April 20, several timeshare industry representatives testified in front of the Maui County Council to oppose Mayor Alan Arakawa’s proposed increase in the timeshare property tax rate from $15.00 to $16.15 per $1,000 of assessed value. While we remain positive about preventing an increase, the County also became aware that its prior property tax revenue assumptions were overstated, meaning the Mayor will have to revise his budget to include $6 million in revenue increases. At this time there is no indication that Maui County would be interested in cutting spending vs. raising more revenue, explaining the proposed increase in the timeshare property tax rate. Click here to view the testimony submitted by ARDA, ARDA-Hawaii, and ARDA-ROC. We’d like to thank the representatives from Starwood Vacation Ownership, Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Diamond Resorts International, Sands of Kahana Resort, ARDA, ARDA-ROC (Resort Owners’ Coalition), and the law firm of Imanaka, Kudo and Fujimoto for their presence at the hearing on April 20 as well as the owners and developers who submitted testimony. 

On May 3rd, the Maui County Council will have another public hearing to take testimony on the proposed property tax rates, including the timeshare rate. Even though the industry has made its position clear to the council over the past two years, ARDA and ARDA-ROC will continue to express its concerns about any increase to the timeshare tax rate.  

We need your help. Please share your concerns with the County Council Members. For contact information or to review talking points on this subject, visit the Maui County Tax Center on the ARDA-ROC website. 

Unfortunately, this will not be the last time that ARDA, ARDA-ROC, and the timeshare industry will be doing battle with the Maui County Council on property tax issues. Rest assured that we are continuing to look at ways that the industry can convince the council that taxing the timeshare industry is not a long term solution for the county’s budget issues.  Please check back with us in the next few weeks for more information.

March 27, 2012

We’ve seen the research:  vacations are important for your good health. Then why do Americans leave at least two of their 14 vacation days on the table annually? It’s because they don’t have the extra money and don’t make the time to plan. 

We know that timeshare vacations are an antidote to both of those problems. Once they have pre-paid, most owners find a way to use the time they’ve purchased – committing themselves to regular vacation time.  And the planning aspect is easy when you own timeshare. 

ARDA is encouraging our members to highlight the health benefits that regular, “get-away” vacations can provide.   

“People need to realize that taking time to unwind is an important health benefit,” says Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “Relieving stress, spending time with family, and re-energizing will pay dividends throughout the rest of the year.”  

So, pass on this doctor’s advice—“Take Two Weeks and Call Me in the Morning!” 

by Lou Ann Burney

March 16, 2012 

 
As a part of our consumer education campaign, ARDA worked with RCI and Interval International to issue a news release with consumer tips on “Making the Most of Exchange.” We are sharing these with the media, posting on VacationBetter.org, and getting the message on exchange out through our social media channels.

After all, this is one of the main reasons people continue to buy and love their timeshare vacations. Here are the tips…feel free to share them!

Tips for getting the most out of your timeshare exchange:

Deposit early: In general, the earlier you deposit your interval the greater trading power you will receive. This will result in more available vacation choices. Members of the RCI Weeks program can deposit their timeshares up to two years before their start dates.

Be flexible: The more specific you make your vacation searches, the less options you will find. Allowing for some flexibility in the dates you plan to travel or the destinations or resorts you want to visit will greatly increase your chances of finding a match.

Strength in Numbers: Members who own multiple weeks or points intervals can deposit them at once and may be able to redeem them to secure additional units to travel with family and friends. RCI also allows its RCI Weeks subscribing members to combine units so they can trade up and exchange for an interval with a higher trading power.

Exchange Online: Search for your next vacation online at your convenience by visiting IntervalWorld.com or RCI.com. These online sites allow subscribing members to search through thousands of vacation options and complete their vacation exchange in a few simple clicks.

Protect Your Vacation: Purchasing vacation protection gives timeshare owners the peace of mind in knowing that if they need to cancel their exchange vacation for any reason, the deposited interval they used for exchange will be restored and they will receive a credit for the exchange fee they paid that can be used toward another exchange in the future.

Watch and Learn: Get the story on placing pending requests, finding a pet-friendly resort, and more by watching Interval’s informative tutorials on IntervalWorld.com or by visiting RCI.com and checking out the educational videos at RCI® TV.
 

March 12, 2012

Our industry may be familiar with the benefits that timeshare owners credit to their vacation products, but are these benefits similar to the vacation priorities of non-owners?   

Reflecting back on the 2011 ARDA International Foundation's Prospect Study, non-owners cited price, quality of resort, and destination as vacation benefits of highest importance. This isn’t surprising to owners who value a regular vacation and know that they’ll get a quality stay every time they vacation with timeshare, but to people unfamiliar with how the products work, this presents a promising opportunity.   

Also of interest from the study were the categories of non-owners by vacation type:  Relaxers, Adventurers, Social Vacationers, and Simplifiers. This shows the power of industry research—to learn how to improve our products and understand our consumers better.  We’ve already seen developers extend rental packages as a way to test the product, transition to points-based systems so that owners have access to more destination choices, and customize vacation packages to appeal to more consumers. Look to AIF to publish more compelling studies in the months to come, including the first worldwide study in over a decade. 

March 1, 2012

Our latest Owners Report categorizes timeshare owners into one of six segments:  Fans, Vacationists, Togetherers, Experiencers, Strugglers, and Attritors. Each segment has a unique set of values, opportunities, and barriers.  

For example, we found that owners will be increasingly shopping for “value” in this market. Value seems to be operationalized as more than just low cost, but also benefits that appear to be at a premium, especially the ability to exchange and increase flexibility.  

Another observation is in the benefit of reaching new and emerging markets. Currently, timeshare owners are disproportionately Caucasian. According to Census projections, their representation is expected to decline while other ethnicities—Hispanics, in particular—are projected for considerable growth.   

One of the segments in the AIF’s new segmentation program, Togetherers, has a much greater Hispanic/African American population than found within the industry as a whole. This segment provides strong advocacy for the industry and its organizations. 

There is a detailed description of each segment as well as the implications and recommendations in the full study. Contact us here to get a copy. 

February 27, 2012 

Our latest Resale Study shows some clear strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats as it relates to the timeshare industry overall, and within the different transaction channels.

Each channel has a largely unique set of strengths and weaknesses. The resale channel has a distinct advantage when it comes to perceptions related to price. But, while resale channels have an advantage on price, developers control advocacy. Previous research has underscored both the quality and importance of delivering an exceptional experience.

This represents one of the developer’s greatest assets and strongest marketing tools: access to the resort is considered a requirement to purchase and many choose to access the resort by staying with current owners. 

There are clear indications that customers and prospects trust what they see and hear, but only to a point: the use of the Internet for research purposes coupled with a disinclination to use it for transactions, the desire to work with a licensed real estate broker, and the increased confidence associated with increased oversight are all indications that credibility concerns exist.

The study goes into many more details and discusses additional important implications for the industry. Please contact us if you’d like to learn more.
 

February 23, 2012  

ARDA World 2012 will be here in just six weeks, and everyone at ARDA is excited about this year’s global theme—featuring attendees from over 35 countries, international development organizations from around the world, and internationally-focused sessions and events. The general sessions and one select session from each educational wave will feature simultaneous translation into Spanish and Portuguese. Expect valuable insight from this year’s keynote speaker, loyalty expert Frederick Reichheld of Bain & Company’s loyalty practice, which helps companies achieve results through customer and employee loyalty. New this year is the ARDA World mobile application, available for web-accessible and smart phones, where attendees can access or customize the convention sessions.  ARDA World will also feature interactive Twitter (using the official hashtag #ARDAWorld), Facebook, and Flickr walls throughout the convention space. 

Register now, or for more information, visit the ARDA World website.

February 16, 2012 

The good news is that the Caribbean region continues to be the most travel and tourism intensive region in the world, according to the 2011 Caribbean Travel and Tourism Economic Impact Study, sponsored by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).   

However, the Caribbean was also fraught with severe economic distress due to the global recession and now faces more potential legislative challenges as Caribbean governments face funding struggles in their recovery process. What that means for our industry is that we need to be prepared to fend off such legislative proposals that would negatively impact the timeshare industry (both developers and owners) and the entire Caribbean travel and tourism industry. Fortunately, ARDA-Caribbean is proactively addressing these challenges. One example of this can be found in the U.S. Virgin Islands where ARDA-Caribbean is actively involved in the strategic planning discussions with the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and the Office of the Governor in their 5-year Tourism Development plan to chart a sustainable future for tourism in the territory.  Look for more legislative updates in the ARDA-Caribbean section of the website. 

February 14, 2012 

The ARDA and ARDA-ROC government affairs team recently launched the Government Affairs Insider, a bi-weekly digital publication designed to keep you up-to-date on legislative issues and activities affecting the timeshare industry. 

This week’s Insider reports on ARDA-supported timeshare legislation in Florida, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. These bills, some including legislation regarding timeshare resale companies, have received positive responses from state legislatures and are moving through House and Senate committees quickly.  

ARDA-ROC has also begun working with the Virginia Resort Development Association (VRDA) on lobbying efforts for two bills that have been introduced in the Virginia House. 

For more information on these news items in this week’s Insider, as well as access to previous editions of the Insider, click here.  

February 8, 2012

In January, Florida State Senator Andy Gardiner and Florida State Representative Eric Eisnaugle, with the support of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, introduced the Timeshare Resale Accountability Act of 2012. The motivation behind the Act was to protect Florida consumers and help put an end to deceptive marketing practices conducted by fraudulent timeshare resale companies that have been targeting consumers under the guise of offering a service to help sell their timeshare product.

Under the new law, timeshare owners would be given more information about resale companies and the ability to rescind a sales contract, helping to protect them from bad actors. The House bill was passed unanimously out of House Judiciary Committee and will make its next and final stop in the House Economic Affairs Committee. Its companion bill in the Senate will be heard in the Senate Budget Committee, also its final stop. Similar legislation has been introduced in Colorado and will begin to move through legislative process shortly.

February 3, 2012

How many of us start the year with a resolution to get healthier? Luckily, our research shows that for many consumers they stick with that for the entire year when it comes to their travel choices.

Consumers want their vacations to reflect a healthier lifestyle factor. While the timeshare industry has long advocated the healthful benefits of regular time away to rejuvenate and relax, resort developers continue to expand their vacation products with more options and access to healthful programs and activities.

Many timeshare resorts have expanded their offerings to include health and wellness components such as fitness programs, enhanced spa services, cuisine packages, weight-loss regimens and concierge services to customize a specific healthy vacation experience.

One example is the Wellness Center at Marriott’s Desert Springs Villas, offering classes ranging from yoga and Tai Chi to water fitness and shoulder and back strengthening.

And, according to Interval International, many of their clients’ properties in the Americas and the Caribbean have fitness centers and full-service spas, and those with restaurants are presenting healthier menu options. This increased consciousness of wellness is reflected in Interval’s most recent U.S. member profile. Reporting on their preferred vacation activities, nearly half of those surveyed include working out and exercising while close to 40 percent cite spa services.

How important is a healthy vacation to you? Let us know in the comments!  

By Howard Nusbaum

December 21, 2011

As I was packing for my own holiday vacation last night, I got to thinking about the excitement that comes with the final preparation for a family holiday—the sense of adventure, freedom, and anticipation that feels a bit like the first hill of a really fun roller coaster! The pleasure in knowing that the next seven days are being spent with the ones you love, the people that make all the hard work in life worth it. It’s also all about breaking the routines of your daily life and making the small things large— things like connecting with the people and feelings most important to you.

I think this is also how our timeshare consumers feel as they embark on their vacations at wonderful resorts around the world. In our industry, we are the creators of these important memories for millions of families like yours and mine, which makes me love even more what we do as our core business: resort development. We should never forget that the thousands of people who comprise this wonderful industry get to be the “chefs” of the vacations du jour, and how fortunate we are.

So, my holiday challenge to you is to “walk the walk” of better vacationing. Take the time this holiday to plan that getaway with the ones you love. Make it a priority to stop and appreciate the small things and do what all satisfied timeshare owners do—plan a better vacation!

Happy New Year and best wishes for a successful and rejuvenating 2012!  

From Darla Zanini 

December 15, 2011 

 

Hopefully all of you with international properties have had a chance to participate in the ARDA International Foundation’s (AIF) first worldwide survey in over a decade. We will complete data collection at the end of December and begin tabulating results to provide the industry with statistics on the importance of vacation ownership and its most recent performance trends around the world.

Shared vacation ownership sales and resort operations represent a significant and growing force in the global economy and this major research undertaking will begin to quantify that.

The survey was developed and launched in early November with the ARDA International Foundation (AIF) working closely with Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company to conduct the supply portion of the study and The Research Intelligence Group to conduct the consumer portion of the survey.  In that piece, we are measuring number of owners, residence by country, international travel preferences and for non-owners, industry awareness.  

We will ascertain key industry metrics including sales volumes, product types, resort occupancy rates and operating metrics for every world region. The results will help the financial and investment communities better understand the state of the industry and help the industry professionals around the world to educate the public, the press, lawmakers and business partners alike about the industry so that a better business environment can be created or maintained.

The survey reached 99 countries and was available in five languages. The full report will be available in Spring 2012.

From Howard Nusbaum 

November 15, 2011 

This year’s Fall Conference left me more “fired up” about the timeshare industry than ever. The enthusiasm of the attendees was contagious, and we all left with a renewed sense of commitment of working together to promote and grow this industry we all love.    

The agenda was too full to recap in this blog, so I’m including just a few highlights. We did manage to capture some special moments on camera.

Wednesday, November 9, was a full day of committee meetings where we laid the groundwork of activities and discussions for our next meeting during ARDA WORLD in Las Vegas. We concluded that day with catching up with old friends at Interval International’s Welcome Reception. Then ARDA Trustees enjoyed a real treat….dinner at The Embassy of France!

Thursday started early with a meeting of the ARDA Board of Directors.  Speakers included Josh Holmes, Chief of Staff to the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who spoke to us about what is happening in the Senate.  Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), provided us with a legislative landscape of several issues, including the Visa Waiver initiative.  

We were treated to a fascinating speech at the Legislative Luncheon by Congressman Michael Grimm from Staten Island, who also served in the U.S. Marine Corps and as an FBI undercover agent. 

Next was the ARDA Town Hall on the State of the Secondary Market, where we heard from ARDA Chairman Don Harrill, ARDA-ROC Chairman Ken McKelvey, and AIF Chairman Bob Miller as well as audience participants. 

Our Keynote Speaker was Dr. Peter Morici, a nationally recognized expert and commentator on economic policy and international politics. His National Economic Forecast presentation was insightful (and rather sobering).

The Closing Night Reception, sponsored by RCI, gave us a chance to network and relax a bit after two packed days of meetings, presentations, and business discussions.  

We wrapped up Friday morning with our Chairman’s League Breakfast, featuring Tucker Carlson, contributor to FOX News and editor-in-chief of the Daily Caller news site.  He offered us his witty and entertaining comments on the presidential candidates. 

I think I speak for all ARDA staff when I say that we left The Fairmont Hotel with renewed energy, optimism, and dedication to our members and the industry.   That is born partly out of a great Fall Conference program but also out of the various developer and stakeholder meetings where the real deals are made.  Stay tuned for more…….

November 8, 2011

Welcome to ARDA Insights, an industry blog that will cover the latest industry happenings, brief updates from ARDA staff, news & announcements, and thoughts from industry leaders—as well as commentary from leaders outside our industry.

With this initial blog, we’d like to call your attention to a new consumer effort that ARDA kicked off on November 1– introducing and celebrating “Timeshare Fans.” We are working on this monthly initiative via a close partnership with our developer members. It will provide consumers unfamiliar with timeshare with a sense of why we have so many happy owners.

Each month, we will profile owners who will talk about their experience and why they love to vacation with timeshare. There can be video, photos, a blog posting from the owner, or whatever other creative elements the team develops. We will build some buzz around it each month with a press release and social media.

We’re happy to say we launched with Holiday Inn Club Vacations and four happy owners. Please take a look at www.VacationBetter.org, and we encourage you to link to this site and to use your own social media platforms to help us spread the word.

You may notice, too, that our consumer website has a fresh new look. The updated design—along with a new Timeshare Fan each month—will encourage those interested in learning more about timeshare vacation options to visit the site often.

December’s “Timeshare Fan” will be from Hilton Vacation Club, with more to follow! If you are interested in getting an owner’s story on VacationBetter.org, please contact Lou Ann Burney.

Look for our next blog recapping some of the events from this week’s annual Fall Conference…and if you’ll be there, don’t forget to participate in the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #fallconference!