International Focus: All Eyes on China 

by Catherine Reynolds, RCI

In terms of travel and tourism, China is leading the race! Over the last two decades, the volume of international trips by Chinese travelers grew from 10 million (in 2000) to 83 million (in 2012), and domestic tourism reported 3.3 billion trips in 2013, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). When you consider that travelers from China are the top source of tourism spending in the world, it’s no wonder that travel industry leaders are focused on this hotspot.

Several factors have fueled this significant growth: rapid urbanization, rising disposable incomes, and the relaxation of government restrictions on foreign travel. In fact, the Chinese government has a five-year plan focused on the travel and tourism market and aims to double leisure spending to $886 billion (5.5 trillion yuan) by 2020.

This is all excellent news for the vacation ownership industry! The percentage of qualified households that own a timeshare rests at less than 0.3 percent, making for a nearly 20 million household opportunity (ARDA’s International Foundation 2013 World Wide Shared Vacation Ownership Report). Timeshare development in the region is growing and poised for a supportive business environment—given the government’s direction to develop new business models for the travel industry.

The only challenge continues to be China’s few vacation days offered to workers. However, that, too, is slowly changing. The government adopted new regulations in 2008 offering more public holidays and paid annual leave. And, as the needs of China’s travelers are growing, the vacation ownership industry stands ready to create luxurious vacation experiences for a new class of world travelers. 

ARDA World Early-Bird Registration Ends Today! 

By Kathyrn Mullan, ARDA
February 19, 2016 

ARDA World 2016 is going to be chock full of informative sessions, networking activities and personal growth opportunities. We hope you are planning to join us from May 1-5 in Hollywood, Florida, for what’s sure to be another big, exciting convention for our industry!

There are a few important deadlines we want to be sure are on your calendar:

February 19, 2016
Early-bird registration ends today!  You can save $400 simply by signing up early. 

March 4, 2016
Deadline for attendee list inclusion; Last day to cancel registration

April 11, 2016
Hotel cut-off for discount room rate (Diplomat $249/night; Crowne Plaza $209/night)

Register today!  

And read about all of the 2016 ARDA World events and activities in the February issue of Developments Magazine!

Consumer Reports Looks at Timeshare 

“Is a Timeshare Vacation a Good Value?”

  

-- Peter Roth, ARDA Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Industry Relations 

The March 2016 issue of Consumer Reports delves into whether timeshare vacations are a good value.  They examine the costs of vacationing at the Disney World Polynesian Village Resort in Orlando, Florida from two perspectives: renting and owning.  They find that after a certain number of years, owning a timeshare pays off.

Read the full Consumer Reports article.

In a sister article, “The Timeshare Comes of Age,” Consumer Reports reviews the changes our industry has seen through the years, including becoming more consumer-friendly and transparent.  Looking at the demographic shift to younger families, the article quotes Howard Nusbaum and makes the case for what to consider when buying.

As you know, Consumer Reports serves consumers through unbiased product testing and ratings, research, journalism, public education, and advocacy.  This kind of unbiased assessment of timeshare is a testament to the product our industry already knows and loves for better vacationing.