Caribbean Waves in as the Most Travel-Intensive Region in the World 

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. 

ARDA-ROC Introduces the Government Affairs Insider to Keep You Informed 

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.  

Florida Timeshare Resale Accountability Act Inches Closer to Passage 

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.

Wellness Trend is Here to Stay in 2012

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!  

Happy New Year from Howard 

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!  

Worldwide Shared Vacation Ownership Survey (non-US) 

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.

ARDA Fall Conference Update

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…….