In a media release just out, ARDA, the American Resort Development Association cites the State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry: United States Study 2011 Edition conducted by Ernst & Young, as showing a positive pattern for timeshares. Significant factors include:

• 80 percent of timeshare owners vacationed in their timeshare last year.
• Timeshare sales were steady with a slight increase over the previous year.
• Timeshare rentals continue to thrive as 10 percent of timeshare occupancy was by renters; a fact attributed to the expansion of timeshare rental programs.
• Last year, timeshare rental accounted for 7.9 million nights rented. Currently 82 percent of timeshare resorts offer some form of timeshare rental.
• Several leaders in timeshare increased their offerings to include timeshare points as well as (and sometimes in place of) fixed timeshare week intervals.
• 55 percent of new timeshare sales are from individuals who are new to timeshare.
• 45 percent of timeshare sales are from people who already own a timeshare.

As Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO ARDA explains, “People are still making budget-conscious decisions when it comes to travel, which is why the value proposition of timeshare products is so appealing to our approximately 8 million owners.”

Follow this link to read the full release by the American Resort Development Association.

Until now, you couldn’t do it. When you wanted to buy timeshare on the resale market and take advantage of the great opportunities and excellent timeshare resale prices, you couldn’t get easy, affordable financing.

Timeshare financing was limited primarily to high-interest loans exclusively for the sale of new timeshares purchased through the developer. But Sell My Timeshare NOW and the consumer loan experts at Prosper.com have changed all that. We’ve made timeshare resale financing available in the easiest way possible.

Apply for a Timeshare Resale Loan Online

Prosper.com was established by top experts in consumer loans; some of the same people who developed eLoan, an online lending resource with one of the highest consumer confidence ratings in the marketplace.

Partnering with Sell My Timeshare NOW, Prosper has made industry-first, consumer financing available to make it easier than ever to buy timeshare resales.

Here are the important facts you need to know about timeshare resale financing:

• Prosper.com’s timeshare loans are backed by traditional financing sources.
• You can apply quickly, easily, and privately, online at www.financemytimeshare.com
• Loans are available in amounts up to $25,000.
• You can spread your monthly payments out over 1, 3, or 5 years
• Interest rates start at 7.4 percent (lower for shorter terms)

Want to know more? Go to Sell My Timeshare NOW for a free, no obligation quote.

The following excerpt is from an article titled, “Timeshare resort management and the power of understanding your brand.” This article, by Jason Tremblay appears in the June edition of The Resort Trades and this portion is reprinted here with their permission.

In it, we take a serious look at brand messaging and why the timeshare industry may be missing the mark when we fail to speak to the hearts of consumers. Vacations truly are about so much more than resort amenities, yet we as an industry often fail to mention or market the benefits that timeshare owners and renters may value most: the memories, the laughter, the relaxation and the bonding time, to name only a few.

To find out more about the power of understanding your brand, and what it means for timeshare owners and the industry as a whole, look for this article in the this month’s The Resort Trades.

Two popular Bluegreen timeshare resorts, Bluegreen Wilderness Club at Big Cedar timeshare and The Cliffs at Long Creek and Paradise Point timeshare, are working together as part of the relief effort for victims of the tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri on May 22.

Becca VonderMehden, assistant resort manager at Bluegreen Wilderness Club at Big Cedar timeshare says, “Many of our owners, guests, vendors and suppliers live in Joplin. They have lost nearly everything–their homes, automobiles, possessions, jobs and businesses. Thousands of innocent victims are now homeless and in need of life’s necessities like water, food, toiletries, flashlights, tools, money and more.”

How Bluegreen Timeshares Are Making a Difference

Collecting cash and supplies, the two Missouri timeshare resorts are processing their donations through the American Red Cross as designated funds for Joplin Tornado Relief. Each resort set up collection points where Bluegreen timeshare employees, timeshare owners, resort guests and area residents could drop off their donations. At Bluegreen timeshare’s corporate headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida, employees joined the effort, donating the proceeds of their monthly raffle to the Joplin fund.

On May 26, the two Bluegreen resorts used a shuttle bus to transport the supplies collected to Joplin residents. Monetary collections are ongoing.

You can make a difference, too. To make your personal gift to this effort, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit their website at www.redcross.org. You can also make a $10 donation by texting the word: REDCROSS to 90999.

Our special guest blogger, Brook Doucha, manager of corporate communications and media relations for Orange Lake Resorts, home to Holiday Inn Club Vacations, has already shared a preview with you of the ARDA Northeast Regional Meeting. (See: ARDA Northeast Social Media Session: Getting Down to Brass Tactics)

This timeshare industry event promises to be extremely beneficial to all who are involved. We will be meeting June 6-7, 2011, at the Marriott Providence Downtown in Providence, Rhode Island.

Monday includes a golf tournament at Swansea Country Club, with late afternoon registration. At 4 PM on Monday, we’ll hear from Mike Hampton, Dean, Florida International University, speaking on: “The next generation, Generation R, is about to enter the work force; are you ready for them?” Then we will go to the product showcase, followed by the reception dinner.

Speakers and Panels Planned for Tuesday at the ARDA Regional Timeshare Conference

Tuesday we’ll start with our breakfast speaker and an AIF update from Darla Zanini RRP, Executive Vice President, ARDA International Foundation. At 9 AM, I will be part of a panel discussing the topic, “HOA Challenges and Solutions: Postcard and Rescue Companies, Resales, and Rentals.” It is my honor to be speaking along with R. Scott MacGregor, Chief Financial Officer, InnSeason Resorts; Rich Muller, Senior VP Resort Operations, Vacation Resorts International and moderator John Funk, attorney, Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell. We will look at issues facing timeshare HOAs in today’s economic environment, including significant challenges and how to solve them.

Then Brooke and others will lead the panel on “Using Social Media to Reach Your Owners/Members.” Included in this session will be moderator Stacey Sutherland, Vice President Corporate Communications, Holiday Inn Club Vacations; and speakers Phil Brojan, Senior Vice President of Marketing, RCI; Brooke Doucha, Senior Manager Corporate Communications, Holiday Inn Club Vacations; Sara Bader Little, Director of Corporate Communications, Festiva Hospitality Group; and David Meier, Vice President Products and Partnership, Interval International.

By afternoon, we’ll be ready to hear about what is currently happening in timeshare legislation and find out about the new ARDA-ROC website and HOA database from Keith Stephenson, Director State Government Affairs at ARDA. And throughout the busy two days, there will be a lot of networking, idea exchange, and camaraderie, which is part of what makes such timeshare industry events so rewarding to attend.

If you want to know more, be sure you follow me on Twitter at: @JasonTremblay_ and @VacationHotDeal. You will also want to follow Brooke at: @BrookeDoucha and @ARDAOrg as well as checking the hash tag #SMbrasstactics.

Citing TripAdvisor and other travel industry resources, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) says indicators are good for summer travel and vacationing in the US. ARDA points out trends that show, “… more people are planning to travel this year than the previous year, vacationing with family members is a top priority and group getaways are on the rise.”

Positive signs for the travel, tourism, and timeshare vacation industries include:

• Globally, 83 percent of those surveyed are planning at least one family vacation this year, a four percent increase from 2010.
• In the US, 59 percent of Americans are planning a trip this summer, up from 51 percent in 2010.
• Vacationing consumers plan to take vacations that average two-weeks and anticipate spending $1,200 per person.
• For those vacationers planning three-day getaways, anticipated per traveler spending is $300.
• Nearly 70 percent of those planning vacations say they will travel with their immediate families.
• Girlfriend getaways and man-cations continue to grow in popularity.
• Budget planning remains a concern for most travelers who will be looking to cut costs while still enjoying their vacation time.

ARDA Sees Good News for Timeshare

When vacationers want to travel but still need to watch their budgets, timeshares are a logical solution. As ARDA CEO and President, Howard Nusbaum, explains, “Vacationing with timeshare provides the luxury of resort travel but with the comforts of home. There is certainly a monetary value to a traditional timeshare vacation because it affords your family the flexibility to eat meals together in your kitchen rather than splitting a pizza on a hotel bed. But it’s the sentimental value of spending relaxed, quality time with your family or friends in a spacious setting that allows everyone the space to truly rejuvenate that timeshare owners love most about the products.”

Click here to read this and other American Resort Development Association news releases.

Brooke Doucha
Guest Post for TheTimeshareAuthority.com
Submitted 6/02/11

The next social media session, webinar, workshop – I bet there’s one coming to a conference near you. But how many of them will discuss not only how to get started, but also tactics to make your program more engaging? And how many will really hit home for professionals in the vacation ownership industry?

At next week’s ARDA Northeast Conference in Providence, RI, your industry friends will get down to social media “brass tactics.” Breakout sessions on June 7 will cover the following topics:

Putting social media to work to boost customer satisfaction and communicate with members

Sara B. Little, Director, Corporate Communications for Festiva Hospitality Group and David Meier, Vice President Products and Partnership for Interval International will discuss:

• Contest ideas for encouraging member feedback; identifying your most “vocal” fans
• How to provide valuable, rich content
• How to turn a “foe” into a “fan”

Using Monitoring Tools

Philip Brojan, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Group RCI will help you develop tactics for using social media monitoring tools, including:

• Internal workflows for social media monitoring and response
• Putting social media metrics to work
• Gaining a competitive edge

Creating New Connections

I’ll be sharing how to build a social network and make it work for your brand’s public relations outreach via:

• Using Twitter to create story pitches and source leads for PR outreach
• Using LinkedIn to create dynamic connections
• Creating a “Guest Blogger” program

If you can’t make the ARDA Northeast Conference but want to participate in the discussion in 140 characters or less, tweet your questions to @ARDAOrg and use the hashtag #SMbrasstactics. We’ll answer these questions at the session on June 7 and will share the answers—and other resources—back here on The Timeshare Authority on June 15.

ARDA Northeast Conference

June 6-7, 2011
Marriott Providence Downtown

Providence, RI

Brooke Doucha manages corporate communications and media relations for Orange Lake Resorts, home to Holiday Inn Club Vacations.

The following article, “Timeshare Resort Management and the Power of Understanding Your Brand,” appears in the June Issue of Resort Trades. This excerpt was reprinted with their permission. You may read the article it is entirety at The Resort Trades website.

Let’s face it … perception really is reality when it comes to timeshare.

Timeshare resorts fail or succeed based on the satisfaction of the timeshare owners. When the owners perceive that their voice is heard and their opinion matters, they will individually and collectively provide the vibrancy that empowers the resort to sustain and succeed.

Satisfied timeshare owners are the lifeblood of successful timeshares.

Yes, the economy matters, along with a myriad of other issues. But when timeshare owners are happy with the product they own, the resort is then fortified to deal with and survive the woes of the economy, lender issues, dwindling reserves, maintenance, mounting debt, safety, security, taxation, and daily operational challenges that are inherent in the existence of a resort.

Resort management companies recognize that timeshare owners who are happy with their vacation ownership pay their annual fees on time, treat the product they own with tender loving care, respond more favorably to the need for special assessments, and understand why too much deferred maintenance is in everyone’s best interest to avoid.

When their timeshare ownership matters to them, owners will work harder to hold up their end of the deal and keep up with their responsibilities as an owner. But in order for their timeshare to be a priority for them, owners must first feel that they are valued by the resort.

Only the resort management can create an environment that communicates the critical message that timeshare is all about the owner. Timeshare owner happiness and satisfaction does not hinge on a resort being perfect; it hinges on a resort being responsive to them as the people whose opinions matter most.

Which US city was first to have 50 million tourists in a single year?

That would be Orlando, Florida with a record setting 51.4 million visitors in 2010.

Forget the struggling economy, last year’s tourism to this sunny vacation spot saw a 10.9 percent gain over the previous year. Orlando’s mayor calls it, “… great news to lead the entire nation.”

What Do 51 Million Tourists Mean for Orlando Timeshare?

If you are familiar with timeshare destinations, then you may already know that there are more timeshare resorts and more timeshare units in Orlando than in any other location in the world. If you are a prospective buyer, this means a competitive timeshare resale market with lots of choices. But if you are trying to resell your Orlando timeshare, 51 million vacationers is also a game changer.

The large number of Orlando timeshares does not necessarily indicate a glut or overabundance of vacation ownership properties. While not every Orlando timeshare is an easy sale, vibrant tourism in Orlando means that there is, and will continue to be, a demand for Orlando timeshare resales and Orlando timeshare rentals.

Consider these reasons that Orlando stays at the top of the list when it comes to favorite destination resorts:

• Orlando theme parks cater to visitors of all ages and continually refresh their offerings with new rides, shows, and attractions. Families take repeated vacations in Orlando enjoying different experiences as their children go from pre-schoolers, to junior high, to teens and young adults.
• Orlando is invested in tourism. If the number of visitors threatens to dip, civic and business leaders respond proactively to ensure their city remains a top tourist destination.
• Orlando is as invested in its convention business as it is in it’s family vacationers. Orlando is both the number one city to which convention visitors bring their families along and the number one city for booking extra days before or after business commitments.
• Located in the center of the state, Orlando is rarely at risk from hurricane damage in the same way coastal communities may be. At the same time, it’s approximately an hour’s drive to either coast, meaning it is easy to incorporate beach time into your inland Orlando vacation plans. With typically mild winters, and lots of sunshine, the reason Orlando remains a popular destination is often simply a matter of: location, location, location!