Whether it’s your personal budget or the US economy, spending less is key to getting a budget under control. Many vacationers have already realized that renting timeshare or buying a timeshare resale affords them a great way to enjoy a budget-friendly vacation.

You can find excellent prices on timeshare rentals because owners who can’t use the unit that year and do not plan to exchange it are often highly negotiable regarding the rental price. If you are buying a timeshare resale at a competitive price, then you are not only locking in the cost of your vacation accommodations for years to come but you are likely realizing a dramatic savings on the purchase price.

But many of the cost saving features of timeshare vacations are less obvious. Here’s a list of more ways your timeshare saves you money on vacationing.

Timeshare Vacation Tips for Saving Money

1. Because many timeshares offer washers and dryers in or near your unit, you can shop for fewer vacation clothes. Just as importantly, with so many airlines charging baggage fees, you can pack lighter.
2. While eating out is part of the fun of vacationing, it is also one of the big costs. With kitchens and dining areas in most timeshare units, meals on your family vacation don’t have to cost any more than you would spend eating at home.
3. Many timeshare resorts are vacation destinations within themselves. With so many amenities and activities on property, your family can have a great vacation without spending a lot on gas, car rentals, and admission pricing for area attractions.
4. When you do visit nearby attractions, always check with your timeshare to see if there is courtesy transportation to these locations. You may also want to inquire whether your resort offers a shuttle to and from the airport.
5. The option to exchange timeshare means you can vacation at a resort destination near your home, have a fully relaxing holiday, and save the time, costs and scheduling considerations of extended travel.

Visit Parenting.com for more money saving vacation ideas.

Shell Vacations Club is already known for bringing you great family vacation destinations. But you may not be aware of how much the people at Shell Vacations Club are doing for local communities.

President and Chief Operating Officer Tracy L. Sherles, works to support the Community Partners’ Autism organization. In her hometown, which has a rate of children born with autism that is higher than the national average, Sherles has organized a fundraising golf tournament and silent auction for each of the last six years. This year, more than one hundred golfers played in the fundraiser tournament, raising over $10,000 for the local nonprofit organization.

In addition to sponsoring the tournament, Shell Vacations Club provided prizes for the auction including two one-week vacations at a selected Shell Vacations resort.

Company Chairman and CEO, Sheldon H Ginsburg, helps Shell Vacations Club generate support for Canine Companions for Independence ® (CCI) and Guide Dogs for the Blind. Ginsburg says, “Besides always wanting to assist those not as fortunate as us, my wife and I are animal (and specifically dog) lovers. We actively support these charities as they provide support to both of those passions.”

On October 1, the Guide Dogs for the Blind will host their ninth annual Canine Heroes Wine Auction. Shell Vacations will host event attendees at their Vino Bello Resort® in Napa, California. The proceeds from this event help support annual veterinary costs of $3 million for 4,200 program dogs and puppies.

These two commitments are only a small part of what Shell Vacations Club is doing to help important causes on a local and national level. You can learn more about each of these important events here: 18 for Autism on Facebook and Canine Heroes Wine Auction on Facebook. Click here to learn more about other Shell Vacations Club charitable work.

And more about Shell Vacations Club here: Shell Vacation Club and here: Shell Vacation Club resales.

Everyone knows the best reasons to take an Orlando timeshare vacation. Theme parks, sunshine, and great deals on Orlando timeshare resales and Orlando timeshare rentals head the list.

But we thought you might want to know about other “Bests” in their category, from Orlando Magazine’s 2011 Best of Orlando list. Today’s The Timeshare Authority blog looks at 5 “Bests” that have nothing to do with thrill rides at the theme parks, but could help make your Central Florida timeshare vacation experience more fun and more memorable.

1. The CityArts Factory on Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando took first place in the category of Best Art Gallery. But if you are like many visitors to Orlando, and you rarely venture downtown, Baterby’s Art Auction Gallery came in as number 3 on the list and it is located in the heart of the vacation area, on International Drive.
2. Charming and historic Dubsdread Golf Course was recognized as the Best Public Course in Orlando while Celebration Golf Club ranked second. Celebration Golf is only minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort and just 7 miles from Sea World, Discovery Cove and other popular tourist destinations.
3. The Mall at Millenia earned the spot as Best Mall in Orlando with The Florida Mall, coming in as a close second. Both are conveniently located near Orlando timeshares and resorts.
4. The honor of Best Live Music Venue went to the Hard Rock Live, located at Universal Studios, followed by the House of Blues in Lake Buena Vista, (also a popular area with vacationers) and coming in at number 3 is The Social, a downtown venue, where the atmosphere is cozy and the entertainment ranges from unpredictable to amazing.
5. And for anyone who plans to turn an Orlando vacation into a lifetime of wedded bliss, The Venetian Room at the Caribe Royale Hotel ranked as the number one Best Place to Propose.

To learn more about these and other “Bests,” visit the website for the Orlando Magazine and click here to find the best deals in Orlando timeshare resales and Orlando timeshare rentals.

The Residence Club at El Corazon de Santa Fe, a fractional ownership residence property, has announced it will come under the management of Fairmont Heritage Place, joining Fairmont’s collection of exclusive properties.

Property developer Rob Harper of the Dallas, Texas-based, Unity Hunt, Inc., says, “This is a wonderful opportunity for both the current and future owners at the Residence Club at El Corazon de Santa Fe. We’re very excited about becoming part of Fairmont’s prestigious Heritage Place collection.”

Located in historic and culturally rich downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico, fractional ownership at the Residence Club at El Corazon starts in the mid-$100,000′s and includes deeded one-eight undivided interest in the property.

Fairmont is owned by FRHI Holdings Limited, a leading global hotel company with 100 hotels under the Fairmont, Swissôtel, and Raffles brands. The Company also manages Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel branded Residences, Estates, luxury private residence club properties, and serviced residences.

Many families have found that fractional ownership affords them the luxury of a second home, without the on-going responsibilities typically associated with sole ownership of a vacation home. Other desirable Fairmont Heritage Place fractional ownership properties can be found in San Francisco, Telluride and Acapulco. Follow this link to learn more about fractional ownership opportunities at exciting Fairmont Heritage Place destinations.

The following is an excerpt reprinted with permission from The Resort Trades. You can read the full article at Building an Army of Timeshare Marketers or in the July edition of The Resort Trades Magazine.

Why don’t other industries use the timeshare marketing model?

Do a quick mental run-through of the products and services you buy and enjoy. Do any of them follow the timeshare tour marketing model?

Traditional timeshare marketing models lack efficiency, but far more importantly, they lack respect for the targeted consumer — the man and woman who are most likely to make a buying decision to become timeshare owners.

Maybe at one time, the idea of giving away a mini vacation in order to capture the heart (and three or more hours of the vacation weekend) of the prospective buyer was a valid model. But today it is simply inefficient, overloaded with frontend costs, and off-putting to a growing segment of the marketplace that demands not to be “sold to” but to make informed decisions based on personal needs and objectives.

Instead of giving away large numbers of free timeshare weekends and recouping the cost from the pockets of the much smaller numbers of consumers who make the decision to buy timeshare, there are other viable and far more respectful approaches. Timeshare companies can offer reduced rate timeshare rentals to their prospective buyers, enabling consumers to try before they buy.

Sales presentations can be offered, but they don’t have to be mandatory. What would sell you as a consumer? An amazing weekend at a resort where you felt relaxed, valued, pampered and respected, or several hours behind closed doors with a sales associate who won’t take no for an answer?

We can do better

The timeshare credibility deficit is considerable, and we won’t erase it through industry infighting, continuing to do the same things that got the industry to the place it is today, or failing to address burning issues and thereby opening the door for disreputable business practices, charlatans, and consumer fraud. In fact, if you set about to pick a challenging industry to rebrand, you probably couldn’t find one that offers a greater test than timeshare offers, but where challenge is greatest, so is opportunity.

When timeshare becomes an industry people trust, marketed in ways that are transparent, efficient, and consumer-centric, all other marketing challenges will fall away. The product, already exceptional, will become irresistible and industry-wide we will discover an army of the most influential timeshare marketers imaginable in the form of timeshare owners who are so genuinely thrilled with the product they own and the service and respect they receive, that they spread timeshare fever in ways that are organic, magnetic, and wholly authentic.

There are timeshare brand names everyone knows, and timeshare brand names with which people may not be as familiar. Often, the lesser known brands are either not affiliated with a hotel chain and therefore don’t benefit from hospitality brand recognition or they are regional resort destinations, and as such, may be well known in some parts of the country while not a recognized name in other areas.

If you know the name Welk Resort timeshares, it is likely to be because:

1. You live in southern California; Branson, Missouri; or Cabo, Mexico where all of the beautiful Welk timeshare resorts are located.
2. You remember big band leader Lawrence Welk, who founded the brand, and whose family continues to manage the resorts.
3. You are already a happy Welk Resorts owner or have enjoyed vacationing in a Welk Resort timeshare rental.

Vacationers, who come to know the Welk Resort brand, quickly recognize that these are high quality resorts with an emphasis on family vacation experiences. At Welk Resort timeshares you will find sparkling pools, great golf, and on-property theaters.

Here’s a closer look at the Welk Resorts located in the US:

• Lawrence Welk’s Desert Oasis is located in Cathedral City, California, in the heart of the Coachella Valley. In addition to on-property amenities, you will find nearby shopping, championship golf courses and casino entertainment.
• Lawrence Welk Resorts Mountain Villas Timeshare; Lawrence Welk Resort Villas; Lawrence Welk’s Villas On The Greens. The three Escondido, California Welk Resorts are nearby the popular tourist attractions of San Diego including LEGOLAND California; SeaWorld San Diego; the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, the Sea Life Aquarium, and the beautiful California coastline. They are also ideal destinations for enjoying professional sports events, on-property or nearby golf, tours of Temecula Valley wine country, or the Actors’ Equity theatre Welk Resort San Diego, with its quality, Broadway-style plays and musicals.
• Lawrence Welk’s Timber Ridge Lodge is a favorite Branson Missouri timeshare destination. In addition to all the family-friendly entertainment and fun of Branson, The Lodges at Timber Ridge offers tasteful, upscale accommodations, an indoor Splash-A-Torium and a game room.

Follow this link to learn more about the popular Welk Resorts. And watch the video below from AskMandoTV to find out what Welk Resorts is doing to keep its timeshare owners happy.

When Marriott timeshare rolled out its new timeshare points ownership plan last year, it was met with mixed emotions from current timeshare owners. But Marriott clearly committed to take a very important step in this matter. As Marriott Vacation Club President Stephen Weisz explain when Marriott launched its new timeshare points-based system last June, it committed to, “… get in front of every single one” of its current Marriott timeshare owners to share with them the merits of the new club.

The Orlando Sentinel quoted Weisz as saying, “So as we have allocated tour flow, and trying to, in fact, take advantage of talking to people while they’re on vacation at our resorts, we have squeezed out tours to first-time buyers. That was very deliberate.”

How well is Marriott timeshare’s plan working?

In the second quarter of 2011, 61 percent of Marriott timeshare sales were to people who already own a Marriott timeshare. That is an increase from 50 percent in the past, or depending on how you look at it, a 11 percent drop in the number of sales being made to first-time buyers, a figure Marriott says they expect to see rebound over time.

Customer-centric Move by Marriott Timeshare

We all have heard that it is harder to get a new client or customer than it is to keep a current one. Some people say three times harder; other say seven times; some even quote that it takes eleven times more effort to find and win a new client than to continue your relationship with an existing one.

Whatever the number is (which no doubt varies by industry), it is harder, costlier, and more time intensive.

Marriott Vacation Club made a strategic decision not to treat their existing clients like disposable consumers, but instead to communicate, listen to, educate, and no doubt engage in sales-directed conversations with them. Marriott timeshare’s quarterly report indicates this was a good plan. More importantly, Marriott’s long-term business results will reflect this as well.

Clients and customers are not disposable. Their opinions matter—in fact, they are the only thing that matters when it comes to business. And as this example shows, listening to them yields not only better informed timeshare owners, but clearly, timeshare sales as well.

Related Marriott timeshare news from The Timeshare Authority blog:

• Marriott Vacation Club Timeshare Expanding Timeshare Points Based Program
• Timeshare Points at Marriott Vacation Club are Changing – Timeshare Owners Still Have Questions
• More Details on New Marriott Vacation Club Destinations Timeshare Points

Executive Quest Inc. has released the results of its annual study of salaries within the timeshare and vacation ownership, fractional, and hospitality industry.

Keith W. Trowbridge, Ph.D., President of Executive Quest, Inc says the research is based on survey data from more than 20,000 contacts. This year’s survey included an increase from the previous 25 categories to 30 and covered topics including salary, bonus, non-cash perks, commission and total annual compensation.

Likewise, the survey also considers factors related to the participant, such as: years in the industry, resort locations, units and total annual company revenue.

Results of Timeshare Jobs Survey

The survey shows that the timeshare and fractional industries continue to feel effects of the economy, but for the most part, to a lesser degree than in the previous year. Results from the one industry area that showed the hardest hit were in the category of realtor, real estate developer, timeshare sales and timeshare broker, which for some companies, showed a drop in income. Timeshare sales representatives showed a slight increase while sales managers and directors showed a, “minor cut in compensation.”

The report does show, “Many executives received non-cash perks including a company automobile, health and life insurance, contributions to a 401(k), housing for family/visitors. Relocation expenses and housing for an initial period are also a part of the non-cash perks enjoyed by many. The non-cash perks were converted to a dollar amount and are included in the Total Compensation figures.”

You can learn more about the survey at: http://www.execq.com/index.htm

For many people, a Disney park vacation always means magic. Our love affair with all things Disney is spurred by both the fact that Disney continually brings new and different attractions to their parks and yet we can always count on being able to enjoy timeless experiences we have loved since childhood.

The Disney Vacation Club, which is points based Disney timeshare, is an ideal way to visit the theme parks. You are staying on property, transportation around the parks is easy (and free), and because you have a home away from home there at the resort, you can always head back to your timeshare to pick up a different camera, change your shoes, or just rest for a while before continuing your day (and night) at the park.

And one of the best benefits for guests on property at Disney resorts is the opportunity to enjoy “Extra Magic Hours.” These are additional hours in the Disney parks available only to guests at select Disney resorts. Follow this link to learn more about Extra Magic Hours at Disney.

Disney Park Special Attractions to See During Your Disney Timeshare Vacation

Advance tickets are now available for many of these special events.

Yesterday The Timeshare Authority blog looked at The High Cost of Failing to Market Timeshares, Resorts, and Tourism.

Here are some interesting follow-up facts about the results learned from the study, which was commissioned by the US Travel Association and conducted by Longwoods International.

• According to Bill Siegel, founder and CEO of Longwoods International, “The return on investment of destination marketing programs is significant and nearly immediate.”
• Marketing campaigns more than pay for themselves by generating new business and typically yield a 12-to-1 return on marketing dollars.
• In 1993, due to budget constraints, the state of Colorado abolished its tourism marketing program. Colorado eventually lost more than 30 percent of its share of domestic visitors and more than $2 billion annually in visitor spending.
• When funding was restored to the State of Colorado tourism marketing efforts the state treasury saw, “… a 12-to-1 return on marketing investment, and trips to Colorado have rebounded to record levels.”
• In 1995, as the city of Philadelphia lost manufacturing jobs, one report identified leisure travel as a potential replacement. This insight led to the creation of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC). Since 1997, overnight visitors to Greater Philadelphia have increased by 66 percent, six times faster than the national growth rate.

Our federal budget is in crisis and many state and local budgets are not far behind. Yet as the Longwoods report points out, “Legislators are ignoring basic economics if they slash destination marketing programs.”