It’s been nearly two weeks since the CRDA (Canadian Resort Development Association) timeshare conference in Toronto and here at The Timeshare Authority blog, we’ve been remiss in not already sharing with you the full story of what an outstanding timeshare event this was.

First, let me thank Ross Perlmutter, Executive Director for CRDA, and all of the CRDA team and the sponsors, speakers, and exhibitors who worked to make this such an excellent conference. “The Resort Development Summit: the 2010 Canadian Resort Development Association Annual Conference” was held at the Radisson Admiral Hotel Toronto Harbourfront, overlooking Lake Ontario, and the beautiful venue made the time there even more enjoyable.

Day 1 started with a look at the Canadian timeshare owner and the Canada market for buyers and renters. We’ll be sharing more of that information with you in tomorrow’s The Timeshare Authority blog.

Howard Nusbaum, President/CEO of ARDA (American Resort Development Association) delivered the Keynote Address, with a serious (and optimistic) look at the state of the timeshare industry. And then it was time to roll up our sleeves and dive into the breakout sessions, with topics that included:

1. Fundamentals of Finance: Back to Basics for a Better Bottom Line
2. Resort & Club Management: Finding Money under the Rocks
3. Meet The New Market
4. The Legal Eagles
5. Resale Forum: Where do we go from here?
6. Timeshare Technology
7. And an Opportunity to Ask the Experts

I know I speak for everyone there that the time was enriching, inspiring and informative, which is good news for the hard working people in the timeshare industry, millions of timeshare owners and two strong countries working to bounce back from economic challenges.

Other Canada timeshare and CRDA News:

• Sell My Timeshare NOW Targets Expanded Presence in the International Vacation Market
• Canada Timeshare Association (CRDA) and US Timeshare Association (ARDA) Announce Expanded Relationship

One of The Timeshare Authority blogroll’s favorite blogs is a part-English, part-French blog, written by Jaime Horwitz. The blog, known as, “Canadian Tourism,” fills an interesting niche, providing excellent insight on traveling, vacationing, and tourism in Canada.

A Canada vacation—or better still a Canada timeshare vacation—affords you the opportunity to enjoy the majesty of the Canadian Rockies or the historic charm of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. In addition to timeless tourist favorites such as Niagara Falls, the Stratford Festival of Ontario, and the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, Canada is home to outstanding golf courses, festivals, and trendy metropolitan areas known for their museums, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.

Rebuilding Economy and Growing Interest in Canada Timeshares

Over the years, Canadian and US vacationers have often crossed borders and the two economies are closely tied together. However, Canadians are taking pride that their banks are perhaps “better managed” than those of other countries. They are seeing their country as making a faster recovery in the current economic crisis than the recovery of many other nations, including the US. If this is so, then it is good news for Americans looking to resell timeshare, as it may open the gates to greater numbers of Canadians buying timeshare resales than in the past.

The most desirable outcome is that both the US and the Canadian economy rebound and then remain strong. But if either lags behind the other, look to cross-border tourism as one of the avenues that will help the other catch up faster.

A Canada timeshare resale or Canada timeshare rental provides an easy and enjoyable way to experience the beauty, cultural heritage, winter sports, and vast, natural terrain that is Canada. And when the balance is shifted, the Canadian vacationer and timeshare buyer is a welcomed boost to the US economy and timeshare sales, resales, and rentals.

White Christmas? Snow and mistletoe? Well it all depends on where you are celebrating the holiday this year. Timeshare owners often target the seasonal holidays as some of their favorite weeks for enjoying timeshare vacations and the benefits of timeshare exchange.

Holiday in Your Australian Timeshare

Australian timeshare let you spend Christmas “Down Under”. While Australians enjoy many of the same traditions of European and US Christmas holidays, Australia is a global community with residents from around the world, giving an Australian timeshare holiday an international feel. Some Australians even suggest that Santa gets some special help in Australia from a grungy (but welcomed) fellow called the Swag Man.

Reportedly, Swag Man lives under the Uluru (a famous rock formation in Central Australia), appearing only around Christmas time to lend Santa a hand. In true Outback style, he takes to a four-wheel drive vechicle with his merry dingoes, delivering presents to all.

Your Quebec Timeshare for a Canada Timeshare Christmas

How about celebrating Christmas in Quebec in your Canada timeshare? In the French-speaking communities of Quebec, Christmas celebrations often include Christmas dinner called “Reveillon” which means “waking up”. This is an appropriate name, since the festive meal is typically served at two o’clock in morning after people return from Christmas Midnight Mass. When you plan to holiday in a Quebec timeshare, you are almost guaranteed a white Christmas.

Christmas Comes Early in Your Spain Timeshare

You can begin your Christmas celebration early in your Spain timeshare where the Christmas season officially begins on December 8 with the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Each year, in a ceremony called “los Seises” or the “dance of six,” ten elaborately costumed boys dance in a traditional performance that goes back to the 16th century.

The List of Timeshare Vacation Destinations Goes On and On

Over and over, timeshare owners report that the opportunities of timeshare exchange play an important role in their decision to buy timeshare. While you may be celebrating the holidays this year close to home, it is never too soon to start planning an Adventure Christmas for next year.

With timeshares, timeshare resales, and timeshare rentals available in exciting destinations around the world, your holidays next year could easily become your family’s memory makers of a lifetime.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Sell My Timeshare NOW and The Timeshare Authority.

Now is a good time to remind everyone in the timeshare industry that the CRDA Conference, originally scheduled for next week, has been postponed. Instead of the scheduled conference, CRDA, which stands for the Canadian Resort Development Association, will host a special meeting of its Board and Executive leadership team to address the challenges that currently face the timeshare resort development community, both in Canada and throughout the world.

Ross Perlmutter, president of CRDA says, “CRDA’s primary role has always been to provide a conduit for the industry’s premier professionals to share their knowledge and experience with one another for the betterment of the industry as a whole. After careful consultation with our Board of Directors, we have determined that our time together this fall would be much better served by setting aside the traditional conference model and instead producing a condensed, focused and intensive 3-day leadership forum, exclusively dedicated to addressing and solving the specific challenges faced by our Members and their employees. Unfortunately, due to scheduling issues and other considerations involved in staging this special leadership forum, CRDA’s Board of Directors was left with no choice but to postpone our “Resort Development Summit” for the time being, however, we will DEFINITELY be re-launching this important event in the spring of 2010.”

Permutter adds, “The fact is, our Association has recently managed to double the attendance at our conferences year over year, and we simply believe that we owe it to everyone involved to maintain this momentum, and to ensure that our acclaimed Annual Conference remains relevant, meaningful and affordable for as many sponsors, exhibitors and attendees as possible. It just isn’t in our DNA to provide anything less than the absolute best that we can offer, and our Members have indicated that they would prefer that we lead the way via a tightly focused leadership forum as opposed to a traditional, multi-faceted convention at this time.”

Another smart and timely decision by leaders within the timeshare industry. When the going gets tough, the tough reorganize and get a new game plan.

Follow this link to learn more about the Canadian Resort Development Association.

And this link to learn more about Canada timeshare rentals and Canada timeshare resales, including these seven always popular Canada timeshare destinations:

1. Shell Vacations Club At Carriage Hills Resort Timeshare
2. Shell Vacations Club At Mountainside Lodge Timeshare
3. Whistler Resort & Club Timeshare
4. WorldMark Cascade Lodge Timeshare
5. WorldMark Sundance Timeshare
6. WorldMark The Canadian Timeshare
7. WorldMark Victoria Timeshare

A new report highlights opportunities for the Canadian timeshare industry, as Steve Luba explains.

Cry wolf enough times and people start to ignore you. Let’s hope that’s not what is happening with regard to the new US passport laws. For several years now, the US government has been saying that American travelers to Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean will need valid passports to re-enter the country. They have set deadlines, only to delay their enforcement repeatedly because they could not handle the processing overload the new laws created. But June 1, 2009 looks like the ‘real’ deadline.

Unless the rules are delayed yet again (which does not seem likely), beginning next month, US citizens will not be allowed to leave the country without a valid US passport to use when they re-enter the country. So just because your timeshare ownership gives you great exchange privileges at a Mexico timeshare, a Canada timeshare ski resort, or a Caribbean timeshare for sun and surf, doesn’t mean you can take advantage of this unless you have a passport. And the rules apply whether you walk across the border, arrive by plane, or via cruise ship.

Marriott Timeshare Alerting Timeshare Vacationers

Marriott timeshare officials (as well as other timeshare resorts, cruise lines, and hoteliers) have been trying to alert their timeshare owners and timeshare renters, reminding them of the new passport laws.

In an interview with NYDailyNews.com Ed Kinney, vice president at Marriott Vacation Club International, said, “Our Aruba properties are visited by timeshare owners who are typically avid world travelers and who already have their passports. However, we also open our properties to non-owners interested in staying at one of our timeshare properties instead of booking a traditional hotel. When these less-savvy travelers make their reservations, we’ve been alerting them of the new passport regulations to avoid any last-minute problems.”

Kinney adds that he does not anticipate that the new laws will have too much impact on Marriott timeshare owners, explaining, “The people who will be impacted the most are US citizens who don’t currently have a valid passport and who will need to acquire one prior to their next trip. The new rules will help bring consistency and less confusion to international travel.”

Your Mexico Timeshare, Caribbean Timeshare, or Canada Timeshare Vacation

With all the excellent opportunities in timeshare resales and timeshare rentals in Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada, don’t be caught off guard over this new passport law. Remember that the price of applying for a US passport also increases on June 1, so if you plan to travel outside the US, now is the time to get your application submitted. And if you get caught in a bind, or find that Caribbean timeshare rental or maybe Mexico timeshare resale that you just can’t resist, there are companies that, for an additional fee, will speed the processing of your passport documents.