SellMyTimeshareNOW LLC and Timeshare Broker Services, part of Vacation Hotdeal Companies, Inc. have been named as a sponsor of GNEX 2012, Perspective Magazine’s second annual industry networking and awards event. GNEX 2012 – The Global Meeting of Minds, is scheduled for January 31- February 2 at the Ritz Carlton Cancun in Cancun, Mexico.

We are proud to be the Lunch Sponsor during Day Two of GNEX 2012 and to participate as shared ownership industry professionals come together to network and exchange ideas. With more than 35 industry representatives scheduled to speak, the event will generate new thoughts and lively debates of key industry issues.

A partial list of other sponsors of GNEX 2012 includes: Blue Strawberry Resorts,  Holiday Systems International, Sunset World Resorts, Resort Development Organisation (RDO), Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (CARE), Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA), Dial an Exchange, Resort Television, Travel To Go, Interval International, Lloydshare, RCI, Customer Count, Emirates Vacation Club, First American Title Insurance Company, Merlin Software, The Association for Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC), Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA), Women in the Industry (WIN), Christel House International as Charity of Choice, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific.

For more information on GNEX 2012, visit: Perspective Magazine

Follow this link to read the complete Sell My Timeshare NOW media release.

At the second annual GNEX conference, sponsored by Perspective Magazine, conference attendees will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes in a timeshare resort tour of some the Cancun/Riviera Maya area’s most successful resorts.

Secrets Maroma by Unlimited Vacation Club,  Grand Velas Riviera Maya, and Mayakoba Residences join the previously announced Hotel Marina El Cid Spa & Beach Resort (El Cid Vacations Club), Royal Sands (Royal Resorts), and BlueBay Grand Esmeralda (Circle One by Blue Bay Resorts), expanding the event’s resort tour from three to six Mexican timeshare properties. Event attendees will have the opportunity to tour the properties on first-come, first-served basis on January 31.

Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services are proud to be a participating sponsor of GNEX 2012, which is scheduled for January 31 through February 2 at the Ritz Carlton Cancun in Cancun, Mexico.

A partial list of other sponsors and supporters for GNEX 2012 includes: Dial an Exchange, Resort Television, Travel To Go, Interval International, Lloydshare, RCI,  The Association for Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC), Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (CARE), Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA), Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA), Women in the Industry (WIN) and Christel House International as Charity of Choice.

The last time international tourists spent as much money in the US as they have in recent months was back in 2008. With not all data yet in, it is estimated that international tourism for 2011 will top 2008’s previous all-time high expenditures and set a new record for international visitor spending here in the US.

We already know that this past October, international tourists in the US spent $13.1 billion for travel and tourism related activities here while in America and that that figure exceeds the previous year’s international tourist expenditures by 13 percent. Through October, spending by foreign tourists to the US reached $127 billion, with roughly two thirds of that coming from tourists from China, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil, although not necessarily in that order.

In fact, it is our neighbors to the north, the Canadians who should be recognized as the tourists with the greatest impact on our economy, as they will account for an estimated 31% of the international tourist spending in America in 2011.

We’ve written a lot about this topic here on The Timeshare Authority blog, and we are likely to continue to take it on as matter for every American’s attention. Tourism creates jobs, tax revenues, and stable economies. And international tourism means a rare opportunity for the US to take in more than it gives away.

Here are two previously published posts on The Timeshare Authority blog, related to the topic of tourism’s impact on our economy:

• Florida Tourism and Florida Timeshares Important for the Economy
• What Timeshare, Hotels, Travel and Tourism Marketing Means for Local and State Economies

The 2011 Obitz Travel Index revealed some surprising and not-so-surprising travel trends for this year’s holiday season.

Despite the still-tight economy and rising airfares, which are up some 4 percent over last year, people still plan to travel this holiday season. Of those surveyed, 68 percent said they would cut back elsewhere, including on gift buying if necessary to cover the cost of holiday travel.

Where is everybody going?

Well, New York City ranks as the top destination for Thanksgiving travel. Chicago and Orlando ranked as second and third. Other popular destinations include Las Vegas, Denver, Atlanta, Los Angles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

For Christmas and New Year’s travel, Orlando ranked number one, New York number two, with Denver ranking third in Christmas travel and Cancun taking the number three spot for New Year’s travel.

But experts advise, book your travel and lock in your plans NOW.

Jeanenne Tornatore, senior travel editor for Orbitz.com, says, “With the travel demand strong for the holidays, consumers need to lock in their plans. We’re seeing many deals catering to families on a budget, but travelers will miss these great opportunities if travel planning is pushed back as prices are not likely to go down.”

This year, more than ever, at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services, we are finding that timeshare rentals are being snapped up fast.

Timeshare Rentals mean:

• Spacious accommodations, where you and your family or friends can spread out, with home away from home comforts
• Great competitive prices, as timeshare owners seek to rent timeshare they cannot use themselves
• Locations near all the fun attractions you want to visit
• In-unit kitchens, making it easier to save money on dining out
• In-unit or on-site washers and dryers meaning, less to pack and fewer “extra bag” fees from airlines
• Great options for accommodating your holiday guests as well as for your own travel

Timeshare rental for your holiday travel … do it NOW.

What will you (or did you) do for your 50th birthday?

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts have made a commitment to plant 10 million trees worldwide in recognition of the company’s 50th birthday.

According to Kathleen Taylor, Four Seasons president and CEO, trees symbolically represent longevity, growth, and life, all of which are reflected in the iconic Four Seasons logo. She sees the Four Seasons 50th birthday pledge to plant 10 Million Trees worldwide as a commitment that “will have a lasting and positive impact for generations to come.”

Four Seasons Resorts are Global and Distinctive

The types of trees planted as part of the initiative have varied greatly from one Four Seasons resort location to another. For example, the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka‘upulehu on Hawaii Island has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods to plant up to 500,000 “legacy” koa trees. These trees will never be harvested and will live and grow on 2700 acres of sustainable forest that was once home to the koa forest of King Kamehameha I.

Employees from the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui planted coconut trees at their resort. At the Regent Singapore, Four seasons employees planted a golden rain tree, while employees at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh planted a tree in the Thumama Desert. So far, over 35,000 Four Seasons employees in 34 countries have participated to help meet this goal.

Why Trees Matter at Our Timeshare Resorts, Fractionals, and in Our Lives

Four Seasons recognizes that beyond their beauty, and services as a home and habitat to birds and wildlife, trees are critical to our environment.

Research from Trees Ontario helps show us how very important trees are:

• Trees act as a “carbon sink,” removing the carbon from our environment, storing it as cellulose in their trunk, branches, leaves and roots, and releasing oxygen back into the air.
• Every year, an acre of trees has the capacity to absorb 2.6 tons of carbon dioxide, which is roughly the same amount that a car produces when driven 26,000 miles.
• Shade from trees reduces air conditioning use by up to 30 percent when trees are planted near homes and buildings.

As co-habitants of Planet Earth, maintaining and restoring our environment is a responsibility we all share. Thank you, Four Seasons Resorts for 10 million trees returned to our environment.

To learn more about Four Seasons 10 Million Trees Initiative, visit: http://livingvalues.fourseasons.com/2011/04/18/10milliontrees/

And to learn more about enjoying great vacations and spa holidays at a Four Seasons Resort or Four Seasons Fractional, visit these links:

• Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara
• Four Seasons Punta Mita Villas
• Four Seasons Residence Club Scottsdale At Troon North
• Four Seasons Residence Club Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo

Happy Labor Day Weekend! The Timeshare Authority blog hopes you are enjoying a “labor-free” Labor Day holiday.

Writing today’s blog post was a bit like writing a back-to-school essay titled, “What I Did on My Summer Vacation,” except, we’d have to call this, “What Everyone Did on Their Vacation.”

Last week we published the new Hot 100 Timeshare Resales report and the Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals report.

These reports list for you the top 100 timeshare resales and the top 100 timeshare rentals to receive offers to buy or rent at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services. The lists provide you a true overview of how consumers are allocating their vacation accommodations dollars.

Download these two free reports and study them for yourself. Among the trends and vacations patterns you will observe is this information about the top 20 most in-demand timeshare rentals:

1. Included in the top 20 timeshare rentals are 8 Marriott Vacation Club International resorts: Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club; Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club; Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas; Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club; Marriott’s OceanWatch Villas at Grande Dunes; Marriott’s Waiohai Beach Club; Marriott’s Aruba Ocean Club; and Marriott’s Grande Vista
2. In addition to the three Marriott Hawaii timeshares listed above, two other Hawaii timeshares ranked among the top 20 rental destinations: Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas and Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas North
3. Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake’s West Village; Disney’s Beach Club Villas and Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort are the three Orlando timeshares on the hot properties rental list.
4. Three Mexico timeshares made the list of most in-demand timeshare rentals: Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta; Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach and Palace Resorts at Moon Palace Golf and Spa
5. The remaining four timeshare resorts among the top 20 are the Manhattan Club; the Ocean Beach Club – Virginia Beach and Harborside Resort at Atlantis along Harborside Resort at Atlantis II

Find out more here:

Timeshare Resales http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/HOT-TIMESHARE-RESALES-2011.pdf

Timeshare Rentals http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/HOT-TIMESHARE-RENTALS-2011.pdf

After a long hot summer of economic turbulence and a long hard week in which the eastern seaboard, from the Caribbean to Canada, has dealt with earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding, this Labor Day weekend holiday comes as a welcome respite to many.

As we head into this last traditional weekend of summer, it’s a good time to look at the top timeshare resales and top timeshare rentals in demand with consumers. These resorts that made this list are timeshares that consumers have made popular with their offers to buy or rent as timeshare resales here at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services.

HOT 100 Timeshare Resales and HOT 100 Timeshare Rentals

Download your free copy of the Hot 100 Timeshare Resales Report

Download your free copy of the Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals Report

Who made the top 10 on the Hot 100 Timeshare Resales Report?

1. WorldMark by Wyndham – Multi-Destination
2. Grandview at Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
3. Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club –  Maui Hawaii
4. Paradise Village Beach Resort & Spa - Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
5. Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas – Maui, Hawaii
6. Marriott’s Grande Vista – Orlando, Florida
7. Manhattan Club - Manhattan, New York
8. Ocean Beach Club – Virginia Beach,  Virginia
9. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club – Oahu, Hawaii
10. Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort- Orlando, Florida

Click the image to download the report.

Who made the top 10 on the Hot 100 Timeshare Rentals Report?

1. Marriott’s Aruba Surf Club – Palm Beach, Aruba
2. Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club - Oahu, Hawaii
3. Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas – Maui, Hawaii
4. Harborside Resort at Atlantis – Nassau, Bahamas
5. Marriott’s Newport Coast Villas – Newport Coast, California
6. Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club –  Maui Hawaii
7. Marriott’s Ocean Watch Villas at Grande Dunes – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
8. Manhattan Club - Manhattan, New York
9. Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake’s West Village – Orlando, Florida
10. Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort- Orlando, Florida

Click the image to download the report

Over the next few days we will look at these resorts and I’ll share more information with you about the current trends we are seeing in timeshare resales and rentals.

Moving up five places since 2010, Mexico’s meeting and incentive business market is now ranked 22nd in the world according to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

As Mexico continues to invest in business travel and tourism growth, its efforts are clearly paying off, marked by the impressive 31 percent gain the country saw in the number of events held there in 2010 versus 2009.

Mexico is Serious about Tourism

By the first quarter of this year, Mexico had already spent over $900 million (US) on tourism projects. The investments represent a 127 percent increase from 2010.

Gloria Guevara Manzo, Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, explains, “Destinations and entities continue to invest in infrastructure, equipment and services. But Mexico has much more to offer. In order to continue our competitiveness, we will also promote less well-known destinations that can be of interest for international conventions.”

Manzon adds, “And international convention planners have clearly taken notice. In 2010, Mexico was host to 140 international conventions, many of them taking place in Mexico City.”

Timeshare Event Already Scheduled for Mexico 2012

As meetings and conventions are planned for Mexico 2012, the timeshare industry is already on the schedule with Perspective Magazine’s GNEX 2012 scheduled for January 31 through Feb 2, 2012 at the Ritz Carlton Cancun, Mexico.

Mexico is not only a wonderful destination for a timeshare vacation, but with Cancun and Riviera Maya offering one of the highest concentrations of timeshare and fractional ownership resorts in the world, Mexico timeshare is an important component of the global timeshare market.

Watch this video as Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara Manzo, discusses the safety of Mexico travel.

Last summer, two Mexico timeshare resorts dealt with what appeared to be cases of Legionnaires disease. Several cases, all since confirmed as Legionnaires disease, were diagnosed in tourists from the US or the Netherlands, who were guests at the Regency Club Vacation Resort or the Wyndham Cozumel Resort & Spa (formerly Reef Club Cozumel).

According to the US State Department’s Overseas Security Advisory Council, nine cases of Legionnaires disease have been confirmed since May 2008 among tourists at these resorts. A public health investigation in April 2010, recommended disinfection of the resort’s shared potable water system. Although this was done, in December 2010, the CDC was notified of a ninth case of the disease that was believed to have originated at the resort.

Typically, the source of exposure for contracting Legionnaires disease is by breathing in contaminated mist or vapor such as from a showerhead, spray mister, or hot tub; the disease is not spread directly person to person. In the US every year, between 8,000 and 18,000 people are hospitalized with the bacteria infection. Because it begins as a lung infection, persons most at risk of developing Legionnaires are the elderly, smokers, people with chronic lung conditions, or otherwise compromised immune systems. A milder version of the disease, caused by the same bacteria, is called Pontiac fever.

For more information about Legionella, go to the: CDC’s Legionellosis Resource Site.

It is important to note that risk of contracting the disease is low as indicated by how few cases actually develop, and that cases of Legionnaires have not been linked to any other Mexico timeshare resorts or Cozumel timeshare resorts.

Renovation of the Kid’s Club at the Viva Wyndham Maya Resort and Viva Vacation Club at Viva Wyndham Maya is now complete and ready to make your family’s Mexico timeshare vacation even more memorable.

Starting with the newly repainted Kid’s Club exterior, the amenity also has new signage, a private pool for kids and a fenced outdoor play yard. Inside, young vacationers will find new kid friendly bathrooms, new décor and kid friendly furnishing, an updated kitchen, lockers and updated technology including a 50-inch flat screen TV and a DVD player. There’s even a nap area with tiny beds, perfect for anyone 3 feet tall or shorter.

The Viva Wyndham Kid’s Club is now open daily from 7 AM to 10 PM, making it easier for parents to enjoy sightseeing, a grown-up dinner, or other activities that are geared more for their interests than for those of their children. While family vacations are all about ‘family’ it can still be nice for many moms and dads to work in a little time that allows them a vacation from the family vacation. Knowing that children are safe, well supervised and having fun in a Wyndham Kid’s Club also allows parents to enjoy activities with older children or teens, which might be inappropriate or uninteresting to the little ones. Young vacationers, ages 4 -12 can take part in games, activities, talent shows, organized sports, even quite time like painting and sandcastle building. Wyndham Resorts and Wyndham timeshare consider their Kid’s Club facilities to be one of the ways the company demonstrates its commitment to unforgettable family vacation experiences.

The Viva Wyndham Maya Resort is a popular all-inclusive destination located in Playa del Carmen, a small beach town opposite the coast of Cozumel, Mexico. The resort is known for sailing, snorkeling, windsurfing, and its luxurious Renova Spa.