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.

According to recent research conducted by Ernst & Young, nearly half of all timeshare buyers have rented timeshare first.

This makes sense. What better way to come to understand the timeshare product than to experience it firsthand, in a relaxing vacation environment? When you rent timeshare you don’t have to attend a timeshare sales pitch; you simply enjoy the resort the way you like to vacation.

The American Resort Development Association (ARDA), acknowledges the growing interest in timeshare rentals. ARDA created its VacationBetter.org website to help highlight the fun and the need to vacation regularly, whether you do it as a timeshare owner or a timeshare renter.

ARDA President and CEO, Howard Nusbaum says, “We developed VacationBetter.org as a resource to help consumers learn about the value of taking regular vacations and to share why vacation with timeshare is a better vacation. We encourage people who enjoy vacation, want to get more ‘bang for their buck’ and have the comforts of home to visit the site.”

Enjoying Timeshare Rentals

Timeshare rental vacations are easy to plan and easy to enjoy. They make it affordable for large families, along with anyone seeking the comforts of home, to vacation in spacious accommodations at affordable rates.

Skip the cost of dining out for every vacation meal. Enjoy the equipped kitchens and dining areas in your timeshare unit that make it easy and affordable to eat what you like, when you like, including those midnight raids on the refrigerator.

Pack lighter. Lug less luggage along on your trip and save the money you would have paid for extra baggage on an airline. Simply throw those swimsuits and kids clothes in the in-room (or in some cases on-property) washer and dryer and be ready to go again tomorrow.

Your Best Resources for Timeshare Rentals and Information

Before you commit to another family vacation with everyone cramped in the same room, sharing one bath and one remote control  for the television, you should seriously consider the affordable prices on spacious, well-equipped timeshare  and condo rentals.

Learn more about better vacation options at ARDA’s consumer website at http://www.VacationBetter.org.

And visit Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services for the very best deals on timeshare rentals or to speak with a timeshare rental specialist to help you get started.

To learn more about the Partner Portal, please read today’s media release: Sell My Timeshare NOW Improving Timeshare Resale and Rental Options for Industry.

This week there is been a lot of buzz about the new Sell My Timeshare NOW Partner Portal for timeshare resales and timeshare rentals.

This new tool provides the first consolidated resource for buying, renting, and selling timeshare inventory. And while it will mean a huge boost for many in the timeshare industry, including resellers, brokers, and HOAs to name only a few, the new Partner Portal will indirectly affect consumers, too.

What the Partner Portal Means for Timeshare Owners

First, the Partner Portal provides one-stop shopping for the consumer within the timeshare industry with the most comprehensive inventory of properties for sale or rent available. Because the Partner Portal Program functions in much the same way as an MLS, prospective buyers and renters can shop online knowing they are seeing the broadest scope of the properties available on the secondary market. But the Partner Portal has value for consumers at other levels too.

The more standardization and unification of the resale industry, the more the consumer benefits.  A regulated and standardized timeshare resales and rental industry is a healthy industry.

As the high-visibility, high-traffic websites of Sell My Timeshare NOW make it easier for timeshare management companies, Home Owner Associations, and even timeshare development and sales companies to move inventory and keep timeshare resorts strong and robust, the product owned by individuals also stays strong and robust.

And to learn more about the Partner Portal program at: www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/partner-portal.pdf or by contacting Jerome Bocquet at 877-884-9577 ext. 307 or Jay Bade at 317-213-2553.

View the Partner Portal login page www.sellmytimesharenow.com/portal.

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.

As Harry Potter fans in London rolled out this week to view the final movie in the magical saga, emotions run high with many fans. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2,” is movie number eight in a series that has captured hearts, imaginations, and wallets in a way that has been both epic and mind boggling.

The Harry Potter movie series, featuring young Harry, Ron and Hermione, has already translated to more than six billion dollars for Warner Brothers, and billions more in the sale of branded merchandise. J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, has become the first billionaire author in history as a generation of children discovered the joy of reading as they followed the events of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

But in addition to the joys of reading and watching the Harry Potter books and movies again, or visiting Pottermore, the in-development website where fans and fanatics can enjoy an online interactive experience, there is one more way for Harry’s followers to get their wizardly “fix”; they can visit the Harry Potter™ theme park at Universal Studios Orlando.

Harry Potter Theme Park and Your Orlando Timeshare Vacation

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ provides fans and followers a way to “step into” Harry’s world, visiting the shops of Hogsmede, dining at Three Broomsticks and the Hog’s Head, and walking past the gates of Hogwarts castle, or through the classrooms at the academy. With rides, shows, and interactive experiences, park visitors sip their butterbeer and immerse themselves in a park that brings the beloved characters (and their nemeses) to life.

Orlando timeshares offer many great locations for planning a Harry Potter experience but some of the closest timeshares to Universal Studios Orlando include the Westgate Palace timeshare resort and Bluegreen Orlando’s Sunshine Resort timeshare. Pottermaniacs may want to select an Orlando timeshare within walking distance of the Universal Studios theme parks. Another option is to ask if the resort where you buy or rent timeshare is served by a shuttle to the popular parks, as many destinations are.

The beloved Harry Potter movies may be coming to an end. But as long as Universal Studios Orlando offers The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you are just a timeshare away from the series you and millions of others have come to love.

Renting a private home for vacation has always been an option and some people feel that vacationing in a private home is in fact, a real home away from home experience.

But a recent article in SouthCoastToday.com (SouthCoast 411) brought attention to some of the pitfalls of renting privately and planning a home away from home vacation. The article advises consumers that they should “exercise caution to avoid falling victim to a scam.”

Vacation home away from home scammers may use photos and names ‘stolen’ from other website to create an online ad designed to trick vacationers. They will take your money to rent a property to which they have no access and no authority to rent.

Even when you are not being deliberately scammed, privately renting a vacation home can leave you dealing with problems that no one wants to face, especially during vacation time.

• What if the property owner’s idea of luxurious or beachfront differs greatly from your own?
• Will you have someone around to assist you if the air conditioner stops working or the plumbing backs up?
• How secure is the home and how safe are you when staying there?
• How clean is the home?
• Do you have adequate bed linens, towels, and other necessities?
• What is your liability if someone gets hurt on the property during the time you are vacationing there?

Timeshare Rentals Eliminate Concerns

Let’s face it, no one wants to spend his or her vacation in a substandard venue or dealing with a backed up toilet. Renting timeshare directly from the current owner is a easy way to enjoy the spacious accommodations of a timeshare condo while feeling safe and assured that the property is secure, maintained, and should any dilemma arise—has staff on hand to solve the problems for you.

Find out how easy it is to rent vacation property by talking to the timeshare rental specialists at Sell My Timeshare NOW. 1-877-815-4227

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.

According to AAA, the price of gas isn’t stopping most Americans from taking that much needed vacations, at least not when it comes to this year’s Memorial Day weekend travel.

Gas prices over Memorial Day weekend are projected to be at $3.91 a gallon for a national US average. Nevertheless, nearly 35 million people are expected to travel during the last weekend in May, up slightly over 2010 travel numbers. But Brad Roeber, AAA Regional President, says some travelers will, “compensate for the higher fuel costs by cutting other areas of their travel budgets.”

During the Memorial Day weekend, hotels and resorts with AAA Three Diamond lodgings will average $148 per night, compared to $142 last year. Air travel prices will be up 14 percent, and gasoline is some 38 percent higher than it was this time a year ago.

So how can you travel, enjoy the vacation you need, and still cut your costs?

Timeshare rentals look even better than ever as a way to save money and still enjoy a great vacation.

Why You Save Money When You Rent Timeshare

In our blog post on Friday (Timeshare Enchantment? Ask Guy Kawasaki), I pointed out how surprising it is to me that many people do not know timeshares are available for rent. They assume you have to buy timeshare and never even consider timeshares for rent.

Yet every year, thousands of timeshare owners discover that they cannot use their timeshare this year and for some reason cannot or prefer not to use it for timeshare exchange. What these timeshare owners really want (and sometimes need) to do is use their interval as a timeshare rental, often seeking only enough in rental fees to cover or offset their annual maintenance fee. What are your options to rent timeshare? For starters, Sell My Timeshare NOW has an inventory of over 16,000 timeshares available for rent.

How Timeshare Rentals Work

Timeshare owners can make their timeshare available for rent by contacting the resort and making a reservation for another guest. When you want to rent timeshare, search the Sell My Timeshare NOW website by resort brand or by destination and you will find timeshare rentals that match your vacation plans and your budget.

Next, click on the search results to get the details on the timeshare rental that interests you, make your offer online, and the timeshare owner or a timeshare rental specialist will contact you directly to complete the rental process. You’ll find timeshare rentals with published prices below the cost of hotel rooms. You will also find many others listed as, “Price Negotiable,” perfect for bargain hunting negotiations.

Remember too that timeshares are available in studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts, many sleeping as many as 12 people. For the price of one multi-bedroom timeshare rental, you and friends or family members can share the space and watch your vacation cost dip even lower.

But you’ll never know about these great prices until you visit the Sell My Timeshare NOW website and peruse the listings yourself. Don’t let the price of gas or the rising cost of hotel rooms keep you at home this summer.

Guy Kawasaki has written another outstanding book. That’s no longer even a news item; we’ve all come to expect it. But if you are in business, do business, or deal with business (that should get everyone), you will likely want to take an afternoon, sit on the patio, and read, Enchantment, Kawasaki’s newest excellent release.

As he makes the case for why we need enchantment in our lives, business, and endeavors, along with how to make it happen, he points out the following in answer to the question, “When is Enchantment Necessary?” (here are two of his answers)

“Overcoming entrenched habits. Most of the time, habits simplify life and enable fast, safe and good decisions. But they can also prevent the adoption of a new idea that challenges the status quo. Enchantment can open the door for consideration of such a change.”

And

“Defying a crowd. The crowd isn’t always wise. It can lead you down a path of silliness, suboptimal choices, and downright destruction. Enchantment is as necessary to get people to diverge from a crowd as it is to get them to join one.”

Let’s just accept the fact that all of us can use a little more enchantment in our lives. And if ever there is an inroad for creating enchantment, it ought to come to us via the days we set aside to relax, restore, and nurture our spirits … those days we call “Vacation Days”.

Timeshare Vacation Enchantment, the Truth Not the Silliness

Vacations are a critical. They are deserved, earned, and generally underutilized. Every vacation you take benefits your mental and physical heath. Vacations can strengthen families, refresh souls, heal relationships, and open our eyes to new possibilities. Or you can just do the same thing you did last year.

The number of people I meet who do not realize that timeshares are available as rentals constantly surprises me. They vacation in hotels and motels because that’s what they have always done. Their parents did; their friends do. They have developed an entrenched habit that perhaps is preventing them from adopting a new idea.

Renting timeshare is an excellent way to explore the possibilities of timesharing. Maybe you will hate it … but maybe you will be enchanted by it and it will open the door for consideration of change in the way you spend your leisure and vacation days.

“The crowd isn’t always wise,” says Kawasaki. Wow… never is this more accurate than on the topic of timeshare. Ask around … timeshares are some sort of bad joke … but who are you asking? Only a very slim percentage of the population has even tried a timeshare vacation. And among those who own timeshares, staggering numbers—in excess of 80 percent—consistently report that they use and enjoy their timeshares.

Ironically, many of timeshare’s biggest critics are people who know little to nothing about timesharing. They are people who do not own timeshare and have often never rented timeshare or vacationed in timeshare. They might even be considered “bashers,” you know, those people who pile on to criticize something, not because of personal knowledge, but just because someone is criticizing.

Don’t follow an unwise crowd down a path of silliness and suboptimal choices. There are great vacation opportunities in timeshare resales and timeshare rental. And you won’t know whether they enchant you or not unless you try them.

Vacation rental, as you can imagine, is big business in Florida. Many absentee property owners buy a vacation or holiday home in Florida, use it for their own vacationing, and arrange for its rental management the rest of the year, through a realtor or other management agency.

And while this can be a good deal for both the property owner and those seeking to vacation in a space larger and with more privacy than most hotel rooms offer, it is also complicated from the perspective of management, taxation, and investment.

The Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association, a trade association, estimates that there are now more than 20,000 vacation-rental homes in Central Florida (the Orlando-Kissimmee-Daytona Beach area) alone. These are not timeshares or fractionals. They are individually owned properties, typically bought specifically for the purpose of use as a vacation rental home.

The Challenges of Vacation Rentals

Currently, vacation rentals come with a fair measure of risk for the owner who must deal with repairs, taxes, and the responsibility to keep the property rented if income from it is desired or needed. Additionally, zoning in a residential neighborhood can change at any time, making use of a home bought for the purpose of vacation rentals, no longer an option.

For renters, vacation rentals also bring risks. Does the property look as good in person as it did in an online ad or brochure? Do the photos of the property fail to tell the whole story by not including any undesirable nearby features; for example, would you still rent this home if you knew it backed up to a freeway, prison, or an airport? Any lastly, if you are renting the property, and you have a problem with the air conditioner, plumbing, or other feature, will the property owner or management agency be available to get it repaired in a timely manner?

Currently, lawmakers, property owners, and some segments of the Florida tourism industry are in conflict regarding a state bill that invalids existing city and county laws, which either prohibit vacation rentals entirely or require those rental homes to comply with the same regulations as commercial hotels. While laws vary from county to county in Florida, currently Orange County (where Orlando is located), prohibits short-term rentals (less than six months) on properties not zoned for commercial or industrial use.

Timeshare Rentals Eliminate the Risk Factor

Timeshare rental is an easy way to enjoy spacious vacation accommodations while still benefiting from the management structure and the property standards you know and expect from trusted global hospitality brands.

With timeshare rentals, you can enjoy the space, privacy, and home-like features of a timeshare condo, but relax knowing you are benefiting from the onsite amenities, maintenance, management and security associated with timeshare.

As a timeshare owner who may choose to use his property as timeshare rental, you know the burden of maintaining and managing the property is off your shoulders, covered by your annual maintenance fee. And while local and state laws may come and go, as a timeshare owner, you never share the impact alone in the same way sole property owners do.

Renting timeshare makes a lot of sense. After all, vacationing is supposed to be about relaxation time, not about added worries and responsibilities.