“It’s better to go on a vacation than buy a new couch, is basically the idea,” says Elizabeth W. Dunn, an associate professor in the psychology department at the University of British Columbia in an article titled, “But Will It Make You Happy?” that ran this week in the New York Times. Professor Dunn is referring to research by psychologists Leaf Van Boven and Thomas Gilovich on the subject of money and happiness.

The article, written by Stephanie Rosebloom, explains, “… that spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff.”

Remarkably, there is much talk about money’s potential (or lack of) to buy you happiness, but until recently, surprisingly little research. Professor Thomas DeLeire, University of Wisconsin in Madison, recently studied seven categories of consumer consumption. He found that only a few translate to happiness, and these are expenditures for vacations, entertainment, sports, and sporting equipment such as fishing poles or golf clubs. Professor DeLeire equated the happiness of money spent on vacations and entertainment with the happiness boost most people feel when they walk down the aisle, pointing out that a $20,000 increase in spending on leisure is roughly equivalent in happiness factor to the happiness increase experienced when getting married.

And when you consider that $20,000 (or even a lot less) can buy a wonderful timeshare resale and an entire lifetime of vacation accommodations, one has to think that buying timeshare might turn out to be a very “happy” use of your hard earned money.

Follow this link to read the full New York Times article on money, happiness, and vacations.

This week, the Lennon Communications Group, (Fort Myers, Florida) launched its new corporate website. The 25-year old company sees the website (www.lennoncommunications.com) as an important tool for communicating the company’s message of top quality, personalized, and experienced public relations, marketing, and advertising services.

Lennon Communications Group, Inc., handles the public relations needs of companies in the fields of timeshare, vacation ownership, hospitality, real estate, interior design, food service, and construction. Blending new media and traditional approaches, Marge Lennon and her team take care of the image making and communication needs of companies, including Sell My Timeshare NOW, one of her newest clients.

We are proud to be working with Lennon Communications Group, and to have many of Sell My Timeshare NOW’s PR needs overseen by Marge, whose experience in the timeshare industry is both deep and broad. As Marge explains, “With over three decades of experience as a publicist and creative firm for some of the biggest names in the shared-ownership industry, we are uniquely qualified to provide communications services to benefit this market and its ancillary providers.”

You can find out more about Lennon Communications Group at their new website or by calling 239-482-3891.

This week, the Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers celebrates 25 years as an association, plus 50 C.A.R.E. conferences held in New Orleans. With silver to represent the 25-year anniversary and gold to represent the 50-year anniversary, C.A.R.E. is calling this timeshare industry event, “The C.A.R.E. Silver and Gold Conference.”

Taking the event to New Orleans, the site of C.A.R.E.’s first conference 50 years ago, this four-day convention has been developed to provide C.A.R.E. member/representatives the tools and information needed to stay on top of the timeshare and vacation ownership industries.

The Hilton New Orleans St. Charles, located in the downtown New Orleans Central Business district, and only three blocks from Canal Street, is the host hotel for the event that begins Saturday, April 24, 2010 and runs through Tuesday, April 27, 2010.

This year’s keynote speaker is Chris Widener. He will be speaking on: “Winning with Influence: The Real Way to Influence Others.”

Established in 1985, C.A.R.E. is a non-profit trade association. With members in the U.S.A., Mexico, Canada, Australia, and Europe, this association offers over 2,500 vacation properties and its member companies service more than a million travelers annually. Sell My Timeshare NOW is a proud member of C.A.R.E.

When the Clinton Inn Hotel in Tenafly, New Jersey redesigned itself to be suitable for travelers with autistic children, it got us thinking about how well timeshare resorts serve many people with unique needs.

As we all know from recent news stories, autism is a problem increasing at an alarming rate. In some areas of the US, the risk is as high as 1 in every 93 births. So it both made tremendous sense and was a great act of compassionate consideration when Tony Morreale, the hotel’s manager, decided to make a few simple changes to make the Clinton Inn Hotel more suitable for guests with autistic children.

The hotel switched furniture with sharp corners for furniture with rounded corners, changed to more décor items that are fixed rather than movable, changed glassware to plastics, affixed flat screen TV’s to the wall, added safety latches to cupboards and drawers, and added a door alarm that tells parents if their child tries to leave the room.

Timeshares and Special Needs Guests

I have yet to hear of timeshare resorts taking these specific actions with autistic children in mind; however, all of these steps are simple and would actually be very beneficial to any parent of small children. Many toddlers are prone to opening doors they shouldn’t and exiting during the night (as are some teens). A door alarm would certainly be helpful and would even give guests a greater sense of security that no one was either entering or exiting.

Everyone who has ever hit their shin on the furniture in the middle of the night would appreciate rounded corners on tables and chests, and let’s face it, many hotels have been affixing décor items in place for years, just as an anti-theft precaution.

If your timeshare resort isn’t already taking these steps, you might want to encourage it, talking about it with the management or your Homeowners Association. After all, timeshares already offer so many benefits to people with special needs, that making these changes would be ideal.

Why Timeshares Make Sense for Families with Special Needs

• Many timeshare units offer kitchens and eat in dining so timeshare vacations are ideal for anyone on a special diet or a family that has to deal with multiple dietary restrictions.
• The spaciousness of timeshares makes it easier to travel with a sitter or nurse for a special needs family member.
• Roomy timeshares also give people with mobility limitations more space for crutches, wheelchairs and other appliances.
• Video games and DVD players in most timeshares can be great entertainment for family members who are not as active and may choose to bypass some vacation activities.
• New US timeshare resorts are fully compliant with accessibility regulations and older resorts must comply within levels of acceptability by the federal guidelines. To make it easier for you to find out what facilities are available at which resorts, Sell My Timeshare NOW maintains a database of Wheelchair Accessible Timeshare Resorts

See: A Guide to Disability Rights Law

 

Topics: Timeshare, Timeshare Blog, Timeshare News, Vacation

Perspective Magazine joins impressive list as corporate sponsor for Women in the Industry (WIN).

We write frequently about the movers and shakers at WIN, the non-profit association that educates, advocates, and connects women in the vacation and timeshare industry. Today, The Timeshare Authority is updating you on WIN’s new corporate sponsor, Perspective Magazine.

Sharon Mattimoe, publisher of Perspective Magazine, explains, “I’ve been an individual supporter of Women in the Industry since its inception at ARDA nearly two years ago, and whilst we have given WIN exposure in the past in our Global publication, now that we have a dedicated North America version and are heavily involved in the US marketplace, we felt it was time to get on board officially and provide ongoing support and additional media exposure for WIN. We plan on doing all we can to get the word out and encourage membership enrollment.”

Watch for women of WIN at the American Resort and Development Association (ARDA) Convention in Las Vegas on March 16, where they will be hosting their annual networking event. You can find out more about WIN and how you can become a corporate sponsor by contacting: Lani Kane-Hanan at 407-513-6634 or Cathy Backus at 858-344-2139.

Teamwork makes the timeshare industry strong and partnerships like this are great to report: Women in the Industry (WIN), an association that supports the role and the advancement of professional women in the timeshare industry, has announced that The Trades Publishing Company has company has committed to another year of support. The Trades was a charter supporter as WIN launched last year, and has been instrumental in promoting and publicizing WIN to a wide audience.

“We signed up as a corporate benefactor at the very inception of WIN,” says David Kerr, Managing Director of The Trades. “We are pleased to be part of its growth because from the get-go we have believed in its mission.”

Women in the Industry (WIN) is a non-profit organization that advocates, educates and connects women in the vacation (timeshare) industry. It is a dynamic, diverse, non-partisan global organization providing leadership, mentoring, philanthropic and educational opportunities to women and those who support women; connecting members locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Georgi Bohrod Gordon is the Board of Directors Member responsible for WIN communications. Georgi says, “Each month The Trades has consistently been generous in donating ad space and editorial copy to help spread the word about us. Their support has continued to help us grow and we are pleased they have made such a positive commitment to help support the organization in reaching our goals in the upcoming year. We now have two important publications getting the word about WIN to the targeted audience we regard as primary to our goals.”

Thanks to promotion from The Trades and the sponsorship of Marriott Vacation Ownership, Bluegreen Resorts, and CustomerCount©, the first WIN Florida Regional Conference Meeting in Orlando (held at the end of January) was a strong success, with nearly 60 attending. WIN will hold their annual networking event during the 2010 American Resort and Development Association (ARDA) Convention in Las Vegas on March 16.

To find out more contact: Cathy Backus at 858.344.2139 or Lani Kane-Hanan at 407.513.6634.

Previous The Timeshare Authority updates on WIN:

• Timeshare Women In The Industry (WIN) Meeting in Orlando
• WIN – Association for Women in the Timeshare Industry Hosting Special Events at ARDA Convention
• Women Changing the Face of Timeshares and Timesharing (Part I)
• Women Carving Out their Future in the Timeshare Industry (Part II)

Stephen J. Cloobeck, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Resorts International®, will be the keynote speaker at the 2010 Timeshare Association conference.

Cloobeck has more than 25 years of experience in development, management, construction, operations, marketing and sales of real estate including hotels, vacation ownership resorts, timeshares, retail shopping centers, and office and apartment buildings. Diamond Resorts International timeshare is one of the world’s largest timeshare brands with 160 branded or affiliated timeshare resorts throughout the US and in 26 countries worldwide.

As the TATOC Conference organizers explain, “Mr. Cloobeck is widely recognized as one of the most innovative, successful and accomplished entrepreneurs in the global vacation ownership industry and under his leadership, annually, nearly 1.4 million owners, members and guests enjoy the simplicity, choice and comfort Diamond Resorts International® offers through its branded hospitality experience”.

The 2010 TATOC Timeshare Conference will be held March 26 to March 28 and hosted at the Nottingham Belfry, Nottingham, England.

Learn more at: www.timeshareassociation.org and continue following The Timeshare Authority for details about the 2010 TATOC Conference, and all the timeshare news and updates.

For more TATOC information, please contact harry.taylor@timeshareassociation.org

Telephone 00 44 (0)161 237 3611

Fax 00 44 (0)161 237 3611

Considering that Sell My Timeshare NOW has been blogging since shortly after our company was founded, you’d think we would have included a blog roll as part of The Timeshare Authority blog before now. Well, better now than never, so this week, The Timeshare Authority blog rolled out (pun intended) the first blogs to be listed on our blog roll.

These blogs represent some (but certainly not all) of the best reading out there on travel, tourism, theme parks, timeshares, and the timeshare industry. We’ve included blogs that deal with travel to specific cities, states, regions or countries, including the California Beaches Blog; 1001 Things to Do in NYC; Canadian Tourism Blog; Happy Happens San Diego; Orlando Vacation Blog; and Tourism Central Florida — all popular destinations for timeshare owners or vacationers who rent timeshare.

Some of the excellent blogs we’ve added to The Timeshare Authority blogroll focus on theme parks, either in general or a particular park because almost anywhere you find great theme parks you will also find great timeshares. These blogs include: Disney Parks Blog; Mousekingdom Blog; Sea World San Antonio Blog; The Disney Blog; and Theme Park Rangers.

Timeshare Blogs, Timeshare Industry Blogs, and Travel Blogs

Included on our blog roll you will find Marriott on the Move; The Timeshare Blog; and VacationBetter.org; these are all blogs about timeshares and timesharing. Other blogs we’ve listed are travel and adventure blogs, including: Absurd Adventures; National Geographic Adventure Blog; Intelligent Travel; or travel industry blogs such as: The Tourism Research Blog; and The Travel Mole.

Finally, The Timeshare Authority’s blogroll includes some blogs that just fit into a niche all their own: Cruise@ddicts Blog; Get Outdoors; Hotel Check In; and The Mindful Tourist.

We’ve added this list to our timeshare blog because we want to share with you resources that you may find as helpful as we do. But we’ve only just begun with this travel and timeshare blog list. The internet is rich with fascinating and informative information, much of it brought to you in the form of blogs, so expect the list to grow and change as Sell My Timeshare NOW and The Timeshare Authority continue to expand this list of valuable resources for timeshare buyers, timeshare sellers, renters, and anyone interested in travel and vacation ownership.

By the way, if you haven’t already found it, our new blog roll is located on the lower right hand side of this page.

People who have money to spend these days are often home shopping and why not? The residential real estate market is flooded with homes at rock bottom low prices, supported by the lowest interest rates in decades. And if it is the right time to buy real estate, does this include buying timeshares or timeshare resales?

Yes, suggest Bankrate.com in an article titled, “Should you buy a timeshare now?” that was published on the real estate section of their website. The article starts by pointing to the 2009 decline in annual timeshare sales as validated by ARDA that reported timeshare sales down 8 percent from 2008 to 2007.

But—and this is a valid and unchanging truth about timeshare sales—DO NOT buy timeshare as an investment strategy. Bankrate.com quotes Judi Kozlowski, a broker with Re/Max Properties SW in Orlando, Florida who says, “Only those who want to use the timeshare should get into the market. Timeshare is an investment in your time and family, not a financial investment.”

Lisa Ann Schreier, founder of Timeshare Insights reinforces the message, “Timeshare isn’t a business for consumers; it’s a vacation alternative. A timeshare should only be thought of as an investment in your future vacations.”

Buy Timeshare and Timeshare Resales

I don’t know where you are investing these days; most of us are pretty perplexed by that challenge. But I do know that there are a few things definitely worth your “investment”.

• Invest your time in creating a greater sense of stability and more peace of mind. Buying timeshare today means you lock-in today’s vacation accommodation rates (currently at very competitive prices) for a lifetime of vacations. When you buy timeshare, you make vacation planning the easiest it can possibly be.
• Invest your heart in those people you care about most. Build stronger family bonds and create more meaningful moments and lasting memories. Even young children are affected by the negative news of an unstable economy, a collapsing job market, threats of terrorism, and today’s “reality”. Timeshare vacations afford you and your loved ones a time and place to forget about the daily grind, reconnect, and restore.
• Invest in yourself. Take better care of your health, which often includes both exercising more and relaxing more. Carve out time to recharge yourself in new venues and favorite vacation spots. Not only do you owe it to yourself, you owe it to those who depend on you.

As Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA points out, a timeshare has a value proposition that comes from using it. Yes, now is a great time to buy timeshare, especially right-priced timeshare resales, but buy timeshare because you plan to use and enjoy it, and never because you are looking for a financial investment.

TATOC (The Association for Timeshare Owners Committees) has released more information about its upcoming 2010 annual timeshare conference. This year’s event is scheduled from Friday, March 26 to Sunday, March 28, 2008, and will be hosted at the Nottingham Belfry in Nottingham, England. Note: this is a rescheduled date for the event in order not to conflict with the ARDA 2010 Convention and Expo.

TATOC is one of the European timeshare industry’s oldest and most respected timeshare associations and was established with a mission to, “… safeguard and enhance the timeshare holiday experience for existing and prospective users and to be the voice of owners.” Last year’s TATOC Timeshare Conference, held in Warrington, England, was an outstanding success, a pleasure to attend, and a unifying and uplifting event for timeshare industry participants. Word is, this year’s conference will be even better.

The TATOC Conference is open to attendance by TATOC members and nonmembers, and for sponsorship participation.

Booking forms and sponsorship opportunities are available at: www.timeshareassociation.org or call: 01612373611 for more information.

For a look back at the 2009 TATOC Conference, click the links below:

• The Message at TATOC for Timeshare Resales
• Sell My Timeshare NOW Says “Thank You” to TATOC for an Outstanding Conference
• What I Missed at The Association for Timeshare Owners Committees Conference