National Association of Realtors® Plans to Hold 2006 Annual Conference In New Orleans

The nation’s largest trade association will head back to New Orleans next year. No word on whether or not timeshares will be discussed…

You might say that neither hurricanes nor high water can stop The National Association of Realtors®, (NAR) who voted earlier this month that the historic devastation of 2005 will not stop them from holding their 2006 national convention, as planned, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (official release)   

One hopes that timeshare will be one of the subjects under discussion at the convention, as timeshares are different than traditional real estate and are often subject to wildly different laws and ordinances in many parts of the world. Most individuals and governments across the globe, from Denver to Dubai, are confused about how to classify timeshares. This is because they have traits similar to both temporary lodging units and traditional real estate properties. It could be helpful for the industry to establish a consensus, or at least spark some sort of meaningful dialog, as our industry expands into new markets worldwide. As was shown when II successfully established itself as a major player in the nascent Middle East timeshare market, businesses can have a lot of influence on local governments. The upshot here is that our industry can introduce favorable conditions prior to development, provided we know exactly what we want, from the beginning. These benefits don’t just extend to corporate big-shots: the average timeshare owner can certainly appreciate new consumer protection legislation in certain areas where, before exchange companies got involved, no such legislation existed.

In any case, In November of 2006, nearly 30,000 members of the real estate industry will converge on the city, bringing with them roughly $35 million dollars in much-needed revenue. NAR President, Tom Stevens, says, “We can set no better example to the nation than by keeping our promise to New Orleans and its people to hold our 2006 annual meeting there.”

The Greater New Orleans Hotel and Lodging Association projects that by next month, roughly 25,000 hotel rooms will be available again as the city revs up for Mardi Gras, which officially gets underway February 17. I’m sure some lucky conventioneers will be able to take advantage of timeshare or mixed-use facilities reopening in the area. Speaking from experience, timeshares are a definite improvement over hotel rooms.

What’s the message here? You’ve heard me say it before. Visit the hurricane-impacted areas of coastal Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Florida. Plenty of exciting places are open and eager for business and your travel and tourism dollars will go a long way to helping making local economies and individuals independent and solvent again.