American Express Business Travel has just released its annual Global Business Travel Forecast and Trends report, and despite a declining economy, travel prices are projected to climb. The report is typically published each September, but with the unpredictable economy, AMEX held off, wanting to better evaluate the impact of the rollercoaster stock market and the bailout.

US cities where business travel is always significant will see increases in hotel room rates, due in part to international visitors. The AMEX report predicts that in New York City hotel rates will increase by up to 9 percent over 2008 rates, while rates in Chicago will increase by about 8 percent.

Although air travel rates overall are predicted to remain the same or about the same in 2009 as in 2008, Amex see business class fares rising by approximately 2 percent. The report also points out that while fares themselves may not increase, the add-on pricing for luggage, in-flight refreshments, and other services, has added as much as 15 percent to the overall cost of air travel.

Businesses Need to Look to Timeshare Resales and Timeshare Rentals as Savings Solutions

Back in the days when timeshares carried many use restrictions; they didn’t make much sense for the business traveler. But today’s timeshare ownership is marked by choice and flexibility.

With timeshare rentals available around the world, companies can viably look at housing business travelers in more comfortable and spacious accommodations than a hotel offers at a substantially lower cost.

Corporate timeshare ownership offers a way for companies to reward employees, a venue for entertaining clients, or a destination for corporate retreats and strategy sessions. When timeshares once could only be used in increments of 7 days, there often wasn’t enough flexibility to make them a realistic option for most businesses. But today’s timeshare can often be used in 2, 3, or 4 day blocks, and sometimes, even one night at a time.

Virtually every company in America is looking for ways to cut back on expenses. Timeshare resales and timeshare rentals offer a savings option that has been relatively overlooked by most corporations, but if they are smart and seriously interested in saving money, business America will take another look at the opportunities in timeshares and timeshare resales.

Sell My Timeshare NOW released its third quarter Financial Synopsis this week. We were pleased to have good news to report, especially in light of the quarterly reports many timeshare developers have recently issued. The contrast just serves to reinforce the difference in the whole business model of buying new timeshare (and financing new timeshare) from a developer compared to buying timeshare on the resale market or renting timeshare directly from its owner.

Although we are not a publicly traded company, and as such are not required to release quarterly financial information, we do publish a synopsis of our business four times annually for the benefit of informing and updating all who are interested in buying, renting or selling timeshare with Sell My Timeshare NOW.

Year to date, as of the end of the third quarter, offers to rent or buy timeshares through Sell My Timeshare NOW have reached record highs of 101,124 offers, totaling $368,365,250. Timeshare rental offers have shown a 251 percent increase in the third quarter 2008 over the third quarter 2007. Clearly people recognize the value and economy timeshare resales provide as vacation accommodations. The dollar amount of timeshare rental offers received through the third quarter is $47,526,930, which marks an increase of 196 percent over year-to-date offers in 2007.

This is an interesting and disconcerting time in America’s growth and development. Sell My Timeshare NOW is working hard to help people sell timeshares they no longer wish to own, and at the same time make vacation accommodations available at affordable prices. If ever most of us needed a family vacation, we need it during these stressful times. Our position is to be fiscally conservative but at the same time aggressive about growth, service, and our vision for the future.

You can read our press release on third quarter growth here:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008SellMyTimeshareNOW/TimeshareResales/prweb1507304.htm

Or, we invite you to download the full report, at this link:
http://www.sellmytimesharenow.com/media/pdf/3rd-Q-2008-financial-report.pdf

Bluegreen timeshares is the blog topic again today here at The Timeshare Authority. Last week, Bluegreen Corporation settled a pending lawsuit with Orlando timeshare magnate, David Siegel, another timeshare industry name who makes our timeshare blog from time to time.

David Siegel founded Central Florida Investments, the parent of the Orlando timeshare company, Westgate Resorts. In recent months, Siegel had acquired 2.3 million shares of Bluegreen timeshare’s common stock. He also had options that would have given him nearly 10 million shares, or about 32 percent of the company’s stock, if he exercised those options.

But this was already in the pipeline when Westgate Resorts timeshares announced budget cutbacks and massive layoffs in response to the credit freeze. A Sept 29, Orlando Sentinel article, said this of Siegel, “He blamed the national financial meltdown and said until the situation in Washington straightens out, Westgate and all other time-share companies likely are in for very hard time.”

Bluegreen’s board had voted and approved bylaws to allow them to dilute the value of Siegel’s holdings, but not the value of other existing shares held primarily by those Bluegreen shares held through the Levitt Corp.

Under the terms of the new settlement, Siegel and his associates must reduce their Bluegreen holdings by at least 5.4 million shares within a year and within two years, have disposed of all of them. Additionally, pending the sale, Siegel’s shares must be voted in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Directors of Bluegreen. David Siegel has agreed to not pursue any takeover of Bluegreen nor seek to influence Bluegreen’s management.

The Timeshare Authority will continue to keep you abreast of the changes, shake ups, and shake downs in the timeshare industry … interesting times we are living in, to say the least

Other recent posts about Westgate Resorts Timeshares:

• Hotels, Timeshares, and the Bailout
• Layoffs Coming at Westgate Timeshare

Other recent posts about Bluegreen Resorts Timeshares:

• Credit Crisis May Change the Deal for Bluegreen Timeshare Resorts
• Bad News for Bluegreen Timeshares

According to information released Friday in the South Florida Business Journal, and other sources, the planned acquisition of Bluegreen Resorts and timeshares is on hold. For some time, Bluegreen timeshare resorts and Diamond Resorts have been in negotiation over Diamond Resorts’ bid to buy Bluegreen for $500 million.

The credit crunch seems to be gnawing away at this buyout deal, but whether it chews it up or spits it out may not be known for a few weeks. Bluegreen timeshare has given Diamond Resorts until November 15, with exclusive right of negotiation in Bluegreen’s acquisition. After that date, Bluegreen is free to shop other investors for a better price.

There has been a lot going on at Bluegreen timeshares lately with continued news about the buyout as well as company problems with allegedly improper timeshare sales tactics used in Pennsylvania timeshare sales. But none of what is going on takes away from the satisfaction many Bluegreen timeshare owners feel about their vacation ownership properties. Bluegreen has been a respected brand in the timeshare industry for many years, with thousands of timeshare buyers and renters enjoying quality vacations at Bluegreen resorts.

Read more Bluegreen timeshare news from The Timeshare Authority:

• HOT List Timeshare Number 55 – The Bluegreen Resorts
• Bad News for Bluegreen Timeshares