Don’t let the fact that some women sunbathe or walk the beaches topless give you the impression that nudity is permitted on the beaches of Playa del Carmen. Nudity, even going topless, is illegal and puts you subject to arrest at the discretion of local law enforcement.

Some taxi drivers have small television sets mounted on the dashboards of their taxis – in Mexico this is legal. The locals strongly advise against riding in cars driven by persons who are watching television as they drive. They suggest that either you seek out a taxi without a television or you use resort transportation.

Residents zip around the town on small motor scooters. While these are available to tourist as rentals, authorities say they are also the source of many ruined vacations. Unless you are very familiar with the streets and the driving style of the locals, you should probably avoid the scooters.

And lastly, there is no worm in Mexican tequila. If you think you’ve found one, you have either been drinking too much, or you’ve gotten a hold of some really bad tequila. You will find a worm in some mescal, a Mexican distilled spirit made from the agave plant (which is the plant also used for tequila making). The worm is a marketing gimmick that was developed in the 1940’s and is in no way authentic to the drink. When mescal is served with a worm, it is called, con gusan. When tequila is served with a worm, it is called a bad mistake!

Q: How do you see timeshare developers, timeshare resellers, and timeshare advertising and marketing companies coexisting? Are they competitors, or do you see them working to support each other and serving different aspects of the timeshare market?

A: Everyone competes, but the industry has changed a great deal in the past ten years and competition has gotten healthier. Although there are varying versions and opinions about relationships between developers and resale companies, there are more and more that are forging partnerships and it is inevitable as the industry continues to regain its credibility that the future consumer will dictate that they happily co-exist, just like the real estate or automobile industries. Thanks to the internet it is a very transparent world – consumers know that there are varying options available to them, and if they don’t, the first search engine they use will tell them that. To answer your question in relation to our publication, we will provide an independent and level playing field allowing them to coexist and let the readers decide what works best for them.

Q: How is (and will) the soft economy in the US; the escalating price of oil; and the uncertainty brought about by the pending Presidential election in America, impact the timeshare industry in the US and globally, from your perspective?

A: The timeshare industry is historically resilient against economic issues; higher occupancy rates compared with hotels have always carried existing resorts through any hard times. New sales may suffer slightly, but again, it’s usually the more affluent that are interested in timeshare who are less affected anyway. Look at the vacation home industry, they are likely to suffer as it is an expensive luxury item, but the fractional market is expected to benefit as where people may not be able to afford the whole villa they want to buy, they may still be able to afford a fraction of it, if they can’t afford that then maybe a timeshare is the right choice for now – everyone needs a vacation at some point.

Q: Is Dubai the current hot market for timeshare growth? If not, who is, and who will follow them as next?

A: Yes, everyone has their eyes focused on Dubai at the moment and Perspective Magazine has been covering the progress so you can read all about it in the past few editions, but since the consumer friendly timeshare law was tentatively approved in principle a couple of months ago it has given the green light to all the companies who were waiting in the wings, and now there seems to be a new proposed resort announced every week. Due to the wealth of the local marketplace within the Middle East, sales will boom, then international sales will begin and the industry will mature in the region. The expected success is also due to the way tourism has been cleverly planned out for Dubai. Further areas of future growth will be Asia, and in particular, China.

Q: Where do you see your company and your publications a year from now?

A: We have expanded greatly in the past twelve months, doubling the number of pages and increasing the circulation and exposure of Perspective Magazine in particular, so with a new magazine, buyers guide and resort guide, I think the next twelve months will be spent building each of these to maturity.

Q: Five years from now?

A: Five years from now we aim to have Perspective Magazine distributed to every active shared ownership resort and sales center in the world and hope to have Owners Perspective magazine offered to new members by the majority of developers and marketers globally.

Q: Any thoughts on how the internet is reshaping the way people buy and sell timeshare, and on what the future will bring, including Web 2.0; social networking; and the changing face of the internet in general?

A: With the growing credibility of the timeshare and fractional marketplace, the internet is being used more and more to promote the products, so there is no reason why in a few years time, purchasing online wouldn’t be a viable option – this would also bring about lower marketing costs thereby reducing the price of purchase (whilst increasing profits naturally) and making the products even more accessible to consumers.

Q: What is the most exciting news on the horizon for timeshares/ fractionals/ all aspects of vacation ownership?

A: All new resorts are now built bigger and better, major brands continue to include timeshare and fractionals in their mixed use developments, and as before the growing acceptance and perception change towards timeshare is leaning the industry towards another boom in the near future.

Q: And the biggest challenges?

A: To continue to educate the press / media and consumers about the difference between bogus holiday clubs that get branded as “timeshare scams” and the actual genuine article that the industry and major hotel brands offer. It is a long road, but many companies are now working together to change this.

Q: So now we know what you already do Paul, please tell us about your new magazine for timeshare consumers?

A: Owners Perspective magazine is designed specifically for existing owners and prospective buyers and renters of timeshare, fractional, and shared ownership products. Based around the same principles of Perspective Magazine, it will be independent, global, informative, and entertaining and deliver essential guides and exclusive content to help the readers get the most out of their memberships.

Q: What motivated you to a separate publication for timeshare owners rather that just including more owner targeted articles and advertisements in your original publication?

A: When we noticed the rise in timeshare owners subscribing to Perspective Magazine we did wonder if we should add more relevant content for them too, then at the same time I was asked to speak at the Timeshare Association – Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC) conference a few months ago, so I did a survey with the owners that read our B2B magazine and found out that they liked to read it because as “owners” they feel they are part of the industry, not just consumers; and frankly there really wasn’t anywhere else they could get good, independent information from. So at the TATOC event, I asked the attendees if they thought it would be a good idea to add content to Perspective Magazine and the majority agreed. However after much deliberation Sharon and I felt by extending the current magazine it would dilute its effectiveness so we decided that if there was a call for it, why not create a magazine just for owners – so we have.

Q: When is your launch date?

A: The exact date is not set but it will be between 1-8, July 2008, and all subscribers will be notified by email once it is available.

Q: Who will your readership be?

A: Our readership will be varied as we are covering every type of shared ownership in every region of the world, including vacation accommodation, leisure real estate, jets, boats, cars and more, but all readers will have something in common – the interest in high quality vacation and leisure products.

Q: Why do you think there is a need for this type of publication at this time?

A: Quite simply, the demand for one approached us, we didn’t seek it out, and from the minute we announced that we would produce a consumer magazine, the interest from owners, owner forums, and key industry players has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Q: Are you releasing any information on early subscription numbers yet?

A: Sure, we are a day or two away from exceeding 5,000 subscriptions so far and we have marketing deals in place with several leading companies to promote the magazine to their members, ensuring a fast start and sustainable growth. Plus if word of mouth works like it has for our other publication I think we will significantly exceed our original expectations.

Q: Can you give us a taste of what to expect in your new publication?

A: We will have a number of interactive features for the readers, which will grow over the first few months and around 35 travel writers at present who will be providing information and guides on the best places to visit, resort reviews, spas, experience holidays and much more. There will also be specific topics covered each edition, such as how to get the most out of a points system, or most popular destinations to buy a particular product, plus some amazing reader offers that we think will pleasantly surprise – but I don’t want to spoil anything by giving too much away just yet…