Every week since February 19, when Fidel Castro stepped down as Cuba’s president, news outlets have been filled with accounts of products and services coming back into the lives of the Cuban people.

Two weeks ago, Cubans were allowed to buy cell phones. Last week, microwave ovens, DVDs, electric bicycles, and pressure cookers became available. Many of the restrictions that Fidel Castro had spent a lifetime imposing on the people of Cuba have already fallen away in the few short months since his brother, Raul Castro, took office as Cuba’s president.

While most Cubans do not yet have the money to afford these luxury items, that too is changing as the government begins to provide better support for its farmers and lift some of the restrictions on manufacturing.

Are New Hotel and Timeshare Resorts on the Horizon for Cuba?

This week, the ban that prohibited Cuban citizens from staying in hotels was lifted. Cuban nationals, as of April 1, are permitted to stay in hotels or use hotel services like exercise rooms. These changes are long overdue and in time, should help springboard other, equally positive developments. But as the free world shares in welcoming the return of these basic rights to Cubans, what do these changes really mean for Cuba as a tourist destination?

Despite the removal of many restrictions, the economy of Cuba will have to heal considerably before most residents can afford to enjoy hotel stays at luxury resorts. It will take even longer before the country’s economic infrastructure will be able to support the development of timeshare resorts or vacation ownership property.

In the 1990’s, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba made tentative steps toward developing tourism, by building or revamping hotels to attract visitors primarily from Europe and Canada. Currently Cuba has both hotels and all-inclusive resorts; some offering beachside relaxation while others showcase Cuba’s rich history. Several Canadian developers have tried in recent years to fund and build timeshare resorts in Cuba and with the recent change in government there, it is logical to expect that such projects could soon become reality.

Canadian Tourists, But Not Americans to Vacation in Cuba…Yet

Most US citizens find traveling to Cuba challenging because of the Trading with the Enemy Act that forbids US citizens from spending money in Cuba. Exemptions apply to journalists, government officials, researchers, and people attending conferences. Other US citizens, including those who have relatives in Cuba or professionals such as doctors, nurses, or educators, may also be able to obtain the documents necessary to travel between the US and Cuba. Click here to read the US Department of State’s full disclosure on who may travel to Cuba.

Some US citizens visit Cuba by first flying to other countries, and booking their travel, directly from that country to Cuba. Once there, Cuba imposes no restrictions on US spending; quite the opposite, as they are all too eager to receive tourist dollars from any part of the world.

Yes, timeshare resorts and new hotels may definitely be in Cuba’s future. But until US law changes, Americans may find that the closest they get to Cuban vacation ownership is a Key West timeshare where the signage at the water’s edge reads: “90 miles to Cuba.”

• Hyatt Windward Pointe Resort II
• Hyatt Windward Pointe Resort
• Hyatt Sunset Harbor Resort
• Hyatt Beach House Resort
• Galleon Resort and Marina
• Coconut Mallory Marina and Resort
• Banyan Resort

You can now be a Wyndham Vacation owner (Wyndham timeshare) at Yellowstone Park, with the recent opening of a new timeshare resort, located less than one mile from the park’s entrance. The Orlando, Florida based timeshare company, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, has just opened WorldMark West Yellowstone. This new timeshare resort, (according to the official press release issued by Wyndham Vacation Ownership) is the only major branded vacation ownership resort in West Yellowstone, Montana.

Mountain Lodge Amenities at New WorldMark Timeshare

West Yellowstone is a significant location, not only because Yellowstone is America’s oldest and most famous national park, but because it is the geographic cross point where the states of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana meet. The timeshare resort is part of WorldMark: The Club Portfolio and offers 112 timeshare condos in one, two, and three-bedroom units, along with four-bedroom Presidential Suites. The three-story, mountain lodge-style timeshare resort includes an indoor pool, a recreation and fitness center, and other amenities.

According to Franz Hanning, the president and CEO of Wyndham Vacation Ownership, “As the only flagged vacation ownership property in the West Yellowstone area, WorldMark West Yellowstone offers our owners and their guests a world-renowned, year-round vacation experience. When combining the rugged beauty of Yellowstone National Park with the unparalleled service and comfort people have come to expect from our Wyndham-branded resorts, we are providing a truly unbeatable vacation experience.”

To learn more about becoming a WorldMark timeshare owner by buying timeshare resales or taking advantages of opportunities in WorldMark timeshare rentals, visit Sell My Timeshare NOW.

And to keep an eye on Old Faithful, the largest geyser at Yellowstone National Park, enjoy this link to Old Faithful Geyser Live! – Video WebCam

About a month ago, the Timeshare Owners Blog carried a post titled, Marriott Timeshare Is Turning Green. We told you about a corporate effort by Marriott to increase environmentally conservative practices by employees of their hotels and timeshare resorts. The plan calls for more emphasis on recycling and an expanded use of recycled materials.

But the green at Marriott hotels and timeshare resorts has just gotten greener, and this time , they are going green on the greens – the golf greens and fairways.

Environmentally Conscious Timeshare Resort Golf Courses

When the Doral Golf Resort & Spa Hotel and Timeshare in Miami hosted the World Golf Championships last week, they became the first Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary in North America to host a World Golf Championships event. And Marriott Golf is following this accomplishment by requiring 34 of the Marriott managed golf courses at 25 locations to become Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries by the end of 2008.

The Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries honor certain golf facilities for their efforts to protect the environment by enhancing wildlife habitats and natural areas. To achieve an Audubon Certification, a golf center must prove that it achieves and maintains the highest degree of environmental quality in areas that include wildlife and habitat management, community outreach, educational efforts, minimized use of chemicals, water conservation, water quality management, and environmental planning.

Currently Marriott Golf has six hotel or timeshare resort golf courses that are operated in accordance with the Audubon standards. These resorts are the Ritz-Carlton Members Club in Sarasota, Stone Mountain Golf Club in Georgia, Doral Golf Resort in Miami, and two other Florida courses.

In a press release issued by the Environmental News Service, Kevin Fletcher, director of Audubon International was quoted as saying, “We are elated with the level of commitment Marriott is showing by mandating Audubon Certification across their portfolio of golf courses…These proven environmental management practices will help preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf for many generations to come.”

Marriott Timeshare Resales

If you want to know more about opportunities to buy timeshare resales at or near great golf courses, the seven Marriott timeshare resorts at Hilton Head Island, SC are a perfect place to start.

• Marriott’s Barony Beach Club Timeshare Resales
• Marriott’s Grande Ocean Timeshare Resales
• Marriott’s Harbour Club Timeshare Resales
• Marriott’s Harbour Point Timeshare Resales
• Marriott’s Heritage Club Timeshare Resales
• Marriott’s Monarch Timeshare Resales
• Marriott’s Sunset Pointe Timeshare Resales

If you want to know more about improving your golf swing during your Marriott timeshare vacation, watch this YouTube video of a private lesson taught by Bobby Cole at the Marriott Doral Golf Resort and Spa:

And if you are more interested in watching birds than making birdies, you will enjoy this YouTube video about Audubon certified golf courses:

CNNMoney.com reported last week that despite the fact that hoteliers in general are feeling the pinch of the tight economy, hotel companies that have a timeshare sales component are doing just fine.

Backing up this theory are strong financial reports from timeshare companies, including Wyndham Worldwide, with fourth-quarter 2007 timeshare vacation revenue up 4 percent to $576 million and Marriott timeshare sales and services revenue up 2 percent in the same quarter.

Here’s What Leading Financial Analysts Said about Timeshare Sales

Last month, Goldman Sachs analyst Steven Kent toured Florida timeshare resorts belonging to Marriott, Starwood, and Wyndham. CNNMoney.com quoted him as saying, “We came away with a renewed sense belief that timeshare sales should be able to muscle through the current difficult economic environment, given a proactive sales model and the compelling quality of the product.”

Robert LaFleur, an analyst with Susquehanna Financial Group, reportedly said that timeshare sales remain a very profitable business and at the same time afford a way for hoteliers to extend their brand. But perhaps LaFeur’s most quotable observation relates specifically to why people continue to buy timeshare despite challenges in the US economy. La Feur said, “It’s (buying timeshare) like going to Costco and buying vacation in bulk.”

No Mistake About It: Timeshare Sales, NOT Vacation Home Sales

If you don’t think consumers clearly understand the difference between the value of buying timeshare vacation ownership property in this economic market and buying sole ownership vacation homes, think again. Vacation home sales (sole ownership properties) dropped 30.6 percent in 2007, from their 2006 all-time record high.

Timeshare ownership …for millions of satisfied people, it’s a great vacation solution no matter what the economy.