Are you familiar with Abraham Maslow‘s Hierarchy of Needs? The esteemed psychologist, Maslow, included the concept of the Hierarchy of Needs in a widely respected paper he published in 1943, titled, A Theory of Human Motivation.

In studying human nature, Maslow determined that we all share a structure of needs that we strive to fulfill in the same order no matter our cultural or intellectual status. For example, we don’t worry about needing friends (an need that occurs in the third tier of the 5 levels) until we have first satisfied the more basic needs for air or food, both of which are part of the first tier.

But which need level are we satisfying when we buy timeshare?

According to Howard Benedel, director of market research and analysis with Interval International, the growth of timesharing mirrors a societal desire to strive to achieve personal goals and agendas. Glenn Haussman wrote an excellent article that appeared in Hotel Interactive, in which he said, “A timeshare vacation facilitates that sense of achievement by serving as a platform where families can reconnect and have new and engaging experiences, which when combined with the comforts and spaciousness of a home sets the state for memories.”

Maslow’s third level or tier of needs includes the need for love and belonging with family and friends. The fourth level includes self-esteem, confidence, achievement, and respect by others, and it seems that buying timeshare works to satisfy needs in both these categories.

In other words, owning timeshare is not just a logical choice for vacationing, but actually appeals to us on an intuitive level. Bendell acknowledges this when he says, “Frankly, it’s (owning timeshare) become a mechanism to elevate sense of self worth and value.”

Go ahead. Buy timeshare. Instead of viewing it as a guilty pleasure or an indulgence, recognize that one reason owning timeshare appeals to us is because it affords a way to satisfy deep and intrinsic human needs. And if you buy timeshare as a right-priced timeshare resale through Sell My Timeshare NOW, you can even help satisfy that need to keep your finances safe and secure.

The Upgrade: Travel Better Blog recently wrote about a topic we’ve discussed here before in the Timeshare Owners Blog…the dreaded mini-bar.

The luxurious Wynn hotel in Las Vegas has apparently taken mini bar insanity to a whole new level. As many of you know, and we have talked about before here in the Timeshare Owners Blog, some hotel mini bars have motion detectors that charge you for mini bar items that you don’t consume, but just touch or slightly move within the fridge.

The Wynn however, (according to the Upgrade: Travel Better Blog), now employs the same strategy with regard to items that are located outside the mini bar. Snacks are offered on a tray in the hotel guest’s room. There is a written warning that the food sits on an electronic scale and that moving it means you bought it. Unfortunately that apparently also applies to accidently bumping it or casually picking up the snack to inspect it. And what happens if you do intend to pick up one snack to purchase, but in the process cause movement of other items on the tray? Well, apparently you have bought those too, whether or not you really want them. But don’t take my word for it, click here to see the actual photo of cookies at the Wynn.

Crazy? Sounds that way to me. So my suggestion is this: when you travel, rent timeshare or use timeshare weeks you own so that you can enjoy the benefits of a full and functional in-suite kitchen, without trying to pull off a balancing act every time you get near the mini bar.

Previous posts in the Sell My Timeshare NOW Timeshare Owners Blog on the topic of mini bars:

• Timeshare Vacationers Don’t Face “Mini-Bar Pressure”

Research and Markets, a firm that bills itself as the world’s largest market research resource, has released a report saying that globally, the vacation ownership industry holds strong market potential for timeshare sales. The 40-page report cites as evidence of this, the fact that, “the US economy is facing the challenges of a slump in the housing market and an increase in fuel prices…(but) the vacation ownership industry has not fallen to the economic woes and is fairly insulated from the economic performance.”

The report concludes that while consumers may be taking shorter vacations or staying closer to home, they have not stopped buying timeshare or renting timeshare for this purpose.

The State of Timeshare Sales Outside the US

According to the Research and Markets report, Europe is still trying to update governmental regulations to better serve and protect both the people who buy timeshare and the people who sell timeshare. Once this occurs, the report speculates that the timeshare industry in Europe will resume the growth levels it enjoyed during the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Other potentially strong international markets, according to the report’s findings, include Malaysia, Singapore, India, Indonesia, and China. The growing affluence of Asians, paired with new low-cost air travel options, are cited as reasons that have helped spur this expansion.

Research used in the report focuses on four timeshare companies: Wyndham timeshare, Marriott timeshare, Hilton timeshare, and Starwood timeshare. The full report is available at: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c84948#. But don’t expect the wisdom it carries to come cheaply. Purchased in its least expensive format, this timeshare market report costs EUR 910.00, or approximately 1,440 USD—and for that price you could just go ahead and buy timeshare as a resale by shopping the competitive prices available at Sell My Timeshare NOW.

For several years, we’ve been hearing only good things about the state of timeshare sales in India. India has been a vacation hot deal with strong timeshare sales both from residents and from abroad. In fact, business has been so good, that some India timeshare companies have established targeted offices in cities such as Washington DC and London because these areas have large populations of residents whose parents or grandparents live in India and who visit there regularly.

India timeshare sales have boomed, in part, because people who make annual trips to visit their India homeland recognize the value of owning timeshare weeks at resorts located near their family and friends. Additionally, India has long been considered a safe vacation destination, with a warm climate, beautiful beaches, and a rich and splendorous cultural heritage, that is geographically well located for millions of travelers.

So I was surprised to read the recent post from India news source, Sify.com, stating, “The concept (timeshare ownership) failed because their owners apparently did not intend to honour their commitments to the consumers who paid money up-front and booked time in resorts. It was also alleged that after building these resorts, consumers holding valid timeshare were told that the resort was unavailable while walk-in customers were provided room because they paid cash.”

The India Timeshare and Timeshare Resale Market

I challenge this statement as a problem of “throwing the baby out with the bathwater.” I would certainly not call India timeshare a failed concept. While it appears that India timeshare owners are raising a complaint about their inability to exchange timeshare while their exchange company seems perfectly willing to rent timeshare weeks to non-owners, they are simply voicing a problem that is confronting timeshare owners in all parts of the world.

A detailed and highly-informative article posted by IndLawNews depicts a much more positive picture of timesharing in India, stating, “Timeshare is one of the most evolved and profitable sectors in the hospitality and leisure industry. Introduced in India barely 15 years ago, the timeshare industry is growing manifold with big brands such as Resort Condominiums International (RCI), Ramada Hotels & Resorts, Club Mahindra, Hyatt Vacation Club, etc. entering the business. Much of it still remains untapped and developers keep coming up with new, innovative and attractive deals.”

I venture to say that timeshare ownership in India is still an excellent idea and a perfect solution for both vacationers and people who travel regularly there. Every nation that has embraced the concept of timeshare ownership has soon found that new legislation must be introduced to regulate timeshare buying and timeshare selling within their marketplace.

Growing pains in the India timeshare market maybe, but a failure? Not a chance!