Caribbean Timeshare

Jamaica is hot.

With a 5 percent increase in visitor numbers in 2010, and a larger growth percentage expected this year, Jamaica is proving that even a challenging economy doesn’t stop a hot vacation destination.

This fall, the World Travel Awards will honor Jamaica, nominated as a great travel destination, in a VIP ceremony with the awards event, scheduled for—where else—Jamaica! The ceremony will take place at Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort & Private Island in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Graham E. Cooke, president and founder, World Travel Awards, said this of Jamaica, “Jamaica has proven one of the tourism stars of the global downturn because of its boundless appetite for reinvention – a spirit exemplified by our event host, Sandals Resorts. We are honored that our ceremony forms part of this iconic brand’s 30th anniversary celebrations. The Caribbean is also capitalizing on the tremendous opportunities afforded by BRIC [Brazil, Russia, India, and China] nations, especially with traditional source markets stuttering.”

As popular as Jamaica has proven to be among travelers, it is, however, facing serious competition in the category of “Caribbean’s Leading Destination.” Aruba, Barbados, Bahamas, St. Lucia, and Turks & Caicos are among the other competitors for the top honors.

Jamaica Timeshare Vacations

Jamaica is leading the way as the Caribbean rebounds from the challenges of the global economy. Beautiful Jamaica timeshare resorts are certainly among the reasons it remains such an attractive vacation destination.

Jamaica timeshares offer so much more than white sand and turquoise water, with plenty of water sports, sport fishing, parasailing and of course, the rhythm of rock and reggae bands under the stars each night. From historic sugar plantations to horseback riding, to spelunking or rappelling in the Blue Mountain caves of northeastern Jamaica, there’s plenty to keep travelers happy when they vacation in Jamaica; after all, it’s Jamaica Mon!

More about the World Travel Awards: The prestigious World Travel Awards events are held around the world. This year’s competitions include events in Dubai, UAE; Antalya, Turkey; Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt; and Bangkok, Thailand, all building up to the Grand Final to be held in Doha, Qatar, in November. Event partners include Sandals Resorts and WeClickMedia, National Geographic Traveler, eTurboNews, Focus on Travel News, Breaking Travel News, JaxFax and Travel Daily News.

Next week, Bluegreen Corporation and Bluegreen timeshares will celebrate twenty years at their Boca Raton, Florida location. Marking the milestone with a weeklong celebration, Bluegreen will host a ribbon cutting on August 15, commemorating the company’s growth and success in the timeshare, resort management and real estate industries.

Boca Raton was not the original home to Bluegreen Corp, which was founded in 1966 by Harry Patten as the Patten Corporation, and was then based in Vermont. In 1996, the company changed the name from Patten to Bluegreen as it positioned itself for long-term growth in the timeshare, vacation ownership and golf industries.

John Maloney, President and CEO of Bluegreen Corporation, explains, “As Bluegreen has grown to include some 222,000 owners, over 50 resorts and an additional 4,000 resorts are available through our exchange network, we are proud to say we have achieved and maintained an honorable standard of work and ethics. I am humbled by Bluegreen’s success over the past 20 years in Boca Raton, and look forward to watching the company grow and prosper for decades to come.”

Today, Bluegreen offers dozens of popular resorts in the US, including Bluegreen Hawaii timeshares, and in the Caribbean the Blue Water Resort at Cable Beach at Nassau, Bahamas and La Cabana Beach and Racquet Club in Oranjestad, Aruba.

Last week was the first annual Global Networking Expo & Perspective Magazine Awards Gala, held at the Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas—also known as, “The GNEX Conference.”

This new event to the timeshare industry brought opportunity for learning, networking, connecting. It also offered the perfect venue for looking at some of the “BURNING ISSUES” of timeshare. I enjoyed speaking on a panel, along with Ross Perlmutter, President, Canadian Resort Development Association; Ramy Filo, CEO, Classic Holiday Group; Harry Taylor, Executive Chairman, Timeshare Association Timeshare Owners Committees, Robert Webb of Baker and Hostetler; and Bryan Lunt, Chairman & CEO, Absolute World Group of Companies.

Burning Issues of Timeshare Sales and Timeshare Resales

We didn’t sidestep the difficult questions or shy away from the challenges our industry faces. We looked seriously at the consumer issues of timeshare; media perception (and misconception) about vacation ownership; and weaknesses in the both the timeshare product and its delivery to consumers.

Here are some of the points that were made in our Timeshare Burning Issues Panel:

1. Timeshare has to change its marketing model. Fewer and fewer people are willing to “be sold to” at a timeshare sales presentation.
2. The timeshare industry must accept the fact that consumers will comparison shop. The industry can’t be afraid of that or back off from it. Consumers in control, comparison shopping, is the reality of a web-connected world, where people are “armed” with iPods, iPads, and Blackberries.
3. Timeshare sales are an international product, sold to an international market. Seventeen percent of the timeshare resales and rentals at Sell My Timeshare NOW involve international clients.

4. Demand for timeshare sales, timeshare rentals, and timeshare resales via an online inventory and an online transaction is already high. As fellow panelist, Rob Webb, an attorney who specializes in real estate and hospitality law, says, “In five years, the timeshare product will be sold on the Internet. If a company is not ready for that, they’ll be out of business.”

We covered a lot of very important territory at the conference. By the way, here’s a photo from the event which shows all of us on the Burning Issues panel.

In case you missed it during this busy week, Simpson Bay, a popular Caribbean timeshare, officially reopened last Saturday, March 12.

Timeshare owners, guests, and those using timeshare exchange were allowed to once again check-in, on the resort’s regular shedule. All 425 timeshare units there are open and fully operational.

In an open letter to Simpson Bay timeshare owners, the management wrote, “The labor issue is not fully resolved but it is at a point that is acceptable to move forward. Issues with the Tenant’s Association of Pelican Resort Club (TAPRC) have not been finalized; however, Chairman Jeff Borowick has repeatedly expressed his willingness to quickly resolve the issues and insure that all members enjoy their resort with the lowest fees.”

Timeshare owners who own intervals during the period the resort was closed (intervals 8, 9, and 10) are beging given a “Double Occupancy Adjustment”. This means that although they may have only paid a single 2011 maintence fee, they will receive TWO comparable timeshare weeks at no additional cost. These timeshare weeks may be used, exchanged, loaned, or rented at the timeshare owner’s choice.

Beginning March 21, 2011, timeshare owners who are entitled to take advantage of this adjustment may call tollfree from the USA or Canada (888-721-4407), or call 954-736-5807 from any location to handle their adjustments. The Double Occupancy Adjustment must be booked by December 31, 2011 with travel completed by December 31, 2012.

Resolution for this Caribbean Timeshare Resort

Although not all issues have been resolved, it appears that the problems at Simpson Bay timeshare (formerly Pelican Resort Club) are well on their way to being resolved. Most importantly perhaps is that it seems the rights and interests of timeshare owners at Simpson Bay are being considered and respected in the process.

For more information on events leading up to the closing of the Simpson Bay Resort, check these previous posts on The Timeshare Authority blog:

• Detailed Updates on Simpson Bay Timeshare (Pelican Resort Club) Closing Part I
• Detailed Updates on Simpson Bay Timeshare (Pelican Resort Club) Closing Part II