Interval International

According to news in the Orlando Sentinel and other sources, the Disney Vacation Club has signed a multi-year contract with Group RCI, a timeshare exchange company.

Effective, January 1, 2009, RCI will be the exclusive exchange provider for Disney Vacation Club timeshare members. Under the terms of the new agreement, timeshare owners at Disney Vacation Club will be able to use their Disney Vacation Club timeshare points to book timeshare at RCI resorts all over the world.

Exchanging Disney timeshare points through RCI will enable Disney owners to book timeshare at non-Disney resorts. At the same time, the more than 3.6 million members of RCI timeshare exchange will now be able to exchange other timeshare for stays at the Disney Vacation Club.

A spokesperson for Disney timeshare, which is based in Celebration, Florida, says the decision to switch Disney’s exchange affiliation from Interval International to RCI exchange will provide Disney timeshare members with “‘a significantly broader range of resort experiences,’ including access to destinations across six continents and 25 countries.”

Disney believes they will be able to attract more people to buy timeshare at the Disney resorts, by being able to offer access to a wider array of timeshare exchange.

Interval International Timeshares Exchange and Kosmas Group International have announced a long-term affiliation agreement in regard to timeshare resort properties in Key West, New Smyrna Beach, and Orlando, Florida.

Craig M. Nash, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Interval Leisure Group says, “The Kosmas Group has been one of the leading companies in vacation ownership for more than 30 years. We greatly value this relationship and are pleased to have the opportunity to continue to provide Kosmas’ owners with exchange and leisure services, as well as to offer KGI a variety of programs to enhance their sales initiatives.”

Representatives of the Kosmas Group explained that they made their decision to renew the alliance with Interval International timeshare exchange because of II’s commitment to work collaboratively. “Interval offers us an innovative portfolio of business development products, including value-added membership and trial ownership programs and tour incentive premiums, which complement our own very successful marketing strategy. Perhaps most importantly, Interval is uniquely positioned to offer our current and future owners access to high quality resorts in very desirable destinations.”

Kosmss Group International (KGI) member owners will be enrolled as individual members of Interval International and of Interval Gold (R), Interval International’s upgraded membership program. Their expanded privileges will enable them to exchange timeshare at other luxurious timeshare resorts, or use the value of their timeshare toward the purchase of cruises, spa vacations, and golf. Other benefits include 24-hr. daily concierge service via phone or e-mail, complimentary Hertz rental car Gold membership, and other hotel and dining discounts.

To learn more about the opportunities of timeshare exchange, talk to the timeshare resales and timeshare rental specialists at Sell My Timeshare NOW. 877-815-4227

Yesterday we told you about data compiled by Ypartnership/Yankelovich, Inc. 2008 National Leisure Travel MONITOR (sm) for Interval International. The research was released in a report titled, “Future Timeshare Buyers: 2008 Market Profile” and was presented last week at the 10th Annual Vacation Ownership Investment Conference recently held in Orlando, Florida.

According to the findings of this study, timeshare owners and timeshare buyers want new and different experiences. Peter C. Yesawich, co-author of the annual survey with Yankelovich, Inc, and chairman and chief executive officer of Ypartnership was quoted by Hotels Magazine as describing people interested in buying timeshare as those who want to “live life to the fullest.”

Yesawich sees timeshare buyers as desiring, “personalization and customization … more brands, more types of products, and more consumer choices overall so they can select what best fits their needs.”

Hotels Magazine describes prospective timeshare owners as, “individuals chasing originality, expressed by their pursuit of new experiences. They prefer traveling to places that are more than just entertainment, where they can also get a sense of participation, and spending their money on life-enriching experiences.”

Clearly fifty really is the new thirty. But are timeshare resorts and timeshare developers prepared to keep up with the changing demands of consumers, especially in these days of tight credit and decreased spending?

Timeshare Developers and the Vacation Ownership Industry are Ready

Howard A. Bendell, director of market research and analysis for Interval International, sees the findings of the report as being very important to the timeshare industry and timeshare developers. Bendell says, “timeshare developers are in the perfect position to offer these consumers exactly what they want: personalization, customization, and originality – in the form of vacation experiences that are tailor-made for the individual every year.”

Clearly if you are buying timeshare, viewing you expenditure as one that has value to you over a lifetime, you are concerned that your vacation needs and interests will no doubt change in upcoming years. As Bendell observes, “… families can create a different experience each year through a myriad of resort offerings and by using the ability to exchange their resort time.”

The study also backs up a finding that has been evidenced in the past: timeshare buyers are willing to pay more – as much as 20 percent more – to get what they really want. Buying timeshare that offers products and services customized to your specifications is what Bendell describes as a good value proposition.

With the economy rocking and reeling these days, and even timeshare developers and big hoteliers feeling the effects, it is good to know that overall there is a bright outlook for the industry. According to facts presented by Hotels Magazine, there are now more people in the US who want to buy timeshare than who already own it. This translates to a potential to at least double the number of timeshare owners in the future, if timeshare developers listen to the market and are ready to respond to the call.

To learn more about the timeshare and vacation ownership report, read yesterday’s post on The Timeshare Authority:

• Timeshare Owners Boring? Not a Chance; They’re Thrill Seekers

Hotels Magazine just published a very interesting article based on a newly release report titled, “Future Timeshare Buyers: 2008 Market Profile“, which includes data collected for the Ypartnership/Yankelovich, Inc. 2008 National Leisure Travel MONITOR (sm).

For so many years, we have been told that the average timeshare buyer is a middle age, middle to upper income, and middle-of-the-road type individual buying timeshare for vacation security. But this study, developed exclusively for Interval International, paints a very different picture of today’s timeshare owner and timeshare buyer.

The study collected data during January and February of 2008, and included a sampling of the population of US adults who are active (current) leisure travelers. All of those participating in the timeshare profile study had taken at least one trip of 75 miles or more from their home that required overnight accommodations, for the purpose of vacation or leisure.

Much to the surprise of even seasoned experts in the timeshare resort industry, the people who expressed an interest in buying timeshare were not your security seeking, ‘take me to the same place every year,’ types. Instead, they show a, “greater zest for life, are more interested in trying new things, and taking risks.”

“What’s perhaps most interesting,” said Howard A. Bendell, director of market research and analysis for Interval International, “is that while the demography of potential timeshare buyers is largely reflective of Boomers, the psychographics are more akin to attributes more often related to Generations X and Y.”

You Already Knew This about Buying Timeshare

If you are a timeshare owner who falls into the Baby Boomer profile, you know that the label, ‘boring’ does not fit you. You didn’t buy timeshare because you wanted to experience the ‘same ole thing’ every year; you are likely to have bought it because your life is so busy and so full that you recognize timeshare as a way to ensure your vacation, even during your busiest times. According to Hotels.com, “This group can also be characterized as individuals chasing originality, expressed by their pursuit of new experiences. They prefer traveling to places that are more than just entertainment, where they can also get a sense of participation, and spending their money on life-enriching experiences.”

So all you Boomers, who have shied away from buying timeshare because you feared it was too staid, and just not cool enough for you, there is no reason to hold back any longer. The research is in, and it says that timeshare owners are not sitting back in a rocking chair, but are instead vital, proactive people, who are serious about living their life to the fullest.

Check in on The Timeshare Authority Blog tomorrow, for more facts from the “Future Timeshare Buyers: 2008 Market Profile”.