New York Timeshare

The 2011 Obitz Travel Index revealed some surprising and not-so-surprising travel trends for this year’s holiday season.

Despite the still-tight economy and rising airfares, which are up some 4 percent over last year, people still plan to travel this holiday season. Of those surveyed, 68 percent said they would cut back elsewhere, including on gift buying if necessary to cover the cost of holiday travel.

Where is everybody going?

Well, New York City ranks as the top destination for Thanksgiving travel. Chicago and Orlando ranked as second and third. Other popular destinations include Las Vegas, Denver, Atlanta, Los Angles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

For Christmas and New Year’s travel, Orlando ranked number one, New York number two, with Denver ranking third in Christmas travel and Cancun taking the number three spot for New Year’s travel.

But experts advise, book your travel and lock in your plans NOW.

Jeanenne Tornatore, senior travel editor for Orbitz.com, says, “With the travel demand strong for the holidays, consumers need to lock in their plans. We’re seeing many deals catering to families on a budget, but travelers will miss these great opportunities if travel planning is pushed back as prices are not likely to go down.”

This year, more than ever, at Sell My Timeshare NOW and Timeshare Broker Services, we are finding that timeshare rentals are being snapped up fast.

Timeshare Rentals mean:

• Spacious accommodations, where you and your family or friends can spread out, with home away from home comforts
• Great competitive prices, as timeshare owners seek to rent timeshare they cannot use themselves
• Locations near all the fun attractions you want to visit
• In-unit kitchens, making it easier to save money on dining out
• In-unit or on-site washers and dryers meaning, less to pack and fewer “extra bag” fees from airlines
• Great options for accommodating your holiday guests as well as for your own travel

Timeshare rental for your holiday travel … do it NOW.

Last month, Jonathan M. Tisch, CEO of Loews Hotels, delivered the opening address at NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference. In his speech, to a crowd of some 1800, Tisch made some eye-opening points about the condition of American’s aging transport infrastructure. He touched on issues that get right to the heart of tourism, the economy, and even safety.

Here is a summary of some of the unsettling points he raised, calling this the “next great challenge facing the travel industry”:

1. Although investing in the travel infrastructure –roads, bridges, airports, air traffic control, trains, tunnels, and all forms of public transportation— is costly, failing to invest is even more costly.
2. As the US economy slowly recovers, Americans return to both more recreational travel and more business travel. However, “…over the next decade, an estimated two billion people will be able to afford international travel – most of them from the rising economies of China, India, Brazil and Russia.” If you think US airports are slow and crowded now, what will they be like when facing such a surge of international travelers?
3. Remember when it was fun to fly? With today’s crowded flights, congested airports, security demands, and safety concerns, air travel in the US is far from fun. Now add the deficits in public transportation and you have travel that Tisch describes as, “more stressful, less convenient, and more nerve-racking.” Clearly, this is a problem for hotels, timeshares, and everyone who makes their living in tourism and travel. As Tisch points out, it really doesn’t matter how appealing your accommodations are or how soft the sheets, if the traveler arrives thoroughly frustrated and exhausted from trying to reach his destination.
4. Travel delays are more than inconvenient and annoying. According to a study by the Partnership for New York City, travel delays cost the New York regional economy more than $2.6 billion in 2008 and will total $79 billion by 2025.
5. Just as travel woes hurt not only the hotel and timeshare industries, but all segments of the economy, travel improvements bring an amazing boost to economies. A report recently released by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation estimates that investing in LAX alone would create nearly 40,000 jobs and generate $7 billion for the local economy.

I have only touched on a fraction of the insights that Jonathan Tisch shared in his address. I urge you to follow this link to read his speech in its entirety. You will find it at Hotels Online.

With this week’s opening of the Hotel Belle Sky Comwell in Copenhagen, Europe now has its first hotel with an entire floor dedicated to women.

At one time, ‘women-only hotels’ were found in many metropolitan areas worldwide. These were entire properties that accommodated only female guests and sometimes only female employees. In 1903 the Martha Washington opened on Fifth Avenue, becoming New York’s first female only hotel. In 1939, New York’s Barbizon Hotel opened, serving as a residence hotel for more than fifty years and hosting many famous female guests, including Candice Bergen, Liza Minnelli, and Grace Kelly.

Although there are still a few female-only hotel properties around the world, there is less demand for them than in the past. However, interest in accommodations that better serve the needs of women travelers is on the rise, with more and more resorts and hotels either offering ladies-only sections, or at least catering more to the travel preferences of women.

Extras that Women Want in Hotels and Timeshares

One recent study shows that female travelers value good hairdryers, organic beauty supplies, good lighting and mirrors with magnification. Requests for the mini bar include café latte, green tea, and mineral water.

New York’s Premier Hotel is one of many properties that offer women-only rooms. These rooms typically include: yoga mats; magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Self, and O; curling and flat irons; bath salts; a vanity kit, and a stool at the sink (with makeup lighting) so women can sit while applying makeup.

In the timeshare industry, Wyndham Worldwide, was a frontrunner in speaking to the needs of women who travel. In 1995, Wyndham established Women on Their Way, a website packed with tips and resources for women who travel for business or pleasure, along with expert advice on destinations, hotels, and Wyndham timeshare resorts.

Last week, ARDA (the American Resort Development Association) released a media announcement looking at American travel trends for 2011. Here’s some of the patterns they identified:

• Americans will be traveling more in 2011 than in the past few years.
• Trip Advisor estimates that 69 percent of travelers will take international trips this year with the top three destinations being Paris, London, and Rome.
• Trip Advisor predictions also show that in the US, top destinations are Las Vegas, New York City, and San Francisco.

Travel and Timeshare Sales and Timeshare Rentals

What does this renewed enthusiasm for travel indicate for timeshare sales, timeshare resales, and timeshare rentals? Many things, all of which are as good for timeshare owners as they are for the timeshare industry.

As more people discover the opportunities of timeshare rentals, the spacious accommodations and the great prices, travelers will quickly realize that their vacation dollars are going further, allowing them to travel more or stay longer. And timeshare owners who want to rent timeshares they currently own may find a larger and more competitive market for renting timeshare.

And as travelers take to the highways and skyways, timeshare sales companies and timeshare resale brokers will be able to market in targeted ways, recognizing in advance the trending interest in Las Vegas timeshare, New York City timeshare, San Francisco timeshare, and European timeshare. As Howard Nusbaum ARDA president and CEO, explains, “This resurgence of travel is terrific news for the timeshare industry. More travelers are beginning to understand the value and comfort of a timeshare vacation and with resorts in all of these popular 2011 destinations, vacationers will find exactly what they need.”

Follow this link to read the ARDA media release in full.