Vacationers are Unplugging 

By ARDA Staff

May 24, 2013

As summer vacation season kicks off, ARDA finds people are not taking work with them. ARDA, along with research partner The Research Intelligence Group (TRiG), has just conducted an omnibus consumer survey of vacation work habits and technology.  We are sharing it with media today as we head into Memorial Day weekend. 

The survey showed that contrary to popular belief, Americans do know how to unplug, unwind, and rejuvenate on vacation.  Of the 1,000 vacationers surveyed, a whopping 75 percent of respondents do not do any work on their vacation. 

“Our industry has long advocated for taking a true vacation—not just working from a nicer place,” said Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO of ARDA.  “Today’s leading health studies reinforce our message—that there are so many physical and mental health benefits that come with really ‘unplugging.’ And we’re happy to see so many people doing so.”

Only 12 percent of respondents admitted working one or two days while on vacation, and 13 percent said they did some work over three days.  But a full 87 percent said they would prefer to vacation without having to do any work.

Vacationers are bringing their technology on leisure travel; however, in most cases, it is for pleasure and not work.  Fifty-one percent brought their laptop, but only 17 percent of them used it for work.  Thirty-nine percent brought their iPad or tablet device, with only nine percent using either device for work.

Are you one of the 75% who don’t work on vacation? Let us know in the comments! 

What is “Obligatory Travel?” 

By Howard Nusbaum, CEO and President of ARDA

May 8, 2013

It is National Travel and Tourism Week (traditionally the first full week of May and first celebrated in 1984), and therefore it makes sense to blog about the importance of vacation planning. 

But before I go there, I should take a minute to dissect the thought of what constitutes a vacation versus other types of trips. Now I’d admit up front I have a bias—not all time off, and certainly not all travel, equals vacationing. And I don’t just mean business travel (something I do a lot of and have learned to enjoy and value) but I also mean the very important, enjoyable, and family-life affirming “obligatory travel.” 

So what do I mean by “obligatory travel?” I mean family life cycle events. For example, over the next thirty days I will gladly and proudly attend two college graduations (one in Ohio and one in New Hampshire), a Mother’s Day trip to celebrate my 87-year-old mom, and a friend’s wedding to which I was pleased to be invited to attend. This isn’t counting the five business trips I will be taking between now and the end of June.  

So, what is my point? I get a lot of travel and all of it is highly enjoyable and often important to me. However, none of it rejuvenates me the way true leisure travel does.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not “dissing” obligatory travel or business travel. They are both important to the relationships we value most in our lives, and are at the heart of what we do at work and home; however, they should not be mistaken for or “horse-traded” for vacationing. Vacationing is about wanderlust, new adventure, recharging your batteries, spending time with those you love—without an agenda or the emotions (and yes, sometimes baggage) of life cycle events.

We all deserve to get away and truly connect.  Your kids, your spouse, your boss, your co-workers, and your inner guru will all thank you. It matters. So plan a vacation this week—and I don’t mean Cousin Bertha’s 90^th birthday celebration!

Balance in the Core: ARDA World 2013

By Kathryn Mullan, ARDA Editor & Director of Publications

April 25, 2013 

Note: this is an excerpt of a feature article that will appear in the June 2013 issue of Developments magazine.  

If I only had a few words to describe the space and event that was this year’s ARDA World 2013, I think it would be something along the lines of “energetic peace.” Although we changed up much of the program and a few key elements this year, there was a sense of dynamic stillness that kept the week in balance.

Moving away from Orlando to the South Florida beach scene, with all the perks and attractions of Greater Fort Lauderdale as an international travel destination; naming Monday as “Key Constituent Day,” when most of the committees and forums met, along with the Board of Directors; plus, featuring core Fundamental sessions for new industry entrants and new student activities (like Speed Lead).

The top-line events included Sunday’s RCI/AIF Open Golf Tournament, at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, a world-class 18-hole, Joe Lee-designed golf course that combines challenging play with luxurious Mediterranean style architecture. That evening, LEAPS (ARDA’s new leadership/cultivation program) had its first reception, and WIN also met to toast ARDA World 2013.

Most of Monday was spent in committee and council meetings—interspersed with the Resales, Social Media, and Tech Forums—capped off with the ICE Breaker Party (sponsored by ICE & RCI) out on the Diplomat Landing.

Tuesday brought the keynote speaker, Don Tapscott, sponsored by RCI, who inspired attendees with his latest insights on technology and innovation and reaching today’s generation of consumers. Who will ever forget that last video of a “murmuration” of starlings at twilight—the perfect unison of their miraculous flight-ballet—and how he compared it to today’s on-line user behavior? Then, to round off this busy first full day of educational sessions, Interval International threw its signature Party with a Cause—a 20^th anniversary bash—that headlined Foreigner at Miami hotspot, Mansion.

Wednesday rounded off with the Awards Gala, sponsored by Global Travel Benefits (powered by HSI)—a delightful evening with comedian, Ron Pearson, and the great honor of celebrating our industry’s crème de la crème. We closed out the week and all ARDA World 2013 events with Thursday morning’s Breakfast of Champions (sponsored by Hilton Grand Vacations), featuring baseball star, Jim Morris, the inspiration for the film, The Rookie.

All in all, a wonderful Convention. Mark your calendar now for ARDA World 2014: April 6-10, 2014, at The Venetian in Las Vegas. 

Maximize Your ARDA World Experience 

By Howard Nusbaum, CEO and President of ARDA

March 7, 2013 

Today we are exactly one month away from Timeshare’s Big Global Event—ARDA World (April 6-11 in Hollywood, Florida). As our dedicated staff, engaged volunteers, and active members ready themselves for this annual industry extravaganza, I’d like to take a few minutes of your time to “prime your ARDA World pump,” thus ensuring the best experience and opportunity the ARDA World convention has to offer.

1)   Go to our Convention schedule web page and check out the meeting agenda. Planning out your itinerary from the many professional development opportunities to the general session is key to getting the most out of what is offered. Think of it as the “vacation buffet table”—peruse what is there to enjoy before you fill your plate, that way you will get what you want. Be strategic! 

2)    Check out the exhibitor list as these are the companies offering the cutting edge products and services designed just for your business. The exhibit hall is large and chock full of great business opportunities. Map out your experience! 

3)   Prepare to party: and that means pace yourself and bring comfortable shoes, because you will want to hit it all—from the opening AIF Golf Tournament presented by RCI, to “The Opening Night” brought to you by ICE and RCI, to Interval International’s Party with a Cause, and finally the ARDY Gala Awards.

4)   Promise yourself you will learn something new. It may be a chance to better understand the next generation through “co-creation” at the Sales & Marketing Forum, or taking note of thought leader and keynote speaker Don Tapscott to better understand the value and impact of information technology, or the chance to understand the opportunities for creating a healthier sold out resort at the Legacy Resort Workshop. Opportunity abounds! 

5)   Put yourself out there. With more than 2,500 of the industry’s top professionals at ARDA World, be a networker. Make a new business friend and enhance your business relationships by leaving your comfort zone—promise to make at least one new acquaintance each day.

You’ve got thirty days to get ready for the one event of the year that matters most to your business—be a scout and spend some time getting ready to maximize your ARDA World Experience.

By Howard Nusbaum, CEO and President of ARDA 

February 20, 2013 

A recent focus group we conducted confirmed what many of you may have suspected—there is a belief among would-be timeshare purchasers that the product is inflexible. In an effort to help dispel this myth, we recently issued a press release on exchanging.  

As noted in the release, it is the flexibility provided by exchange programs that make owners say timeshare is a better way to vacation. Last year, 38 percent of traditional timeshare owners either banked or exchanged their timeshare, according to ARDA’s AIF 2012 Shared Vacation Ownership Owners Report.  

We also shared stories of owners exchange experiences from companies Interval International and RCI. Both Interval and RCI recommend that owners first develop a list of ideal vacation destinations, be flexible with dates of travel, and understand their product type and exchange program in order to best evaluate and use their trading power.  

We will continue to communicate the flexibility of timeshare and welcome your ideas! 

A Snapshot of Timeshare Ownership

By Alexa Antonuk, Communications Manager

February 5, 2013 

While some of us might love to sift through pages and pages of data, in this time of information overload, most prefer instead to get a quick snapshot. With infographics we can now show data, information, and knowledge in a highly consumable, easy to understand way.

ARDA has developed an infographic based on AIF’s 2012 Shared Vacation Ownership Owners Report. As you can see below, it clearly highlights some of the more important findings in a fun and readable format. It was developed to share with ARDA members, influencers, and consumers through social media.

We are distributing this through our Facebook page, Twitter, and Pinterest account, as well as sending it to our media/blogger contacts for use in their online efforts. The Communications Committee will also help us spread this Infographic through their channels. View the full infographic (PDF).

Please feel free to share it and look for more to come! Our next one will be in February and will “lasso” the Wild, Wild West of Resales.

Work in Travel! It’s a Great Way to Launch a Career

By Howard Nusbaum, CEO and President of ARDA

January 24, 2013 

The latest results of a new study “Travels Means Jobs,” conducted by the U.S. Travel Association, got a lot of play recently in the press...and for good reason. It found that people who start their careers in hospitality and travel end up with better earnings and growth potential—even if they move into other fields.

To provide insight into the benefits of a travel industry job and the career progression of workers who began in travel, the U.S. Travel Association analyzed data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Here are a few key findings:

1. Earning Higher Wages: The average maximum salary for employees who start their career in the travel industry reaches $81,900 (significantly more than the other industries followed).
2. Building the Middle Class: The travel industry is one of the top 10 largest employers of middle-class wage earners in the United States. More than half of all travel industry employees (53 percent) earn a middle class or higher salary.
3. Promotional Educational Opportunities: One-third of the 5.6 million Americans who work part-time while continuing their education work in the largest component of the travel industry—leisure and hospitality (including timeshare).
4. Leading to Rewarding Careers: Two out of five workers who start their careers in travel go on to earn more than $100,000 per year. The travel and hospitality industries offer a diverse workforce the real opportunity to develop a wide variety of life skills.

And I believe that timeshare (although not separated from other travel jobs in this study) has even another advantage over general travel jobs, with more positions in robust sales and marketing, regulatory compliance, and financial services. This job diversity offers timeshare employees the ability to start in resort operations and then move into finance, real estate, sales and marketing, and other disciplines while staying within vacation ownership and often within the same company.

As a board member of U.S. Travel, I am proud of these findings and am excited to have this data available as we recruit the next generation of professionals. And in our industry advocacy work, this critical data will serve us well as we engage local, state, and national leaders about the timeshare industry and its role in travel.  

Note: This blog post is based on a January 2013 Developments magazine article.