Take Two Weeks and Call Me in the Morning 

March 27, 2012

We’ve seen the research:  vacations are important for your good health. Then why do Americans leave at least two of their 14 vacation days on the table annually? It’s because they don’t have the extra money and don’t make the time to plan. 

We know that timeshare vacations are an antidote to both of those problems. Once they have pre-paid, most owners find a way to use the time they’ve purchased – committing themselves to regular vacation time.  And the planning aspect is easy when you own timeshare. 

ARDA is encouraging our members to highlight the health benefits that regular, “get-away” vacations can provide.   

“People need to realize that taking time to unwind is an important health benefit,” says Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “Relieving stress, spending time with family, and re-energizing will pay dividends throughout the rest of the year.”  

So, pass on this doctor’s advice—“Take Two Weeks and Call Me in the Morning!” 

ARDA Issues Tips for Exchange

by Lou Ann Burney

March 16, 2012 

 
As a part of our consumer education campaign, ARDA worked with RCI and Interval International to issue a news release with consumer tips on “Making the Most of Exchange.” We are sharing these with the media, posting on VacationBetter.org, and getting the message on exchange out through our social media channels.

After all, this is one of the main reasons people continue to buy and love their timeshare vacations. Here are the tips…feel free to share them!

Tips for getting the most out of your timeshare exchange:

Deposit early: In general, the earlier you deposit your interval the greater trading power you will receive. This will result in more available vacation choices. Members of the RCI Weeks program can deposit their timeshares up to two years before their start dates.

Be flexible: The more specific you make your vacation searches, the less options you will find. Allowing for some flexibility in the dates you plan to travel or the destinations or resorts you want to visit will greatly increase your chances of finding a match.

Strength in Numbers: Members who own multiple weeks or points intervals can deposit them at once and may be able to redeem them to secure additional units to travel with family and friends. RCI also allows its RCI Weeks subscribing members to combine units so they can trade up and exchange for an interval with a higher trading power.

Exchange Online: Search for your next vacation online at your convenience by visiting IntervalWorld.com or RCI.com. These online sites allow subscribing members to search through thousands of vacation options and complete their vacation exchange in a few simple clicks.

Protect Your Vacation: Purchasing vacation protection gives timeshare owners the peace of mind in knowing that if they need to cancel their exchange vacation for any reason, the deposited interval they used for exchange will be restored and they will receive a credit for the exchange fee they paid that can be used toward another exchange in the future.

Watch and Learn: Get the story on placing pending requests, finding a pet-friendly resort, and more by watching Interval’s informative tutorials on IntervalWorld.com or by visiting RCI.com and checking out the educational videos at RCI® TV.
 

Research on Non-Owners Shows Vacation Priorities Similar to Owners 

March 12, 2012

Our industry may be familiar with the benefits that timeshare owners credit to their vacation products, but are these benefits similar to the vacation priorities of non-owners?   

Reflecting back on the 2011 ARDA International Foundation's Prospect Study, non-owners cited price, quality of resort, and destination as vacation benefits of highest importance. This isn’t surprising to owners who value a regular vacation and know that they’ll get a quality stay every time they vacation with timeshare, but to people unfamiliar with how the products work, this presents a promising opportunity.   

Also of interest from the study were the categories of non-owners by vacation type:  Relaxers, Adventurers, Social Vacationers, and Simplifiers. This shows the power of industry research—to learn how to improve our products and understand our consumers better.  We’ve already seen developers extend rental packages as a way to test the product, transition to points-based systems so that owners have access to more destination choices, and customize vacation packages to appeal to more consumers. Look to AIF to publish more compelling studies in the months to come, including the first worldwide study in over a decade. 

ARDA International Foundation (AIF) Owners Report—Things to Consider 

March 1, 2012

Our latest Owners Report categorizes timeshare owners into one of six segments:  Fans, Vacationists, Togetherers, Experiencers, Strugglers, and Attritors. Each segment has a unique set of values, opportunities, and barriers.  

For example, we found that owners will be increasingly shopping for “value” in this market. Value seems to be operationalized as more than just low cost, but also benefits that appear to be at a premium, especially the ability to exchange and increase flexibility.  

Another observation is in the benefit of reaching new and emerging markets. Currently, timeshare owners are disproportionately Caucasian. According to Census projections, their representation is expected to decline while other ethnicities—Hispanics, in particular—are projected for considerable growth.   

One of the segments in the AIF’s new segmentation program, Togetherers, has a much greater Hispanic/African American population than found within the industry as a whole. This segment provides strong advocacy for the industry and its organizations. 

There is a detailed description of each segment as well as the implications and recommendations in the full study. Contact us here to get a copy.