Timeshare Information

If timeshare is doing well...is it limited to one area? We think not. Reports show there are definite sparks of life in the industry that was hard-hit by the recession, and some of the areas where you'll find those sparks may surprise you.

Las Vegas 

Las Vegas is seeing its biggest growth since 2008. According to the Las Vegas Business Press, more than 1,000 units have been added, or will be added, to the Las Vegas timeshare sector. (In last week's blog we talked about construction resuming on Desert Blue, a 281 unit Vegas timeshare started by Wyndham Worldwide.)

Says Ed Kinney, a Marriott Vacations Worldwide spokesman, "We are seeing a continued pattern of increased travel. There is a tremendous interest, and Las Vegas has always been a popular destination." Last month, the company topped the third 37-floor tower of its off-strip Grand Chateau, which added 223 units.

Hilton Grand Vacations added to its luxury timeshare portfolio with the purchase of 300 units at the Trump International Hotel. At Grandview at Las Vegas near South Point, construction of a new tower is expected to increase its number of units from 1,556 to 1,856 according to the LVCVA survey.

Other parts of the world are also seeing an industry upswing:

Canada

With CRDA VO-Com running this week in Vancouver, it's hard not to hear talk about Skyline Vacation Club, Ontario’s first drive-to vacation club. Only days ago, Skyline International Development announced their new lifestyle division, a members-only, points based vacation club. The club offers members a choice of vacation experiences from 3 different categories. The Urban Collection, with locations in downtown Toronto (Pantages Hotel and Cosmopolitan Hotel), the Resort Collection, located 1-2 hours from Toronto (Horseshoe Resort and Deerhurst Resort), and the International Collection, featuring over 4,000 vacation options around the world through a partnership with RCI.

Gil Blutrich, President of Skyline International Development, says, "Skyline Vacation Club elevates the guest experience by providing connectivity between city and country, urban and resort."

Ireland

Reports from a survey by Failte Ireland, (Ireland's National Tourism Development Authority) show Ireland's tourism is 'on the turn' (Irish speak for upturn). Business sentiment is at its highest since the economic crash in 2008. The report goes on to say that occupancy was up in over two-thirds of hotels, 58% of guest houses, and 46% of B&Bs.  Good weather was cited as a contribution to the up turn, but also 6 of 10 businesses cited the Government's Gathering Initiative (Ireland's biggest ever tourism initiative) as a factor for increased trade.

New Zealand

All those who attended NZHOC back in May know that New Zealand is facing its timeshare challenges head on. The Australian Timeshare Holiday Ownership council has representatives from 3 main timeshare regions.  Two of the regions are on North Island, in the Bay of Islands Region, and in the Taupo Region in the center of North Island. The 3rd region is in Queenstown where 9 resorts are located.

A New Zealand astro-tourism operator is hoping to take advantage of the "star gazing craze."  Every year tens of thousands of tourists flock to Lake Tekapo, where Canterbury University's Mt. John Observatory resides, to see Southern Stars, the Milky Way, and meteor shows. Graeme Murray, founder of the astro- tourism concession Earth & Sky, wants to build a $5 million "window to the universe" facility on the lake's shore to cater to the needs of those star-gazing tourists.  Earth & Sky will be just a part of a wider development plan around Lake Tekapo including hotels, shops and a supermarket that Mr. Murray hopes to get going.

Apparently, astro-tourism, which has taken off in Asia too, has immense potential for the region as it means tourists need to stay overnight to watch the stars.

Is the market upswing here to stay? 

There are still a few worries. Lisa Ann Schrier, executive director of the National Timeshare Owners Association is concerned about "the amount of timeshares coming online all at once instead of sticking a toe in the water to see if it will fly or not." But she adds, "the major players seem to think there is still a lot of life in the old warhorse."

We'd like to know what you think. Please post your comments below.

Before the shock of Japan's devastating earthquake, the world was in disbelief in February when New Zealand's second largest city, Christchurch, bore the brunt of an unusually shallow 6.3-magnitude tremor that left swaths of the downtown and eastern suburbs uninhabitable and caused numerous casualties.

While our thoughts go out to those people who have lost loved ones, homes and businesses, travel bloggers around the world are uniting to tell the world New Zealand is a great place to travel and there is no better time than now. Blog4NZ is a grassroots blogging and social media effort to support New Zealand travel in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake.

Dan Roberts, of Travel Generation, said “New Zealand is one of the world’s greatest travel destinations. It has been the place where so much innovation has come with regard to travel. It is also a country where tourism is the number one contributor to the GDP and where the Minister of Tourism is the Prime Minister – that is how important tourism is to New Zealand. The travel community wants everyone to know that if there is one place that should be on your travel list this year it is New Zealand.”

With travel plans to Japan and nearby countries thwarted, a number of vacationers have already changed their plans and taken timeshare rentals in New Zealand. For those of you who are looking for a great vacation to a beautiful country, take a look at the many timeshare exchanges that are also available throughout New Zealand. Here are a couple of examples:

Busby Manor is nestled near Paihia Beach. Located in the heart of the Bay of Islands (see photo at left), this area boasts more than 150 bush-clad sandy-beached islands, which with their unspoiled beauty, are a mariner's dream. The whole region is steeped in history, boating, and fishing. Visit the Kelly Tarlton Shipwreck Museum, or the famous Treaty House, where in 1840, the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. For the golfer, experience breathtaking views from each of the nearby course's 18 holes.

Located in central North Island, the Taupo Ika Nui resort is situated on the shores of Lake Taupo (see photo top right), New Zealand's largest lake. As a backdrop, the mountain ranges of Tongariro National Park, Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Kaimanawa add beauty and skiing availability to the area Remember that as the U.S. moves into summer, the winter ski season in New Zealand is just getting started. The region also offers many other activities, including golf, tennis, fishing, boating, and hunting. For the more adventurous try whitewater rafting, windsurfing, and waterskiing.

(Photo credit of Lake Taupo - jasonrose.com. Photo credit Bay of Islands - virtualtourist.com)