Timeshare Information

The UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has released its annual report forecasting the economic status of global passenger and freight air traffic. As the world begins to climb out of the global recession, the modest airline industry growth that began in 2010 is predicted to become quite healthy in 2011, the ICAO report stated.

"A substantial growth in traffic reflects positive economic prospects worldwide - based on a forecast of a four per cent increase in the world’s real gross domestic product," the ICAO report said.

The healthiest growth in 2010 was seen by the airlines of the Middle East with 21 per cent, followed by those of the Asia/Pacific region with 12.9 per cent, Latin America with 11.4 per cent, and Africa with 10 per cent. Traffic in the mature markets of North America and Europe grew by 6.2 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively.

In spite of the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland in the spring of 2010, that partially closed European airspace, disrupting passenger travel and freight traffic, the ICAO report stated that the European airline industry continues to perform well.

And while winter conditions over the 2010 holiday season also hit the industry hard, the ICAO report credits its positive outlook to the "ability of low-cost carriers to expand their point-to-point markets, due, in part, to the geographical enlargement of the European Union, thus demand for travel remained strong and resilient".

The number of passengers carried in 2010 worldwide was up 6.3% on 2009, at about 2.5 billion passengers. International passenger traffic grew by 8.8%, led by a strong rebound in business and leisure long-haul travel, particularly in Brazil, Russia, India and China.

ICAO was set up in 1944 as a specialized agency of the United Nations, to promote safe and orderly development of international civil aviation worldwide. It sets standards and regulations for aviation safety, security, efficiency and regularity, and for aviation environmental protection. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 190 Contracting States.

The 2011 travel forecasts are in and the pundits have made their lists and their predictions. Learning about what prices are going up or down, and which destinations are viewed as the most popular, may help you decide where to spend your timeshare vacation this year.

Airfare
Travel guru Arthur Frommer says that overall, Americans are prepared to spend more on travel in 2011, which is a good thing because American Express reports that domestic economy airfares will increase 2-6%.

Rental Cars
Travel North America reports that rental car prices will go down 1.5 - 2%, so, once you get to your destination, you can save money seeing the sights.

Accommodations
American Express says that it expects North American hotel rates will rise 1-6%, and rates for hotels elsewhere will increase 1-10% percent, depending on the location. For timeshare owners, this is most likely why you purchased a timeshare in the first place – getting a pre-paid vacation at rates you locked in. The good news is that those who do not own a timeshare can rent one from its owner using an online timeshare marketplace. Travelers will find that timeshare rental can be up to ½ off the cost of renting hotel rooms.

Popular Destinations
TripAdvisor.com’s survey of more than 3,000 U.S. travelers named these vacation activities as the most popular for 2011:

• Visiting a historic site, 85%


• Visiting a museum, 73%


• Visiting a national park 46%


• Attending a festival, 43%


• Hiking, 42%

With all this information, where will you vacation this year? We welcome your comments below.

(Photo credit of Historic Sites - nps.gov/nr/)