2008: Timeshare’s Tipping Point?

Depending on what history you accept, timeshare will be celebrating its 40th anniversary next year. And I will be celebrating my ninth year in the industry.

The facts and figures on timeshare show continued upward movement in both the number of people who own and the amount of money generated. At first glance, it appears that the industry is thriving–and compared to the numbers in 1968, it is.

However, you only have to look past the numbers and speak to “the man on the street” to find that things are not as rosy as they could be. According to a recent survey of active leisure travelers in America, an astonishing 94% reported that they were not interested in purchasing a timeshare within the next two years. Ninety-four percent!

Unfortunately, the survey does not ask why such a large number of active leisure travelers are not interested in purchasing a timeshare. Anyone familiar with timeshare can tell you that timeshare ownership has any number of benefits, including:

• saving money on vacations
• more choices of vacation experiences
• higher quality vacation accommodations
• lifetime ownership

I suspect the people who reported that they were not interested in purchasing were, in reality, not interested in purchasing a timeshare by means of a 3-hour sales presentation.

It is my privilege to teach university students each year. The majority of the students enrolled in a timeshare class have a negative or neutral view on timeshare at the start of the semester. At the end of each semester, I ask them if their views have changed.

Not surprisingly, more than 87% of them say that their view of the timeshare product has improved, many to the point of asking me what is the best way to purchase a timeshare.

At the end of each semester, I ask this question: “If you could change one thing about the timeshare industry, what would it be and why?”

An overwhelming number of them (96%) say that they would change the way timeshares are marketed and sold.

I thought I would share some of their comments:
“Timeshares should be striving to create products that consumers actually wish to pursue rather than get pulled into something because of a gift.”

“I would change the way the companies recruit tours. I think it is tacky and horrible the way they set up booths outside of gas stations and in malls.”

“Change it to market more only to the people that can afford it. Less money to be spent/wasted on mini-vacs or hooks to people who could never afford it.”

“I would change the sales and marketing aspect. I don’t think free gifts should be given. There should be more advertising (TV, magazines, etc.) displaying timeshares in a good light to make customers want to buy instead of having to be bribed to even go to a presentation.”
And my favorite:
“One thing I would change would be the marketing technique. Although ‘free park tickets’ works, I feel it gives a negative, hokey impression. People know what they are getting into with this, but it seems like such a baiting type technique.”
These are college students. Tomorrow’s educated, savvy and critical timeshare prospects. I suspect that if given free rein, they could have a tremendous, positive impact on the timeshare industry.

Until now, the timeshare industry has done a very good job of “same old, same old.” Bribe the client, dazzle them with pretty pictures, tell them what they want to hear, raise the prices to offset extraordinarily high marketing costs, and then rake in the bucks.

As the industry approaches its 40th anniversary, I believe that it sits at a critical tipping point. It is time for positive change, or we run the risk of becoming outdated and left behind.

The good people at Holiday are, thankfully, part of this positive change. They have knowledgeable people on staff to guide consumers through the various timeshare products, an ever-changing inventory of timeshares available for purchase that don’t require a lengthy sales spiel, and they provide vast amounts of timeshare knowledge and information on their website.

My goal for 2008 is to do whatever I can to bring about this positive change. My working with Holiday to provide bigger and better “Timeshare Bootcamps” that were such as success this year will be a critical part of the plan. I’ll also continue to write and be the voice of the timeshare client to the industry where and when I can.

And don’t forget that you, the public, play an important role in all of this. Get educated, speak up, don’t fall for the “same old, same old,” and remember–it’s your vacation . . . get the most out of it!

–Lisa Ann Schreier, The Timeshare Crusader, is the founder of Timeshare Insights (www.timeshareinsights.com) and the author of Surviving A Timeshare Presentation . . . Confessions From The Sales Table, and Timeshare Vacations For Dummies. Ms. Schreier offers a 20% discount on her consulting services to Holiday clients. E-mail her at lisa@timeshareinsights.com for information.

Tips for Traveling Abroad (Dept. of State)

For detailed information about steps you can take to ensure a safe trip, see How to Have a Safe Trip. Meanwhile, here are some quick tips to make your travel easier and safer:

• Register so the State Department can better assist you in an emergency: Register your travel plans with the State Department through a free online service at https://travelregistration.state.gov. This will help us contact you if there is a family emergency in the U.S., or if there is a crisis where you are traveling. In accordance with the Privacy Act, information on your welfare and whereabouts will not be released to others without your express authorization.

• Sign passport, and fill in the emergency information: Make sure you have a signed, valid passport, and a visa, if required, and fill in the emergency information page of your passport.

• Leave copies of itinerary and passport data page: Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends, so you can be contacted in case of an emergency.

• Check your overseas medical insurance coverage: Ask your medical insurance company if your policy applies overseas, and if it covers emergency expenses such as medical evacuation. If it does not, consider supplemental insurance.
• Familiarize yourself with local conditions and laws: While in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws. The State Department web site at has useful safety and other information about the countries you will visit.

• Take precautions to avoid being a target of crime: To avoid being a target of crime, do not wear conspicuous clothing or jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of money. Also, do not leave unattended luggage in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers.

• Contact us in an emergency: Consular personnel at U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad and in the U.S. are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens. Contact information for U.S. Embassies and Consulates appears on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website at http://travel.state.gov. Also note that the Office of Overseas Citizen Services in the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs may be reached for assistance with emergencies at 1-888-407-4747, if calling from the U.S. or Canada, or 202-501-4444, if calling from overseas.

[more]

Holiday Travel With Kids

One of the country’s leading experts on family travel, author and television personality Deb Geigis Berry spends up to 16 weeks on the road each year with her husband and two young children to seek out the best destinations to recommend to consumers. Here are some tips for holiday travel she’s picked up along the way.
Keep planning simple: Traveling with kids in tow involves many details. To make the process easier, consider using a travel agent, who can recommend vacation destinations tailor-made for your family’s interests and budget, find great deals on airfare and hotels, and fill you in on the latest airport security news.
Make getting to your destination fun: Use time traveling together for zany sing-alongs, family storytelling sessions and scavenger hunts. Parents can draw up a list of things you might expect to see from a car or plane, such as two-toned cows, a car toting a Christmas tree, or a man wearing a red hat, then have the kids vie to see who spots the items first. For the ultimate treat, splurge on a portable DVD player, and watch a new holiday movie in transit, the just-released A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is a good bet this winter.

[more]

Destination Hawaii: Guide to the Islands

Are you considering the purchase of a Hawaiian timeshare? No matter which island you choose–Oahu, Kauai, the Big Island or Maui–you’ll enjoy outstanding beaches, top-notch restaurants, exciting outdoor activities, glorious natural wonders and the friendliness of the locals. But each island is a bit different, so you may want to do a bit of research comparing the attractions of each before you commit. Here’s a brief guide to the four main islands to help you make your final selection.

Oahu is home to the state’s capital city, Honolulu. Here you’ll find the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Beach, the island’s best-known tourist area, with a two-mile strip of white-sand beach and a brand-new “Beach Walk” with retailers, restaurants and hotels. Watch the surfers take to the waves, the same way pioneers of the sport, like Duke Kahanamoku, did in the early 1900s. In the winter, waves reach up to 30 feet on Oahu’s North Shore. The lush, green Waimea Falls State Park is also on the north side of the island. For active fun, hike up famous Diamond Head near Waikiki, or snorkel in calm Hanauma Bay.

Kauai is called The Garden Isle because of its lush, green vegetation. Attractions here include Waimea Canyon, known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” and the Fern Grotto, an unusual cave formation that you reach by boat. To the north, you’ll find Hanalei Bay; to the east, the major tourist towns of Kapaa, Wailua and Lihue; and to the south, Poipu and its many white-sand beaches. The northwest Na Pali coast is accessible only by hiking trail or from the ocean via boat. It’s well worth checking out this remote and pristine section of the island.
The Big Island is all about lava–you can’t miss the black-sand beaches and volcanic rock alongside the roads. On the Big Island, a drive through Volcanoes National Park is a must. Wear rugged shoes to hike over the hardened lava, and stop by the visitors’ center to get an update on lava flow–yes, you can actually see molten lava flowing. You can also drive to the top of Mauna Kea; go after nightfall to see the amazing array of twinkling stars. Save your pennies to take a helicopter tour over erupting volcanoes, or golf the scenic courses on the Kohala Coast.
Maui is chock-full of natural beauty and fun activities. The great humpback whales pass by the island as part of their annual migratory trip, so if you travel here between December and March, be sure to book a whale-watching tour. The old whaling port of Lahaina, with its shops, boutiques and historic sites, is a nice place to spend the day. The Road to Hana is not for the faint of heart–it’s a winding, 52-mile drive through amazing, breathtaking scenery you may see only once in lifetime. Other fun adventures are bike riding down Haleakala Crater and snorkeling off of Molokini.
Still can’t choose? Remember that no matter where your timeshare home base is, you can always book inter-island plane rides to check out neighboring islands–even for the day! That way you can get a feel for how wonderfully diverse all the Hawaiian Islands are.

Destination Hawaii: Kauai with Kids

Traveling to the glorious Hawaiian Islands can be, frankly, brutal. But Hawaii timeshare owners who make the trip each year know that the long flights and the multi-hour time change are well worth it. After all, vacationing in this tropical paradise is all about rest and relaxation at a wonderfully laid-back pace—on “aloha time.”With its fascinating, active volcanoes, opportunities for snorkeling, boogie-boarding and jungle hiking, as well as its community that embraces keiki (children), Hawaii is an ideal vacation for adventurous families, as well. In particular, the manageable, low-key island of Kauai is especially inviting for children. Here are six reasons why:
Sightseeing Wonders

Kauai is just 33 miles wide and 25 miles wide. Scenic sights are connected by only two highways that stretch along the coast and into the mountains on the western side for about 85 miles. So in a week, you can get to know Hawaii’s “Garden Island”—and its lush jungle, cascading waterfalls and verdant hills—intimately.

Hop in a rental car to explore the sights up north, such as the Kilauea lighthouse, a breeding ground for red-footed boobies, and to the west, including Waimea Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” Stop in the locals’ beach towns for shaved ice and go inland to seek out photogenic waterfalls.
Smith Family Garden Luau

Sure, you can enjoy a luau on any of Hawaii’s developed islands. But there’s only one Smith Family Garden Luau, set on 30 acres of beautiful botanical gardens. Four generations of Smiths have been in the business of entertaining visitors for more than 50 years. Fill your bellies with barbecued pork, teriyaki beef, chicken adobo, flavorful rice, vegetables and fruit. The Polyneisan dances performed here are top-notch, and the open-air amphitheatre lit with tiki torches set the perfect tone.

Mountain Tubing Adventure

On Kauai, in order to see parts of the island that are privately owned, or other scenic spots that are simply inaccessible without an experienced outfitter, you’ve got to dish out the dollars for a guided tour. And the cost is usually justified—especially the Mountain Tubing Adventure from Kauai Backcountry Adventures.

Float on innertubes along the gently flowing waters of irrigation ditches that were once used on a sugar-cane plantation. Along the way, marvel at the mossy banks and the wide ditches that were all hand-dug by immigrant laborers in the 1800s. The 45-minute tube ride ends with a deli lunch at a picnic spot next to a swimming hole.

Na Pali Snorkeling

The rugged, northwest Na Pali coast of Kauai can only be reached by boat or helicopter. Here you’ll find pristine, white-sand beaches, sea cliffs, waterfalls, as well as spectacular snorkeling opportunities around the reefs just off shore.

A number of different outfitters offer snorkeling cruises on catamarans or giant rafts called Zodiacs. Amiable crew members not only give expert snorkeling instruction, but they share legends and lore about the island, teaching kids about the geography and flora along the way. Drinks, breakfast and lunch are typically included on board.

Lydgate Beach Park

A man-made lagoon surrounded by large boulders at Lydgate State Park is a big draw for visiting children, since it’s home to an amazing array of fish. Kids can learn how to snorkel in the calm waters, spotting tiger, parrot, angel and trigger fish.

The highlight at Lydgate Beach Park is the amazing community-built play areas. The Kamalani Playground, across the street from the lagoon, is a humongous wooden structure with slides, chutes, caves, monkey bars, balance beams, and intricate mosaic designs of sea life embedded into concrete benches and half-walls. Down the walking path (or a short drive south), the Play Bridge is another really cool wooden structure with mazes, catwalks, decks and covered slides for kids to explore.

Poipu State Park

Children of all ages can find a spot just for them at Poipu State Park. There’s an ocean pool that protects toddlers from rough waves, and a shallow bay for snorkeling and big-kid swimming. Ideal boogie-boarding spots can be found further down the beach, and Brennecke’s Beach Broiler, a casual lunch spot, is across the street. A playground, big grassy area, picnic pavilion and restrooms also make this an excellent beach for families.

Destination: Mountain Timeshares for World-Class Skiing

The snowflakes are already beginning to fly in the mountainous regions of North America. Ski resorts are readying their snowmaking machines and praying to the weather gods for a stellar winter season on the slopes.

While timeshares may be closely identified with tropical beach destinations, there are dozens of high-alpine retreats that make fabulous annual winter vacation spots. Here’s a peek at just a few:

Lake Tahoe Timeshares

Straddling California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is divided up into the North Shore and South Shore. Both areas feature ski and snowboard resorts, including California’s *Heavenly,* which is the state’s largest ski area with 4,800 acres and 95 trails, as well as Nevada’s *Mt. Rose,* with Tahoe’s highest base elevation at 8,260 feet.

With seven major ski mountains surrounding the lake, there are runs for every skill level, from green novice trails to expert double black-diamond moguls. And when your ski day is over, there are plenty of local bars for nighttime entertainment, as well as fine-dining restaurants, casinos, cabarets, comedy clubs and much more.

Non-skiers, as well as outdoor enthusiasts who want to take a day off from the slopes, can spend some time at a local spa, shop the outlet malls and antique boutiques, or hop in the car for a ride along scenic Highways 28 and 50, dubbed “The Most Beautiful Drive in America.”

Colorado Timeshares

Want to experience the champagne powder found at the ski resorts in the glorious Colorado Rockies? Consider timeshare ownership at Breckenridge, with its family-friendly terrain, or world-class Vail, minutes from the convenient Eagle/Vail Regional Airport.

Then there’s Winter Park, just 90 miles east of Denver International Airport (it’s also accessible by the legendary-and fun-Ski Train from downtown Denver). This ski resort is comprised of 143 trails and 25 lifts in five distinct areas: Winter Park, Mary Jane, Vasquez Ridge, Parsenn Bowl and Vasquez Ridge. Hard-core skiers looking for those adrenaline-charged runs appreciate Winter Park’s steeps and deeps.

Utah Timeshares

Just 30 miles from Salt Lake City, Snowbird is in the heart of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The ski resort claims the state’s longest-running ski season, mid-November to mid-May. Multiple terrain parks keep adventurous snowboarders entertained all day, and for non-boarders or non-skiers, there are guided two-hour snowshoe tours in the backcountry, ice skating rinks, tubing hills, snowmobile rentals and more.

More than 80 percent of the trails at Park City Mountain Resort are labeled “intermediate” and “advance/expert,” so the peaks aren’t ideal for novice skiers. That said, with some “bunny slopes” near the base area, beginners can learn to ski here. In fact, the Signature 5 Program guarantees that there will be no more than five children ages six to 14 in any group lesson. Preschoolers won’t be in a group of more than three kids, ensuring that even the youngest skiers get personal attention at this refined resort. Other adventurous winter activities here include dogsledding and even bobsledding at the 2002 Olympic venue.