Resort Development Organisation

RDO1 2010 Conference announced

The Resort Development Organisation (RDO) will hold its much anticipated 2010 Conference at the Don Carlos Leisure Resort & Spa in Marbella, on 5-6 October next year. The announcement was made at The Forum industry event in London.

RDO 1 will be the organisation’s first conference since changing its name to RDO and, according to Robin Mills, Chairman of RDO’s Communications Council, “it will be a fantastic event with a new look and a more interactive programme.”

RDO halves cost of sponsorship of www.gotimeshare.org

As we approach the season of good will, RDO brings good news for members interested in sponsoring the timeshare website www.gotimeshare.org, by reducing sponsorship costs by half.

The top sponsorship package, which includes banner advertising and the opportunity to submit four articles or resort features per year for publication on the website, as well as displaying the company logo and description, is now available for just 3,000 euros.

RDO’s Secretary General to step down

RDO has announced that Secretary General, Peter van der Mark, will leave the organisation at the end of 2010, after 11 years holding the role.

Peter was amongst the founders of RDO (then the Organisation for Timeshare in Europe) in London and has focused on lobbying from RDO’s office in Brussels since 2003, successfully ensuring maximum input in the development of the new European Directive on timeshare, as well as many national laws.

Fractional Summit 2010 aims to capture more members for FSOTA

Next year’s Fractional Summit, taking place on 18-19 February at the Marriott London, Grosvenor Square, will include a special session by the Fractional and Shared Ownership Trade Association (FSOTA), aimed at raising awareness of the role of the organisation and attracting new members.

FSOTA is a newly formed trade association, under the RDO umbrella, dedicated to promoting best practice in the fractional and shared ownership industry in Europe. FSOTA members are bound by its code of conduct.

Arrests in timeshare fraud on the Costa del Sol and Tenerife

Spanish Police have arrested a network of 22 people in Tenerife and Malaga, on the Costa del Sol, on suspicion of fraudulent timeshare resale activity.

The fraudsters were helped by disgruntled employees of the companies which manage the timeshare resorts, who would provide them with the timeshare owners’ contact details.

The customer is king for industry leaders gathered at The Forum

The importance of nurturing existing customers and the need for greater innovation in the timeshare industry were amongst the dominant themes discussed at The Forum, the industry event organised by Generator Systems and Perspective Magazine in London on 9-10 December.

US market report by Interval confirms increased popularity of timeshare

Most active leisure travellers in the United States are receptive towards timeshare, with 2.3 million households interested in purchasing some form of vacation time during the next two years, according to the study ‘Future Timeshare Buyers: 2009 Market Profile’ released by Interval International.

The study was developed from a nationally-representative sample of active leisure travellers and supplemented with insights revealed in the Ypartnership/Yankelovich, Inc. 2009 National Leisure Travel Monitor.

Owners Perspective magazine launches FractionalPropertyGuide.com

Consumer shared ownership magazine, Owners Perspective, has launched an online fractional property guide at www.fractionalpropertyguide.com, featuring an exclusive collection of fractional properties selected from approved advertisers.

Consumers can find, at their own pace, essential information about each property, including images and a video. When they are ready to discuss a potential purchase, they can simply fill in a direct enquiry form to request anything from a brochure or availability of fractions to arranging a sales call or an inspection visit.

RCI TV goes public

The Group RCI web-based TV channel, RCI TV, launched earlier this year and until now only available to RCI members, is now live and available to all consumers on www.rci.com.

Consumers will be able to find information about Group RCI products and services, as well as travel and resort information. Viewers can access a Destination Review Channel and a Resort Showcase channel, with video footage and virtual tours of the resorts, and a direct link to the developer’s website.

Dubai’s Royal Club and Geovillage resort in Sardinia join Interval’s exchange network

Interval International has announced two new affiliations to its exchange network: Geovillage Sport and Wellness resort on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda, and the five star Royal Club at Bonnington Tower in Dubai.