Resort Development Organisation

First VOASA conference sheds light on new consumer protection law

VOASA, the Vacation Ownership Association for Southern Africa, held its first conference since changing its name from the Timeshare Institute of South Africa to reflect changes in the industry. The event took place at the Southern Sun Grayston in Johannesburg last month.

One of the main industry issues discussed at the conference was the new Consumer Protection Bill in South Africa, which will change the way the vacation ownership industry communicates with customers.

Interval International announces new vice president for Latin America

Marcos Agostini has been promoted to vice president, resort sales and service, Latin America for Interval International. He will oversee Interval’s exchange network in Central/South America and Mexico and be responsible for developing the company’s client base in the region.

Agostini joined Interval in 1993 in the company’s Venezuela office and has held various management positions since then. He was international member services manager for several years and, most recently, assistant vice president for Latin America.

Owners Encouraged to Contribute to New Seasons Holidays Website

Seasons Holidays has developed a new website which allows members to share their personal experiences with other members and gain greater knowledge about the resorts. The new site is available on www.myseasonsholidays.com.

The site features a large number of 'Resort Knowledge Base' articles about events, days out, activities, attractions, shopping, beaches and kids’ stuff close to each Seasons resort, providing members with a valuable resource of information to help plan and get the most from their holidays.

New Algarve Destination for Seasons Members

Seasons Holidays has announced the opening of its brand new resort on Portugal’s Algarve, the Mar Da Luz in Praia da Luz, expected on 5th July 2009.

The new resort has 43 spacious apartments equipped with everything from satellite television to under floor heating. Facilities on the resort include adult and children swimming pools, fully landscaped Mediterranean gardens, sauna, Turkish bath and spa treatments.

Club La Costa is Turkey bound

Club la Costa Resorts & Hotels has announced plans for a new residential golf development, the California Golf Resort - Turkey on the country's west coast near Kusadasi, which will follow the opening of their first Turkish resort, Club La Costa Adonis, in August

First Vietnam property for Group RCI

Sea Links Golf & Country Club in Ho Chi Minh has become the first Vietnam property in Group RCI’s worldwide network of affiliated resorts.

Situated on sandy hills overlooking Mui Ne Bay, Sea Links Golf & Country Club is reputedly the leading golf resort in Vietnam, offering luxury accommodation and facilities which include an 18-hole golf course, restaurants serving Asian or European cuisine, a spa and tennis courts.

Interval signs long-term agreement with Zorgvliet Group in South Africa

Interval International has added six South African resorts to its vacation exchange network, following an affiliation agreement with Zorgvliet Private Residence Club. The resorts are sold both on a fractional and traditional timeshare basis.

This latest addition gives owners a range of new holiday options, from safaris to wine tours, from golf to health and spa resorts, and the opportunity to explore some of South Africa’s most famous destinations such as the Garden Route.

New luxury resort city in Tunisia joins The Registry Collection

The International Riviera, a multi-billion new resort development in Tunisia created by the BW Group, has affiliated with The Registry Collection luxury exchange programme.

The five-star residential resort development will comprise 60,000 wholly-owned and shared-ownership properties. The large scale project has attracted a high level of interest from international banks, investor funds and other developers, despite the global crisis, according to the BW Group chairman, Bobby Wahi.

Timeshare study shows happy owners and a boost for local economies

European timeshare is a thriving industry with a loyal and satisfied clientele, according to a study carried out by The Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute of the Nottingham University Business School on behalf of the Resort Development Organisation (RDO).

The European Timeshare Study canvassed owners and developers in 12 European countries about their views and experience of timeshare to present an in-depth analysis of the vacation ownership industry in Europe and its economic impact, particularly on the local communities.

Consumers to benefit from closer cooperation between RDO and the OFT

RDO and the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) agreed measures for closer collaboration at pan-European level to take effective action against companies that defraud consumers, at a meeting held last month.

“It was a very successful meeting,” said Alberto Garcia, Head of RDO’s Enforcement Project. “Working closer together we can build up evidence against key offenders in an effective and timely manner, and ensure that consumers are better protected.”

Consumer complaints down year on year

The latest statistics released by the RDO Consumer Services show a significant decrease in the number of consumer complaints received during 2008, compared to the previous year. Last year there were just 81 complaints against RDO members, compared to more than 120 in 2007.

Overall, RDO received nearly 2,100 consumer enquiries during 2008, a mixture of requests for general information and advice about different topics related to the vacation ownership industry, as well as complaints.

RDO launches new fractional property ownership site

The industry trade body for vacation ownership, RDO (Resort Development Organisation) has launched a website providing information and advice on fractional ownership.

Extremely successful in the US, fractional ownership, which is essentially another form of timeshare, is increasingly popular in Europe and over 90 properties are now available under fractional schemes in destinations such as Portugal, Italy, the Canary Islands, France, Austria and the UK.

Dates for Your Diary

ATHOC 2009 Conference

13-15 September, Courtyard Marriott Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Australia
Annual conference for the holiday ownership industry in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, organized by ATHOC (Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council).