New Year Resolutions Or “ 2012 And All That!”
I noted whilst scanning the RDO website that I had resolved to produce more blogs this year not less, how poor a start to the year is that!? I do not however kid myself that there are those of you waiting for my latest missive, but I really should have been more active than I have. I can plead pressure of work, moving offices and moving house in my case (best not go there otherwise I will be obliged to recount how during the move, I lost my wallet, cracked a couple of ribs falling off my son’s bike and the builders still aren’t finished!!).
However since I have been silent we have seen the enactment of the Second Directive in Spain which is indeed welcome news and added to that is the recognition in the new legislation of other European legal structures for timeshare developments prompted by the Rome 1 Convention. Credit for a substantial part of this great result must go to the Spanish Chapter Chairman, Francisco (Paco) Lizarza and the lobby team working with him plus RDO’s Maria Rodriguez based in Madrid. Dogged persistence and hard work on behalf of the industry has achieved this great result and it is testimony to what RDO and its members can achieve – congratulations to the whole team. The ARDA World Convention has just come and gone before Easter and it looks as though the Worldwide Survey results will be out in early June so it will be very much a case of "watch this space". RDO’s own Key Performance Indicator annual survey is also under way and that will become a regular feature. The RDO/TATOC joint Panel of Experts Report on Exit routes for elderly owners is close to being finalised and is expected to go to the RDO Board in May, the Bournemouth study on the attitude of younger prospective buyers will be published after the Communications "Brainstorming Day" on 26th April (the students will be presenting their findings on the day) and in Florida new legislation has been passed, clamping down on the activities of resale companies in that State (the biggest in the USA for timeshare sales and vacation ownership etc) ensuring they publish their terms and conditions etc. Interestingly their legislation still falls somewhat behind that of our Second Directive as it applies to resales and it is hoped that the RDO/TATOC Experts’ report will point the way in helping achieve more flexible and transparent products, that will allow the industry to get onto the front foot in media and PR terms.
I cannot of course close without mentioning the RDO3 Conference to be held in London this year commencing 24th September, we have a great line-up of speakers and topics already and it looks all set to be a great event, with booking open shortly.
Well I have managed to get back into the blogs now, so it will definitely be a case of “Watch this Space”.