RDO3 2012 Conference Round-up
Take a look at all of the action from RDO3 2012 conference in London...
The Impala Or The Three Men In The Toilet?
Those delegates to RDO 3 who were in Nigel Risner's closing session of the Conference will know what I mean - clever and amusing as the "Three Men" sketch was, every time I think of that Impala hitting the tree and the two lions looking at each other in surprise, I can't help but smile, so I believe the Impala has it, but let me know what you think. This first paragraph will be completely unintelligible to any RDO member or anyone in the industry who was unfortunate enough not to attend RDO 3. They have my sympathy, when it comes...
RDO study reveals strong industry sales in Europe, despite the recession
23 September 2012: At its annual conference in London today, RDO released its latest report on timeshare, revealing that despite the recession, it remains a robust industry, with European sales totaling €750 million in 2011. The report was compiled on RDO’s behalf by The Market Research Group (MRG) at Bournemouth University and analyses the performance of the industry in 2011, focusing on sales volumes, value of sales and employee numbers and payroll. The results indicate that there were an estimated 78,118 sales across Europe in 2011, with an average of 121 sales per resort. The average value of sales at each resort...
Consumer Alert – Beware Of Class Actions
Consumers are advised to be extremely cautious when approached by companies claiming to be part of a class action against timeshare clubs and exchange companies. These entities are aggressively marketing their services to timeshare owners, via emails, newspaper advertisements, etc. Their modus operandi is to get timeshare owners to attend a meeting in order to assess the size of the potential claim and state that the class action is on a ‘no win, no fee’ basis, however they then offer the timeshare owner the option of joining their travel club making a once-off payment on the promise that they will sell...
How Wrong Can They Be?
Over the past two weeks, we have had a journalist in the Daily Mail talking about the resurgence of "Timeshare sharks" on the Costa del Sol, another from The Olive Press making reference to “Timeshare Crooks” and on two other occasions we have had Lord Coe head of LOCOG, the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, , talking about feeling like a "Costa Blanca timeshare salesman" when he originally showed the Olympic Committee the East London site, (he made this same comment earlier in the year). We have of course responded in all cases. In the first two cases, we...
The Next Generation Of Buyers
The report from the Bournemouth undergraduate team has been published and is now available to download from the members-only section of this site. Sue McNicol and I have worked with this team of 4 final year students over the past 12 months and sat in on various meetings they have had with RDO members, to discuss the industry and where it is going and very generously they were hosted by Holiday Club Resorts in Gran Canaria and Club la Costa in the West Country, so that they could experience timeshare resorts, meet with owners and see the sales processes at...
Why Timeshare is a Sustainable Way to Holiday
A BBC business report last week “The Problems with all-inclusive Holidays” highlighted the increasing problem of loss of income for small businesses impacted by the rise in popularity of all-inclusive vacations. The BBC reporter visited First Choice Holiday Village in Benalmadena near Malaga and spoke to various local business owners who have been losing money because of the all-inclusive hotel deals which are keeping guests onsite, so tourist spending locally is down. The organisation Tourism Concern which is alarmed at the growth of all-inclusive deals was featured in the report. Speaking to the BBC, Mark Watson of Tourism Concern said, “Local restaurants...
Bournemouth University Research
The results of the Bournemouth University research into the younger demographic, the 30/40 year olds, and what they are looking for in their timeshare holidays are now available to download from the members’ only section of the website. The final year students at the School of Tourism at Bournemouth University were tasked with analysing the needs and aspirations of the younger demographic and coming up with proposals as to how the industry can attract this younger age group. Their research including visiting timeshare resorts in the UK and the Canaries, holding talks with timeshare owners, conducting third party research to develop an...
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...
Timeshare Directive in Spain – RDO Guidance Notes
Following the adoption of the new Spanish timeshare law, the “Ley de Contratos de aprovechamientoporturno de bienes de usoturístico, de adquisición de productosvacacionales de largaduración, de reventa y de intercambio”, RDO’s Spanish Chapter has issued guidance notes for members. These guidance notes, which are only available to RDO members, cover a number of areas including the effect of Rome 1 and how timeshare projects can be structured in future - an important change and one that RDO lobbied intensively over; taxation rules; the application of the Regulations; and transitional rules. Contact Maria Rodriguez on mrodriguez@rdo.org for a copy of the guidance notes...