Perspective International leads debate on transparency at RDO1
There was a lively debate on the subject of transparency within sales and marketing practices in the timeshare industry at RDO1, following the announcement of the results of a global trade and consumer study recently conducted by Perspective magazine. Moderator Paul Mattimoe, CEO of Perspective International, kick-started the debate by asking the panel whether there was a need for changing the way the industry engages with the customer. He demonstrated that 71 per cent of those interviewed by Perspective had called for a change in the way the timeshare industry and the product is presented. The panellists discussed how the industry...
Delegates at RDO1 encouraged to embrace social media
The use of social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter as key tools to engage with customers was a recurrent topic throughout RDO1, and the subject of a thought-provoking session moderated by Jackie Murphy, a consultant to RDO. Delegates learnt some staggering facts about social media and the profile and volume of its users. For example, they heard that 64 per cent of the UK population have profiles on social networking sites and that, with 500 million users, if Facebook was a country it would be the third largest in the world. They also learnt about the value of peer recommendations on...
RDO1 outlines ‘the road ahead’ for the timeshare industry
Under the general title, ‘The road ahead’, RDO1 provided delegates with valuable insight into what the future may hold for the timeshare and fractional industries, while looking at what lessons can be learnt from other sectors. Guest speaker Professor Leo Jago, Acting Director of the Travel Research Institute at the University of Nottingham, talked about the main trends in tourism that will affect the timeshare industry. He described a new type of consumer who is wealthier but time poor, driven by value and personalised experiences, influenced by peer recommendations and more environmentally conscious. A session entitled ‘Where is the next pot of...
RDO1 deemed a huge success
RDO1, the first annual conference held by the Resort Development Organisation (RDO) since it changed its name, “exceeded all expectations” according to Robin Mills, Chairman of the Conference Working Group. “The venue, the sessions, the speakers...
Garry Leigh killed in cycling accident
Seasoned timeshare conman Garry Leigh was killed in an accident while cycling on the A-7 in Marbella, on Spain’s Costa del Sol where he was based. The brother-in-law of Costa killer Tony King, Leigh had been involved in a variety of timeshare related scams and one of his companies, Incentive Leisure Group, was recently raided for breaches of consumer law. ...
In Remembrance: Roger Foster
RDO would like to pay tribute to Roger Foster, one of the organisation’s two lifetime members and a key figure in the timeshare industry, who sadly passed away in January following a short illness at the age of 91. Roger was awarded an OBE for his work in the building industry and was Chairman of the Building Federation at one stage of his career. He first became involved in the timeshare industry in 1977 and became Development Director at the UK’s first timeshare resort at Loch Rannoch. He worked with Frank Chapman on the development of 10 timeshare resorts consisting of over 1,000...
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. The majority of leisure travellers interviewed were familiar with the concept of timeshare, with 85% having a positive or neutral opinion of timesharing, and 77% willing to take a mini vacation to attend...
New consumer alert from RDO
RDO has warned its members against any unsolicited approach by an organisation in the UK using the names of 'Owners Action', 'ITRA' and 'Bridge View Consultants LTD'. Allegedly, this organisation has been contacting Group RCI members to inform them they may be entitled to compensation from RCI. It is thought that this organisation may be offering members participation in a proposed class action as a cover to sell them another product, such as membership of a holiday club. Any concerned customers who have been approached by one of these companies should report to their local Trading Standards Office and also forward the...
New study profiles the “Affluent Shared Ownership Buyer”
Affluent leisure travellers remain committed to their vacations according to a study produced for Interval International by the Ypartnership, presented at the 11th Annual Vacation Ownership Invstment Conference in Orlando in September. “The Affluent Shared Ownership Buyer: A Market Profile” provides insights about the travel habits and resort real estate preferences of the most affluent US households interested in acquiring some form of resort real estate. The study has been developed from the Ypartnership’s 2008 Portrait of Affluent Travellers, a comprehensive analysis of high-end lifestyles, social values and travel trends of the top eight per cent of American households defined by current...
TV ad to educate viewers about RDO
A new commercial explaining the role of RDO and the importance of buying through an RDO member will be aired up to ten times a day during the month of November on Sky’s Travel Deals Direct (channel 647). The advertisement slot was offered to RDO by Worldwide Timeshare Hypermarket, as part of their current campaign on the Sky TV channel to educate consumers about timeshare. Viewers will be able to recognise examples of RDO members such as Club La Costa, Hilton and Seasons Holidays, which will appear in the advertisement. Click HERE to view the advert....