Timeshare during the Covid-19 pandemic as Club La Costa announces the closure of its sales companies
2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for the tourism industry, with accommodation providers having to close for lengthy periods of time during the pandemic and little or no sales income being generated over the course of the year. Given the continued uncertainties, RDO affiliate Club La Costa announced to its members last month that it had decided to discontinue new timeshare sales in the UK and Spain, and has since closed those particular marketing & sales companies. This decision does not affect any CLC World resorts or their many Real Estate projects, which continue to operate normally for CLC members -...
The Canary Islands becomes the first Spanish region in which tourists will be covered for travel assistance relating to COVID-19
The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of the Canary Islands Government has signed an agreement with AXA Spain for the subscription of a travel assistance policy applicable to all tourists traveling to the Islands, whether foreign or national, and with the order to respond to incidents related to the Covid-19, among which is the need to extend quarantine stays. The agreement was signed by the regional councilor Yaiza Castilla, on behalf of the public company Promotur Turismo de Islas Canarias of which she is CEO, and the company AXA Seguros, represented on by the director of the Canary Islands Area,...
Covid-19: Guidance introduced to safeguard visitors and staff as hotels and resorts reopen
As the number of Covid-19 cases continues to decline, lockdown restrictions have been eased and borders around Europe are finally starting to reopen, many without the requirement to self-quarantine if travelling from within the EU/Schengen zone or if coming from a European country with low levels of infection. Holiday resorts have faced a number of challenges as they prepare to reopen for the summer season and, to help prevent a second wave of infections, they will first have to introduce enhanced measures to make their workplaces safe and secure for the return of staff and guests. To help accommodation providers during this...
Strokes of hope as Anfi Tauro golf course in Gran Canaria reopens
Anfi Tauro Golf reopens its doors as a step on the way to “a new normality”. This golf course on Gran Canaria’s South coast, welcomes back its players after the period of lockdown due to Covid-19, a pause that was put to good use to carry out some extra maintenance work on the course. The golf course is now in “excellent condition” and we are confident of facing the rest of the year with more energy than ever. These “first steps are full of hope” states Luis Martínez, General Manager of the hotel division and Anfi Tauro Golf, in a press...
Anfi Emerald Club resort has become a ‘hotel on call’ for emergency situations
Anfi Emerald Club is a 'hotel on call' for emergency situations for professionals such as flight crews, health personnel, transport workers, professionals of the State Security Forces and for some tourists who, in exceptional circumstances, may need to spend a few days in the hotel. The Emerald Club is one of the 14 hotels in the Canary Islands designated to help alleviate exceptional cases in this emergency situation. The Anfi Group clarifies that the resort is not open for holiday makers; on the contrary, it is open in accordance with the ministerial order to provide assistance in exceptional cases. The hotel...
The new normal
On the 5th March, I met with Chris Emmins director and co-founder of KwikChex in Westminster, for a debrief after his meeting with BEIS,(the Government Department for Business Enterprise and Industrial Strategy), which has oversight of consumer issues including timeshare, and has a direct line into the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority), which is responsible for licensing and controlling the claims management companies, since they were transferred from the Ministry of Justice. At that time in the UK, we were still at the “wash your hands frequently” stage of the COVID-19 crisis and social distancing was as yet not the norm. I do...
Marriott Vacation Club statement on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Marriott Vacation Club has been actively monitoring and responding to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation since its emergence in the Asia Pacific region late last year. We quickly launched dedicated emergency preparedness and response teams, all focused on preserving the safety and well-being of our Owners, Members, guests and associates. Our corporate and site leadership teams continue to closely monitor the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and country specific Government health department guidance, including any guidelines that may be issued by local health departments regarding recommended hygiene standards and social distancing or directives regarding resort...
“Timeshare to be essential to the economic recovery” says the Anfi Group
In a press release issued today, the Anfi Group, which has operated in Gran Canaria for over 30 years states that timeshare resorts will be essential to the economic recovery in Spain. This segment of the tourism industry, which has over 300 hotels in Spain and more than 55,000 employees, is expected to return to business well before traditional hotels as soon as the restrictions on movement have been lifted and flight connections re-established. “This business sector has always been characterized by a high level of member loyalty to the destinations where they bought their week and owners who want to...
Diamond Resorts statement on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
At Diamond Resorts, the safety of our members, owners, guests and team members is always our top priority. As the situation around the new coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, we are closely following recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and local health authorities on cleaning procedures and closures. Options are what everyone wants right now, so we are also temporarily changing some of our policies to provide flexibility during this time of uncertainty. Resort Closures Following instructions and mandates from local governments, we have temporarily closed several resorts, including on-site facilities and restaurants. Our teams are diligently working to notifying members,...
