Board logo

subject: The History of Timeshares - A Tale of a New Industry by:Robert J. Howells [print this page]


The History of Timeshares - A Tale of a New Industry by:Robert J. Howells

The history of timeshares began in the French and Swiss Alps back in the 1960s. Limited resort space at that time, combined with high cost and ensuing demand, created a clear need for guaranteed accommodation for an interval of time each year. Popular destinations for timeshares then were France and Switzerland. Since individual families historically took a vacation at the same time each year and liked to return to the same place, these families vacationing in the Alps, determined that it was more affordable for several families to jointly own one chalet and to take turns sharing it for a period of time, rather than individually owning vacation homes. European resort owners then built on that concept and began to sell one or two weeks at a resort area to individuals and families on a "time share" basis rather than selling individual year-round condominium units.

A savoir-faire French development company recognized the considerable growth in the travel and tourism industry and was one of the first two companies that began to offer this brand new timeshare model. Those same two companies are credited with developing the first ever timeshare slogan; "No need to rent the room; buy the hotel, its cheaper!" At the same time, another company in Switzerland also offered the successful timeshare model. The owners soon began purchasing resort properties in Italy, Spain, and Switzerland giving their members a wider and more exotic choice of timeshare destinations.

The first timeshare in the United States started in Hawaii on the island of Kauai in 1969, while the first state in the continental U.S to offer timeshares was Florida. During the 1970's, many existing condo developments in Florida began moving towards a resort type timeshare model. In 1973, a joint effort by the Hyatt and Innisfree companies offered what they called the first timeshares that gave the purchaser an actual deed to show that they did in fact own a portion of the property. Timeshare then became very popular in condominiums and resorts throughout the country and in 1974, exchanging or swapping an ownership week occurred for the very first time.

Since its introduction into the U.S. market, the timeshare industry has grown at breakneck speed and it is now the fastest growing segment of the entire hospitality industry. Since 1990, the industry has grown 75% in terms of timeshare resorts developed and ownership of timeshares. Over 4 million households worldwide in more than 190 countries are timeshare owners today, with over 3 million Americans owning their vacations rather than 'renting' them. The United States alone accounts for the bulk of timeshare owners, currently holding 45% of all properties worldwide. Today RCI, (http://www.rci.com) is the largest timeshare vacation exchange company in the world , facilitating the exchange of vacations from different resort locations for timeshare owners.
The History of Timeshares - A Tale of a New Industry by:Robert J. Howells


The great thing about timeshare is that it is a concept that allows people to own a fractional part of a product that they might not normally be able to afford on their own - whether it is a house, condo, boat, or plane - and use it during a specific period of time. The time used by the owner can either be set by their contract to the same time period each year, or it can be flexible; allowing the owner to book the time through a centralized reservation system. Regardless, the concept of Fractional Ownership is becoming very popular among both families and corporations. Businesses and families both appreciate the quality, flexibility, and affordability that the timeshares of today allow them to experience. Over the years, timeshare has expanded to include owning time on pleasure boats, cruise ships, and even private jets!

Today's most recent timeshare programs are evolving into a points-based system as opposed to the earlier model of a week-based system, allowing owners complete flexibility to vacation at any time of year, at any location, in any size unit, for as long or as little as they like, based upon the number of points they have.
The History of Timeshares - A Tale of a New Industry by:Robert J. Howells


For a unique opportunity to test-drive a RCI Points timeshare for FREE three years of usage with payment of the annual maintenance fee visit: http://www.FreeTimeshareGiveaway.com

About the author

I am an internet marketer specializing in the timeshare and real estate field. I develop internet marketing campaigns utilizing pay per click marketing with the major search engines. I create keyword optimized landing pages for organic search traffic. My goal is to create compelling offers and strong calls to action to maximize results from the traffic I generate. I have over 28 years in the timeshare sales and marketing field.

For a unique opportunity to test-drive a RCI Points timeshare for FREE three years of usage with payment of the annual maintenance fee visit: http://www.FreeTimeshareGiveaway.com




welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net) Powered by Discuz! 5.5.0   (php7, mysql8 recode on 2018)