Nusbaum: VacationBetter.org Is All About – What Else? – Better Vacationing

VacationBetter.org is an educational website of the American Resort Development Association designed to reinforce the value proposition of vacation ownership in all its forms by touting the benefits of simply taking a vacation.

While many Europeans take six weeks’ vacation or more, most Americans are lucky to have two weeks’ paid vacation. What’s more, an Expedia study showed that 70% of those people didn’t use all the vacation time they had earned. “Even in our own industry, I’ll come back from vacation and I’ll hear from my peers, ‘Must be nice,’ says ARDA President Howard Nusbaum. “Excuse me, but I work for the vacation industry. Why do we feel guilty?”

Nusbaum mentions the “Do You Have GVS?” buttons that were all over the place at the 2009 ARDA annual meeting, explaining that GVS stands for Guilty Vacation Syndrome.

“I’ve talked to time-management gurus that worked for companies like Proctor & Gamble who’ve told me that people should take a week a year unplugged from everything they’re doing … that’s what time management’s about: work-life balance,” says Nusbaum. “It’s not about whether you make Johnny’s soccer game on Tuesday.”

As a result of taking vacations and therefore balancing your life, he says, “your boss will like you better, your spouse will like you better, your kids will like you better – and you know what? You will like you better.”

Nusbaum also cites a U.S. Department of Education study, the results of which are prominently featured on VacationBetter.org. “Kids who go on a family vacation with their parents do better in school,” Nusbaum states. “Now I can tell you there is some self-selection there – if you’re affluent enough to go on vacation with your kids, you’re probably affluent enough to have good nutrition, to have books in your home, to help instill in your children the desire,” he says. “At the same time, tourism is the global village; it is experiencing other culture and seeing the world, which make for natural curiosity and openness, a love of learning and a love of reading.”

Nusbaum and the website also promote the interpersonal-relationship benefits of vacationing, especially in the larger units afforded by shared-ownership resorts. “People will tell you their marriages got better – this is a product that allows everyone to rejuvenate and take time as a family,” he says. “Mom and Dad have the privacy of their own bedroom and the kids can get up and have a bowl of cereal.” Likewise, he says dinner times can be wonderful times of conversing about the day’s events over an actual dinner table rather than eating pizza on a double bed and then fighting over who gets to use the bathroom first. “It’s a better way to vacation and also enhances your life.”

There are even medical studies, Nusbaum says, about your ability to avoid a heart attack being greater if you take a vacation. He sums up the site’s intent as serving to explaining to people how vacation-deprived we all are and showing how the shared-ownership product can help you have better vacationing.

A primary way VacationBetter.org, which soft-launched in 2008, accomplishes these goals is through owners’ own stories and pictures.

Nusbaum says ARDA didn’t publicize the site until 2009 because they wanted to populate it with good owner content first. He says what they’ve tried to do is capture the zeal and enthusiasm of these owners: “It’s amazing – we kind of ran into this by accident,” he explains. “When we started doing owners’ pictures, videos and stories about their vacations, we realized it’s their passion – they have better vacations. It’s a powerful message, and I think timeshare salespeople have known this for generations, but maybe those of us who are advocates have just had the a-ha moment.”

Industry Benefits
So how does VacationBetter.org benefit specific companies within the industry? “Any good timeshare salesperson will tell you this: Owners sell potential owners,” Nusbaum explains, offering up an allegory: “If I were selling cars, I might be proud that I was a Mercedes dealer, but if I go to a population that doesn’t have a driver’s license, what good’s it going to do me? So if people don’t know that they need to vacation, how can I sell them vacation ownership? So, really ARDA, through VacationBetter.org, is really selling the idea of vacations and all its benefits.”

In addition, because it’s from a non-profit third-party entity, resort developers and marketers can use the site as a credibility tool, directing unsure prospects to check out the benefits of shared ownership and resort life. VacationBetter.org clearly state’s the site’s mission and provides links to ARDA, so curious surfers know who is in charge of the site and that it’s not a lead-generation tool. “We’re not about one company,” adds Nusbaum, “we’re about the whole industry of vacationing.”

Nusbaum also likes to direct various non-consumers seeking information about timeshares, fractionals and other sharedownership interests. “It’s also a great place for us to send the media,” he explains.

“I have a place on the web I can send government officials, financial market people, and consumer media and financial press to educate them on the passion of owners. So it gives us a window into that world.”

According to Nusbaum, resort developers and HOAs can help ARDA and the industry by linking their own sites to VacationBetter.org, which will raise the ARDA site’s Google rank and help in overall search-engine optimization.

Nusbaum sees growth ahead for VacationBetter.org (“I see it as in its infancy right now”) and is ready to nurture and develop it in the coming years. “I am committed to the site and I’m committed to its message,” he says. “I am very proud of it.”

VacationBetter.org Announces Winners for 2009 Photo and Story Contest

As part of an industry effort to promote the power of travel during National Travel and Tourism Week in May, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) launched the “Bring Your Vacation to Life” photo and story contest. Contestants were asked to share a memory of a timeshare vacation that impacted their family, health, or enjoyment of life.

American Express gift cards were awarded to first- and second-place photos and one first-place story. The highest award went to Sally Lessig for the photo “Al Relaxing” and the story “Thru the Years”. Second-place photo prizes were awarded to Alexis MacDonald for “Lexie & Dan Love Myrtle Beach” and to Tracy Dunn for “For My Next Act”.
ARDA recognizes the need for vacations and the long-term benefits associated with taking regular vacations that contribute to better health, relationships, and job performance. In these tough economic times, the large number of entrants reflected the real value of timeshare ownership and how pre-paying for future vacations, guarantees that owners get away at least once a year.

According to ARDA, timeshare owners continue to travel to their timeshare destinations. The ARDA International Foundation (AIF) reported occupancy rates are at 81.6% in the State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry: United States Study, 2009 edition.
Owners are encouraged to share their stories, photos, and videos by visiting www.VacationBetter.org/Vacation-Scrapbook.

About VacationBetter.org
The American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) on-line resource informs consumers of the importance of vacations and the overall health and wellness benefits of enjoying one – regularly and economically – through timeshare. VacationBetter.org gives vacationing families and consumers a way to learn about traveling better with vacation ownership.

Study Shows Link to Academic Achievement in First Graders

As the nation’s children settle in for another school year, many parents and teachers wonder how the summer break affected their children’s academic achievement. Analysis of a U.S. Department of Education study found that children who travel over summer break — whether to a beach, historic site or a national park — did better in reading, math and general knowledge than their peers who didn’t vacation.
“The data is clear — and gives hard-working parents another reason not to put off a summer vacation trip,” said Dr. Bill Norman, Clemson University. “Providing kids with the experience of travel broadens their horizons and opens up their minds to learning.”

A series of analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between summer vacation travel and academic achievement in children entering first grade. Specifically, the study explored whether going on a vacation, the number of days spent on a vacation and places visited were linked to academic achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics and general knowledge. The results revealed a significant difference in academic achievement and taking a family summer vacation trip. Children that traveled with their family over summer vacation scored higher on academic achievement assessment tests than those who did not travel. The days spent on family summer vacation trips had a modest significant relationship with academic achievement. Lastly, children who visited plays or concerts, art or science museums, historical sites, beaches or lakes, national or state parks, and zoos or aquariums had significantly higher academic achievement scores than those who did not.

“To date there has never been a study that plainly shows the correlation between travel and academic achievement,” says Jessica Parker, researcher, Clemson University. “It was interesting to see the impact on a child when they spend vacation time away with their family.”

Over three-fourths (75.2%) of the participants responded that the child had taken a family summer travel vacation prior to starting first grade. For those children that took a family summer vacation trip, the average number of days spent traveling was 11.8 days.

“The timeshare industry has always touted the importance of regular vacations for health and wellness,” says Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO, American Resort Development Association (ARDA). “This study gives families yet another strong reminder that taking vacation has benefits beyond the actual week or two of vacation.” (Research Shows Vacations Make Kids Smarter Video)

This research study of how vacation impacts childhood learning used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of the Kindergarten Class database from the United States Department of Education. The database contains information on 21,600 children followed from kindergarten through fifth grades. This year study examined children’s early school experiences as well as family and life experiences, such as summer activities. The parents of a subsample of 5,047 children were asked about summer travel. Academic achievement was measured with a series of standardized test in the three areas of math, reading and general knowledge.
Although the results indicate that summer vacation travel and academic achievement are linked, other factors such as income level, parent’s educational level and language spoke at home may influence these findings.

About VacationBetter.org
The American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) on-line resource informs consumers of the importance of vacations and the overall health and wellness benefits of enjoying one — regularly and economically — through timeshare. VacationBetter.org gives vacationing families and consumers a way to learn about traveling better with vacation ownership.

Nearly Half of Recent Survey Respondents Feel Time with Their Families Lacking

While Americans patiently wait for the country’s economic stimulus plan to take effect, it’s clear that a separate plan is needed to spur recovery in another area – the amount of time enjoyed with family. The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) recently surveyed visitors to its VacationBetter.org website to determine if they have enough quality time with their immediate and extended families. Nearly half of the respondents felt quality time spent with the family was lacking and a stimulus plan was the solution.

“Unfortunately vacation is one of the first things people give up when times get tough economically, and with that goes some of the best quality time you can get with your family,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA President and CEO. “Tough times are when people need connect to their families even more, and it can be done very economically.”

In hopes of counteracting the failing tradition of quality family time, ARDA has created the Family Stimulus Plan. As part of this package, ARDA is providing tips and suggestions on how to take time away to renew and rejuvenate with the family on its VacationBetter.org consumer information website. “The Family Stimulus Plan”, provides travelers with helpful hints on planning a successful family vacation with either your immediate family or an extended family reunion. It contains event-planning tips, including managing invitations, selecting a location, ice-breaker games, decorations and ways to stay in touch all year long.
Another way to stimulate your interest in a family vacation is to hear from the health and wellness experts. It’s a proven fact that people who spend time away reap health benefits far beyond that week or two of vacation. Vacations are not a luxury, but a necessity for good health and well-being.

Owning your vacation with timeshare has shown to be a sure-fire way of guaranteeing that you won’t find excuses not to vacation and in fact, will reap all of the benefits of having pre-paid your vacation – quality resorts, family-friendly accommodations and regular getaways. In fact, according to an ARDA study, timeshare properties are experiencing an 82 percent occupancy rate despite tough economic times.
As we all focus on the economic stimulus, ARDA encourages us to remember an even more important plan we can enact on our own — The Family Stimulus Plan. To download a customizable package, visit www.VacationBetter.org/Family-Stimulus-Plan.

About VacationBetter.org
The American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) new on-line resource informs consumers on the importance of taking a vacation and the overall benefits of enjoying one – regularly – through shared vacation ownership. VacationBetter.org is a comprehensive, educational tool for consumers to learn about this travel option and to demonstrate a way for travelers to vacation better.

About ARDA
The American Resort Development Association is the Washington D.C.-based professional association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries. Established in 1969, ARDA today has over 1,000 members ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded companies and international corporations with expertise in shared ownership interests in leisure real estate. The membership also includes timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, and owners through the ARDA Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC).