RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange and part of the Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) family of brands, recently announced updates to its RCI Travel program, a well-established service that aims to assist members with non-timeshare related vacations. RCI Travel is a full-service travel provider through which members can book airfare, rental cars, hotels, cruises and more, often at discounted rates.

“As the innovation leader in the industry, we wanted to make RCI Travel even faster, easier and more valuable for members than ever before,” said Gordon Gurnik, president, RCI. “We believe they will be very happy with these enhancements that will deliver a comprehensive and accessible vacation planning experience.”

In addition to a new website look and feel that is more convenient and user-friendly for members, the enhanced RCI Travel now offers a Best Rate Guarantee that allows members to receive the best rates possible on flights, car rentals, hotels and other travel purchases available through RCI Travel. Now members can use RCI Travel as a one-stop shop for their travel needs with the assurance that they are getting favorable prices and making the most of their RCI memberships.

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A new listing of top 100 vacation accommodations for timeshare buyers and renters from SellMyTimeshareNOW.com reveals that consumers enjoy their vacations not only at diverse locations, but also through a wide range of product types … from branded nationally known hospitality giants to independent smaller resorts and points-based vacation clubs.

While travel publications continually list the top vacation destinations and hotels around the world, until now, timeshare users have not had the opportunity to learn which resorts are the most popular for their favorite mode of vacationing. This continued popularity for vacations in timeshare resorts has resulted in the web-based company issuing two reports containing the most popular Top 100 Timeshare Resales and Top 100 Timeshare Rentals, based on offers received last year by resort owners/renters advertised on SellMyTimeshareNOW.com.

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Top Ten Timeshare Questions Answered

The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and the National Timeshare Owners Association (NTOA), have announced a year-long campaign to help educate consumers about timeshare vacations. The first initiative answers ten of the most frequently asked questions.

As a first step, ARDA and NTOA contacted consumers to gauge the level of understanding of timeshare vacations, and the data unveiled a need for clarification and education about the industry. As a result, a Top Ten Questions list is available on both associations’ web sites, along with detailed answers.

Questions ranged from ‘what is a timeshare?’ and ‘what are the costs involved?’ to the more complex topics, such as ‘is a timeshare a good investment?’

“We are always looking for feedback from consumers,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “It’s a great way to hear firsthand the questions people may have about vacationing with timeshare.”

The two associations recently agreed to a joint effort to educate consumers about vacation ownership. Other activities this year will include profile stories and social media outreach.

“Collaborating with ARDA on this initiative helps us bring a broader perspective to the consumer,” said Ed Hastry, president, National Timeshare Owners Association. “We are excited about working with existing and potential owners to enhance their understanding and appreciation of timeshare.”

The National Timeshare Owners Association is a consumer protection organization comprised of timeshare owners acting in the interest of timeshare owners. Its mission is to be a powerful recognized influence in the timeshare industry, to provide a forum for face-to-face exchanges of experiences and ideas among timeshare owners, to keep members informed about events and developments in the timeshare industry and to provide a means for informal exchanges, rental, and sale of units. For more information, visit www.nationaltimeshareownersassoc.com.

The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) 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). For more information, visit www.arda.org or ARDA’s consumer website at www.VacationBetter.org.

Global Connections, Inc. (GCI) has recently launched its new Global Discovery Vacations (GDV) members-only website to serve the needs of more than 150,000 members. The newly enhanced website allows members to make online reservations and to escape, explore and discover all the possibilities and benefits available with their Global Discovery Vacations membership.

Created by Global Connections, the GDV club product offers a membership based on Star Credits, similar to timeshare’s points-based programs, designed to allow GDV members to select a program to fit their lifestyle and budget. Global Connections provides total fulfillment of each member’s request from lodging to airline to cruises and ensures that members’ vacations are a rewarding experience.

Explains Global VP of Operations Catherine Wunder, “The functionality of the GDV website has been greatly enhanced by adding features such as information on cruise exchanges, Express Cruises (last minute cruise vacation deals) and Global VIP themed group cruises. Members can now use the website to reserve resort condominiums, request forms for Discount Weeks, learn more about their travel history and renew their membership online.”

A vacation calculator helps members determine the cost of Value Week and Expressway Weeks and an account overview advises members the balance of Star Credit available for future bookings. A new section provides online answers to members’ most frequently-asked questions while another section dubbed “the traveler” provides industry news and travel alerts.

During 2008, GDV members used over 28,000 condominium weeks in almost 700 resorts located from Hawaii to the Caribbean. Headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, GDV was formed in the early 90s. Global Connections’ 28 sales centers located in 20 states and are distributors of its GDV travel club product.

Global Connections has developed and owns many of its properties with resorts currently located throughout the State of Florida and in California, Tennessee, and Colorado. The company also owns multiple resort condominium units in Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. Partner alliances with exchange and cruise organizations, along with owned and leased properties provide on-demand locations in popular vacation destinations around the world for the company’s expanding member base.

For additional information, contact Melanie Gring at 561-417-7559 or mgring@gcitravel.net

According to Vacation Timeshare Owners Report, 2009 Edition by the ARDA International Foundation (AIF), recent timeshare purchasers are younger, wealthier and happy with their vacation product. Overall, more than six in ten timeshare owners are age 45 or older, with Baby Boomers ranked as the largest generation of timeshare owners (45 percent). However, recent purchasers are younger than timeshare owners in general, with 58 percent under the age of 45.

About half of recent purchasers rented a timeshare prior to buying (48 percent), and four out of five purchased from a developer or resort. The average household income for all owners is $92,405, and recent purchasers have an average household income of $94,933. Motivators for purchasing were the quality of accommodations, saving on future costs, and the credibility of the timeshare company. Over half say they purchased a timeshare to save money on future vacations.

“This study underscores the flexibility and value of vacation ownership products for a broad range of consumers and lifestyles. The value of timeshare that comes from its use gives people the discipline to have a better vacation year after year,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO.

Other results from the study include:
•    Timeshare owners spent an average of 8.18 days on timeshare vacations in 2008.
•    On average, the total number of guests on a timeshare vacation was 3.71, including the owner.
•    Eighty-six percent of all timeshare owners responded that owning a timeshare was an excellent, very good, or good experience.
•    Sixty-nine percent of all owners would recommend their own resort or vacation club.
•    On average, timeshare owners have owned their intervals for 8.26 years.
•    Timeshare owners say that beaches (52 percent), attractions/entertainment (48 percent), and shopping (39 percent) are the most appealing resort characteristics.
•    Eighty-one percent of all owners say that their timeshare offers a vacation home away from home.
For more information visit www.ARDA.org or download an executive summary of Vacation Timeshare Owners Report, 2009 Edition.

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). Visit ARDA’s consumer website at www.VacationBetter.org.

About AIF
The ARDA International Foundation (AIF) conducts research and develops education programming for the timeshare industry. The Foundation’s mission is to “support, conduct, and disseminate research and technical studies that will enhance and improve knowledge for the public and the industry, and develop educational resources that will optimize value, operations, acceptance, and service for the industry and the public.”

Methodology
This research was sponsored by the ARDA International Foundation and conducted by Penn, Schoen, and Berland Inc., a global market research firm. Interviews were conducted among a national sample of timeshare owners between May 8 and 15, 2009 — approximately 7 months after the U.S. financial crisis began in late 2008. The report is based on analysis of 945 “traditional timeshare owners,” including 195 “recent purchasers.” Recent purchasers are defined as owners who made a timeshare purchase in the United States in the past twelve months. Unlike the last study, which relied on a single panel provided by the research vendor, the 2009 Vacation Timeshare Owners Report sample draws from multiple email sample vendors operating in the U.S., resulting in a relatively more diverse, random sampling of timeshare owners.

Affluent Leisure Travelers Remain Committed To Vacations

Affluent leisure travelers interested in resort real estate strongly believe in the value of their vacations, as nearly nine in ten report that vacationing is important to their well-being and to the health of their personal relationships. They appreciate leisure travel experiences and activities such as spending time with family and friends, exploring unique and interesting destinations, taking part in new experiences, and setting aside time for rest and relaxation – all components that support their commitment to the concept of vacationing.
These are some of the findings from The Affluent Shared Ownership Buyer: A Market Profile, a study produced exclusively for Interval International, to provide insights about the travel habits and resort real estate preferences of the most affluent U.S. households interested in acquiring some form of resort real estate. Developed from the Ypartnership 2008 Portrait of Affluent TravelersSM, a comprehensive analysis of high-end lifestyles, social values, and travel trends of the top eight percent of American households defined by current income, the results are being introduced at the 11th Annual Vacation Ownership Investment Conference in Orlando, Florida.

“The fieldwork for this survey was conducted in August 2008, a time of considerable anxiety for many affluent households, particularly those with significant investments in equities,” said Peter C. Yesawich, chairman and chief executive officer of Ypartnership, author of the study. “The financial turmoil that prevailed during the remainder of the year amplified this anxiety, hence the implications for how affluent Americans feel about their leisure time, vacations, and resort real estate are very provocative.”

The study also reveals that nearly three quarters of affluent leisure travelers interested in purchasing some form of resort real estate confirm their interest in vacationing in condominium-style accommodations during the next two years. They are nearly twice as likely as their uninterested counterparts to be familiar with the concepts of vacation ownership, fractional ownership, and private residence clubs. Additionally, they see themselves as value-driven consumers who place a premium on quality and reliability.

“This personal viewpoint combined with their desire to own vacation real estate illustrates how aligning resort development plans with a branded exchange and benefit program can enhance the value proposition for affluent consumers,” said David C. Gilbert, executive vice president of resort sales and marketing for Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services.

Affluent travelers assign high levels of perceived value to the availability of various attributes and activities when making their resort vacation purchase decisions.  These attributes generally take the form of physical features, as well as service offerings to complement their stay.  “Having access to features and amenities that extend their luxurious residential lifestyles is a key element in exceeding the expectations of this discriminating traveler. Today’s fractional interest product and private residence clubs are well positioned to appeal to the tastes and desires of this influential group of consumers,” said Yesawich.

“These findings will assist resort developers in offering affluent travelers the vacation experiences they seek,” Gilbert added.  “Understanding the specific luxury privileges and services, along with the physical and architectural resort features sought by this consumer group, gives them a competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

What does this all mean to the shared ownership industry? “It’s important to note there are approximately 1.3 million affluent leisure travelers in the U.S. who are interested in acquiring resort real estate during the next two years,” noted Yesawich. “They’re looking for vacation experiences that fit their changing needs and that also fulfill their penchant for status and the personal satisfaction of real estate ownership. Since shared ownership offers consumers the ability to purchase only the amount of time they intend to use, this augers well for the future of this business.”

The data for this analysis were collected randomly during August 2008 using a nationally representative sample of U.S. consumers, prequalified and screened for specific demographic and behavioral characteristics.  Respondents were adults who took at least one trip for leisure purposes of at least 75 miles away from home that required overnight accommodations during the previous year, stayed in a “luxury hotel or resort” (by self report) at least once during the previous year, and reported a minimum annual household income of $150,000.  Results are representative of the population of all affluent travelers in the United States.

Other Notable Findings
•    Affluent leisure travelers interested in resort real estate overwhelmingly tend to be married (93%) and White (80%) with an annual household income of $250,000 or more (52%) and a reported net worth of $1 million or more (72%).

•    More than four in ten are Boomers (44 – 62 years of age) (42%) and approximately four in ten are Generation Xers (30 – 43 years of age) (37%).

•    Affluent leisure travelers interested in acquiring resort real estate have taken an average of more than seven (7.4) leisure trips during the past 12 months.  Of those who took at least one trip in this category, approximately five (5.3) were to domestic destinations, whereas two in seven (3.5) were to international locales.

About Interval International
Interval International operates membership programs for vacation owners and provides value-added services to its developer clients worldwide. Based in Miami, Florida, the company has been a pioneer and innovator in serving the vacation ownership market for more than 33 years. Today, Interval has a network of approximately 2,500 resorts in more than 75 countries and offers its resort clients and about 2 million member families high-quality products and programs through offices in 26 cities across 16 countries. Interval is an operating segment of Interval Leisure Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: IILG), a leading global provider of membership and leisure services to the vacation industry.

The property management division of Global Connections, Inc. (GCI) has recently promoted Emily Ceruzzi to General Manager of Sea Shells Beach Club in Daytona Beach, Florida.

An eight-year veteran with Global Connections, Ceruzzi previously served as assistant general manager at the same resort. As assistant to the Regional Director of Operations, she played a significant role in the revamping of the company’s property management offices in Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Orlando, Florida. Previously, she was manager of the Global Southeast Florida member fulfillment office for the nationally respected travel club company.

Owned by Global Connections, the 38-unit Sea Shells Beach Resort is located directly on Daytona Beach. As General Manager, Ceruzzi leads 15 resort employees in the day-to-day operation of the property with four unit sizes. She also handles marketing for resort rentals, oversees the centralized ordering for several Global properties, supervises four reservation agents and assists GCI travel club members with questions.
Before joining GCI, Ceruzzi spent nearly a decade with insurance companies and government agencies, working as a licensed workers’ compensation adjuster and human resources specialist. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of Central Florida, is a paralegal and serves on the Sponsorship Committee of the Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (C.A.R.E.).

Added Catherine Wunder, VP of Operations for Global Connections, “When it was time to select a new resort manager for Sea Shells Beach Club, we recognized that Emily’s past experience with our company made her the ideal candidate for the job. Her can-do attitude, attention to detail, and familiarity with the resort made for an easy and seamless transition.”

Global Connections has developed and owns many of its properties with resorts currently located throughout the State of Florida, and in California, Tennessee and Colorado. The company also owns multiple resort condominium units in Florida, Hawaii, Missouri, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. Global Connections’ 28 sales centers are located in 20 states and are distributors of its travel club product, Global Discovery Vacations (GDV), which offers Star Credits, similar to timeshare’s points-based programs, designed to allow members to select programs to fit their lifestyle and budget.

Odenza Marketing Group Inc. is pleased to announce that the company has acquired DealerMiles LLC, provider of airline miles rewards based out of Denver, Colorado. Odenza’s vision is to combine the operational strengths of Odenza with the powerful loyalty message of DealerMiles. Providing companies with products that help them with both new sales acquisition and customer retention to grow business will strengthen Odenza’s leadership position in the incentive and premium market.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for Odenza and DealerMiles is a great fit with our group,” said Odenza’s president, Sodi Hundal. “I know where DealerMiles is going and it is closely aligned with our goals and objectives at Odenza. I am thankful for the support and enthusiasm that Odenza has received regarding this acquisition from our employees, clients and affiliates. Our commitment to our clients’ business growth and success remains unabated.”

Odenza Marketing Group was recently accepted into Carnival Cruise Lines’ “Pinnacle Club” for a third time effective June 2, 2009 for demonstrating exceptional creativity in sales and marketing techniques. Odenza had also won three prestigious awards from the Gallery of Superb Printing Awards held by the International Association of Printing House Craftsmen, an independent network of graphic arts and printing professionals. The annual International Gallery of Superb Printing is a testament to the people and companies involved in producing the finest printing and graphic arts products throughout the world.

About DealerMiles:
DealerMiles works with hundreds of auto dealerships nationwide to enable consumers to earn incremental airline miles. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, DealerMiles works with franchised dealerships of every brand, including Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Honda, Toyota, Infiniti, Nissan, Volvo, and others.

About Odenza Marketing Group Inc.
Odenza provides quality marketing solutions that give our select clients a competitive edge in their market. With a staff of 200 employees, in three countries, Odenza has been providing incentive travel products to companies for their promotions since 1998. Our marketing and advertising support team provides you with everything you need to make your promotion a success. We are members of the American Resort Development Association, New Car Dealers Association and the International Promotional Products Association. Our in-house travel agency is staffed by certified and experienced travel agents who work directly with your customers to book their vacations. We have direct partnerships with major airlines, cruise lines, hotels and resorts worldwide.

Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club, located in Puerto Plata on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, recently held a ground breaking ceremony for Phase I of its new Costa Esmeralda by Lifestyle property in the peninsula area on Cofresi Beach.  The project will overlook the Atlantic Ocean and the Mount Isabella de Torres mountain range, and enhance the company’s existing resort, Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club Resort.

Austrian architect Sepp Frank is designing 130 Penthouse Suites for rental and purchase on the peninsula and the entire planned project will be developed in three phases over the next several years, with Phase I’s expected completion date to be late 2010.  The peninsula site recently hosted a U2 tribute band, U2 Hollywood, concert for Lifestyle Holidays members and guests with a record 2,500 people in attendance, followed by fireworks on the property, as part of its ongoing ground breaking celebration.

“We are thrilled to add this beautiful area and spectacular new penthouses to our growing and expanding vacation cub offering,” said Anja Wischembart, General Manager of Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club.  “The vision of the architect is to create an indoor and outdoor space that takes advantage of this dramatic location and views, while providing more choices for our members during their vacations with us.”  The Costa Esmeralda by Lifestyle project plans also include a signature seafood restaurant and a Club that will offer a dramatic and relaxing atmosphere with cascading waterfalls and tranquil pools overlooking the ocean cliffs, and a convention/retreat center that focuses on creativity inspired by the location.

The Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club Resort encompasses four distinct products:  The Tropical, The Crown Suites, The Crown Villas and the Residence Suites.  From hotel accommodations to stand alone villas, all guests have access to six distinct restaurants, five swimming pools, nightly entertainment, spa, beach, tennis and more.  Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club VIP Members have access to a “members only” restaurant, bar, swimming pool, exclusive beach area, as well as golf carts, limousine transfers and helicopter tours.

Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club members, guests and their families have a wide variety of activities available to them in the Dominican Republic’s North Coast. Next door is the Ocean World Adventure Park with its daily animal and aquatic shows, plus its signature night-time Las Vegas style show, Bravissimo.  Other activities in the area include a cable car ride to the peak of Mount Isabella de Torres, white water rafting, horseback riding, deep sea fishing, boating, snorkeling, monster truck safaris and city tours of Puerto Plata, named in 2008 as one of the 53 best destinations in the world by The New York Times.  For more Lifestyle Holidays Vacation Club information, go to: www.lifestyleholidaysvc.com or call (809) 970-7777.