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Toll Free: 877-624-6889
Intl: (407) 917-8432
Posted on January 22, 2021
With the start of a new year, 2021 has the promise of better things to come for the overall travel industry and timeshares in particular. Talk of vaccines has dominated discussions about the timeframe for a rebounding tourism sector, with the World Travel & Tourism Council forecasting that over 100 million tourism jobs could come back this year.
While the industry holds its breath regarding the effectiveness of the COVID vaccine, timeshare operators are moving ahead with new timeshare resorts, refurbished properties and encouragement for travelers to start planning your next vacation.
Holiday Inn Club Vacations, best known for its flagship timeshare property Orange Lake Resort, has expanded into New Orleans with the opening of the Holiday Inn Club Vacations New Orleans Resort.
Built as the city’s first skyscraper in 1893, the building was remodeled into a 105 villa resort just a block from Bourbon Street and steps away from the iconic French Quarter. Villas are one and two-bedroom units with all the modern conveniences such as living rooms and kitchens. The resort has features such as a rooftop terrace, pool, fitness center, marketplace for those last minute essentials and the soon to debut Maritime Bar & Lounge.
Marriott has opened the Marriott Vacation Club at Los Sueños resort near Herradura Bay on Costa Rica’s Green Coast. This Pacific Coast gem is Marriott’s first timeshare resort in Costa Rica and offers a choice of 24 two-bedroom lock off villas with over 1,100 square feet of space in the two-bedroom configuration. Villas feature kitchens, living room and dining areas, washer/dryer and high speed internet and serve as the perfect launch point to experience the amazing natural landscape of Costa Rica.
Guests can hit the beach in Jaco or head into the Manuel Antonio National Park for some kayaking, rafting, hiking, or bird watching. The fishing is terrific as is the golf, restaurants and shopping at Los Sueños Resort and Marina.
Diamond Resorts has reopened its two timeshare resorts on St Maarten, Royal Palm Beach Resort and Flamingo Beach Resort, with both resorts completing multi-million dollar renovations prior to welcoming back guests on January 1.
Both resorts feature high quality accommodation with multiple bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, dining areas and in-unit laundry facilities.
For Flamingo Beach Resort, each of the resort’s 240 units have been completely renovated, as have the swimming pool and tennis courts. New amenities include hot tubs, beachfront lounge, fitness center and convenience shop.
Royal Palm Beach Resort is on famed Simpson Bay with a magnificent beach to enjoy. The 141 units all have new furnishings, appliances and bedding, while the resort features a new swimming pool, restaurant and bistro.
With all of the difficulty the global travel and tourism industry has suffered during COVID, Mexico is well on the comeback trail.
Inbound visitors numbers to Mexico’s top destination, the Cancun-led region of Quintana Roo, over the Christmas/New Year period saw over 960,000 visitors travel to the region. These numbers were only down 25 percent from the same period last year. I say “only” because most regions continue to see a 50-60 percent drop in visitors, so Mexico is ahead of the curve when it comes to rebounding from the pandemic.
Flights are returning to the region as air arrivals and departures in Quintana Roo averaged 460 per day in December compared to 500 per day before COVID.
These numbers are good news for timeshare operators in the region such as Sunset World, which just won the Best Luxury Tourism Company on the Yucatan Peninsula designation from LUX Life Magazine.
The UK-based publication highlights luxury lifestyle features on everything from jewelry, art and fine food through to hotels and resort destinations.
Sunset World manages six resorts including the exquisite Hacienda Tres Ríos Resort in Playa del Carmen and Sunset Marina Resort and Yacht Club in Cancun.
While all of the Disney timeshare resorts are open with the exception of Grand Californian in Anaheim, COVID has forced Disney to make recent changes to some of the ancillary services that have been staples of the experience over the years.
The annual pass program that has been a cost-saver for thousands of families has been cancelled for Disneyland fans in California and is currently suspended for new sales at Disney World in Orlando. Current passholders who want to renew for the Florida parks will be able to renew. The Premier passholder program which gave access to both Disneyland and Disney World has also been cancelled.
Refunds will be given to all passholders who have been cancelled.
Disney officials point to the continued closure of Disneyland by state and local officials due to COVID and uncertainty of the park’s reopening as the primary reason for ending the programs.
For Disney World visitors, a service that has been available for years to guests has been discontinued, as Disney's Magical Express bus service will be phased out by the end of 2021.
The free transportation service from Orlando airport to the timeshare resorts and hotels began in 2005. Disney officials stated that the availability of ridesharing services played a role in the decision, but the more likely reason is the anticipated launch of a high speed rail link between the airport and Disney Springs which is scheduled for 2022.
Fans of late night exclusive access to the Disney World theme parks will need to be early risers instead, as the Extra Magic Hours program will transition to an early entry program later this year.
Extra Magic Hours is currently suspended, but when it returns it will provide a 30 minute early entry window into all four Disney theme parks every day of operation for Disney timeshare and hotel guests.
Previously, the program alternated between early entry and additional late night hours, but for a single park at a time. Disney officials are hopeful that the new program will spread visitors across the four parks.
Next Tuesday, January 26, is designated as National Plan for Vacation Day by the U.S. Travel Association, as officials try to encourage people across the country to plan a vacation during the year.
Studies show that Americans traditionally do not use all of their allotted paid time off for vacations and, with COVID wreaking havoc on vacation plans last year, this trend is sure to continue until the vaccine makes greater headway in 2021.
Pre-planning a vacation has long been an advantage for timeshare owners, as owners basically prepay for their vacation through their annual fees each year. Overall, those planning a vacation take 12 days a year in paid time off, compared to only five days for those who do not plan.
Health and wellbeing studies have shown the medical benefits of annual vacations, reducing stress and showing reduced risks for heart disease.
