When you consider how timeshare first started compared to what it is now, you will understand how drastically timeshare has evolved over the years. Over the last 54 years, timeshare has developed from a small ski town in Switzerland back in 1963 into a worldwide phenomenon. Timeshare is now attracting young, educated buyers, often with kids thanks to many modern, consumer-friendly changes in the industry.
The First Timeshare
The first timeshare can be traced back to the 1960’s. During the 1960’s, there was a tourism boom due to the emergence of commercial airlines. In 1963, the first timeshare was built in Switzerland by Alexander Nette and was called Hapimag. The idea arose from Alexander Nette’s desire for a rent-free holiday every year. Around the same time, the French company The Société des Grands Travaux de Marseille began offering timeshare. This company had a ski resort in the Swiss Alps called SuperDevoluy. Again, the accommodation was sold as a ‘right to use’ rather than as a purchased property. These two developments in Switzerland and France were the first times in history that the concept of timeshare was introduced into the world. It was the start of something big!
How timeshare has changed over the years
Timeshare has been through a few rocky periods over the years. Its reputation was badly tainted in 1974 when developers capitalised on trying to offload unsold condos on the market during an era of overdevelopment, high-interest rates, and soaring energy costs. Tricky sales tactics such as free show tickets, three-night getaways, and ‘all you can eat buffets’ were used to get people to sit through presentations which included high-pressure sales tactics. And the timeshare offered on the market was very inflexible: a fixed week, in a fixed unit, at a fixed location during the calendar year. As you can imagine, these were not very attractive options for most people and so many people were left with a bad first impression of timeshare.
Modern timeshare
Nowadays, the timeshare market has become much more consumer friendly and flexible, resulting in increased popularity. While fixed-week, fixed-resort timeshares are still around, they have been mostly superceded by more flexible plans that allow owners to stay at any property around the world that’s affiliated with the brand. So timeshare owners can have the flexibility of spending a holiday at the beach in Queensland one year and on the alps in New Zealand the following year. Most of the timeshare programs are points/credits based. You buy a certain number of points or credits and use them at one or more resorts within a brand. Most people don’t want to spend their holiday at the same resort on the same beach year after year. In a points-based timeshare, the number of points you need varies according to the length of the stay, size of the unit, location of the resort, and when you want to use it. The points-based systems allow people to have a lot more freedom, flexibility and variation with their holiday and so are really popular.
Timeshare Resales
For those that are keen to buy into timeshare but don’t want the hefty price tag, timeshare resales is a really good option. People that no longer use or need their timeshare can sell it and you can purchase it second hand. So where do you find these timeshare resales? A good place to start is to contact a broker such as Royale Timeshare Resales. Royale Timeshare Resales is a licensed timeshare resale broker offering a large selection of second-hand timeshare holiday accommodation.
Contact:
Ph 07 5563 4731
Email: info@royaltimeshare.com.au
