As much as 40 percent of David Walley's Hot Springs Resort & Spa's 6,600 time-share owners have not paid their dues for 2010, according to Gary Grottke, treasurer of the Walley's Property Owners Association and president of Quintus Resorts.

The shortage is putting financial strain on those owners who have paid their dues, and, if not rectified, could mean closure of the time-share property.

“It is true that the level of nonpayment of dues has risen dramatically in the last three years,” Grottke said Tuesday. “It's an industry-wide problem. I can't tell if our dues collection is better or worse than the industry.”

Grottke said Florida-based Celebrity Resorts, which bought most of Walley's real estate and management contract in 2008, held a meeting on Sunday to discuss a “special assessment” ranging from $494-$939 that owners are being asked to pay, on top of their annual dues. He said about 400 people showed up.

“There has been a high level of frustration among the board on the timing of the whole thing,” Grottke said. “At the same time, the board recognizes that we are short of cash, and that a certain amount of cash is needed to keep us going. The board thinks a better job could have been done in communicating and explaining the need, and starting earlier to explain the potential problems.”

According to a meeting notice distributed to time-share owners in January, signed by board secretary Craig Lewis, the “operating funds are depleted, and in order to continue operations, a special assessment is necessary.”

“Ultimately, if the special assessment does not get approved, it is anticipated that the 2010 operating expenses will deplete your Association's assets within the first quarter of 2010,” the notice read. “In order to accurately identify the amount necessary to correct the deficit and replenish the reserve and operating funds, measures were first taken to reduce operating expenses and correct the operating budget. With a positive collection of the special assessment, the Association can eliminate the deficit and move forward with operations.”

Grottke said he has a fiduciary responsibility to the owners association as a board member, but also a vested interest in seeing the resort succeed, as Quintus still owns more than 500 time-share weeks.

“The board is committed to finding a way to keep the resort open and operating, even if at a reduced level, until we can get the financial situation straightened out,” he said.

Grottke said because there were not enough proxy votes on Sunday to meet quorum requirements, a new meeting on the special assessment was scheduled for Saturday.

“Ultimately, it's an ownership vote,” Grottke said. “If the vote comes back no, we need to exhaust every single option. We can increase the effort to collect that money, cut expenses, whatever allows us to continue operations and to get people the vacations they paid for.”

Association President Marlena Forst, of Nipomo, Calif., agreed with Grottke that there was not enough communication between Celebrity and the time-share owners.

“We, as a board, haven't been given enough information,” she said.

Forst said that unfortunately, in her experience with time-shares, owners usually have to compensate for “bad debt.”

“If they gave us more information, if we understood a little more, we may see the assessment is necessary, though the amount they're proposing may not be,” she said. “Yes, sure there is bad debt, but there's bad debt with every time-share. It's whether we are at the point of shortage where the owners have to make up the difference or there is something else we can do.”

Forst the board is looking at other options and has scaled back the special assessment costs closer to $500.

“It's a bad situation, and we hope it gets resolved on Saturday,” she said.

Minden resident Karen Davis, part-owner since 2007, said she felt like she was being punished for being responsible and paying her dues.

“The annual assessment has been going up quite dramatically,” she said. “Every year, it helps pay for the upkeep of the facility.”

But now, Davis said, the owners are being asked to save the property.

“Those of us who did pay ended up getting another bill,” she said. “Now, they're saying there is no money left, and they'll have to close the timeshare portion of the facility.”

In April 2009, Douglas County commissioners approved modification of the resort's special use permit, allowing another 190 time-share units to be built on the historic property south of Genoa.

The resort's original permit, issued in 1997, allowed for 150 timeshares. Since then, 112 have been built on the east side of Foothill Road. New plans are for 12 more units on the east side and 216 new units on the west side of Foothill Road for a grand total of 340 timeshares.

Commissioners also approved up to $90,000 in redevelopment money for an underground tunnel beneath Foothill Road to connect both sides of the resort.

Perspective Magazine, the leading monthly timeshare and fractional ownership business publication which has been in circulation since 2005 as a global edition, recently announced that it would create a series of regional titles to more closely concentrate specific issues relating to each marketplace around the world. The first of these publications to be launched is a North America edition.

Perspective Magazine North America, which focuses on USA, Canada, Mexico & Caribbean regions, was launched this week with a reach of more than 12,000 print and online subscribers making it the largest monthly publication in the region from inception.

We had most of our readership already from the global edition, but were pleased to reach our target of 7,000+ individual print subscribers before launch and are still looking to increase this to around the 10,000 mark across the rest of 2010. Said Paul Mattimoe, CEO, OP Media LLC and Perspective International. But the real story here is that weve been able to adjust and reduce our standard advertising rates to less than all other industry publications, even though our monthly reach in some cases is far higher and we are very pleased we were able to negotiate this and pass on the benefits to our clients.

Through a strategic regionalizing of content, Perspective Magazine has been able to increase the number of magazine titles it produces and increase circulation and distribution for each in such as way that it has been able to restructure its pricing into a Win Win situation for both publisher and clients.

In addition, Perspective Magazine North America continues the Perspective tradition of offering a wealth of online advertising and social media coverage free of charge to its premium advertisers.

The first edition of Perspective Magazine North America is available to view online at http://www.perspectivemagazine.com/na and industry professionals can request a free print subscription from the website. This edition is also available to all delegates at the upcoming ARDA Convention & Expo in Las Vegas in March (http://www.arda.org).

For more information on advertising and editorial opportunities visit http://www.perspectiverates.com or call +1 407 792 2343 or email advertising@perspectiveinternational.com

Four Hawaiian timeshares were named among the annual top 25 timeshare rental resorts survey, which was released last Tuesday.

The survey was conducted by RedWeek.com, a membership supported marketplace for timeshare resales and exchanges.

The Hawaiian properties included: are Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Napili Villas in Lahaina, Maui (No. 3); Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Lahaina Villas (No. 6); Marriott’s Maui Ocean Club, Lahaina (No. 7); and Marriott’s Ko Olina Beach Club in Kapolei on Oahu (No. 13).

Marriott Vacation Club International had nine resorts in the top 25 list.

The top timeshare rental resort for 2010 is Disney’s Beach Club Villas in Lake Buena Vista.

Are you on a hunt for timeshares? Are you tired of paying attention to the lengthy presentations of timeshare businesses? Here's the answer, go buy a timeshare resale. Virtually non-existent a decade ago timeshare resale industry is waking up to the call and catching up slowly and steadily. Timeshare resale comes about through classifieds, auction sites and also many reputed firms have joined this emerging market. The grounds why anybody should watch buying timeshare resale is that they cost 30%-50% under the new timeshare. The grounds why new timeshares are costly is the timeshare companies spend a lot on advertising. Now and again the cost of advertising is on top of the value of resale. That's why timeshare resale is much less costly option than new timeshare. But one should remember certain things while buying timeshare resale.

Don't believe on word of mouth if the seller tells you that the timeshare is in a fantastic location. It is best to see the timeshare yourself or at any rate tell your friend or family member if they live close to the location to go and see it. Timeshare is indeed a great investment in your lifetime provided you know you are buying a right one. And likewise consider things like whether the timeshare is in a high demand area and in close proximity to grocery stores, malls, restaurants and other amenities. And likewise learn whether there are any major attractions nearby. Also buy your timeshare in a prime season which provides you with more options for exchange later.

Also don't disregard the floor plan. Some units are converted from motels into timeshare units, while some can be good but some may come to be very bad. Look for well designed and well planned unit. And likewise see if the units are well maintained. If it's clean and clear of dust, structural damages and squeaking entrance-ways it speaks a lot about the management. Well maintained and well kept units represent a good management. This also adds to the value of the unit.

The reduced prices of timeshare resale overshadow the underlying cost often times such as maintenance fees, property taxes, flights to your chosen destination and if there is any special assessment this year. Clearly ask the vendor if all these have been paid up up to now otherwise the amount of owning a timeshare resale increases and makes no sense in buying. Also buy a timeshare resale unit in a timeshare resort which has low maintenance fee, as this is an annual fee it keeps on adding if you pay any extra money.

If you are buying through an agent, don't fall into the trap of buying through an unlicensed broker. The timeshare industry has witnessed many scams and frauds related to timeshare resale. So always go to a licensed broker because they have much at stake when equated with a non-licensed broker. Also put the money in an escrow account until the time you get the timeshare unit.

The foremost important criterion is the amount, so do your homework and research the prices of timeshare units in the area you are curious about buying. A timeshare is an investment for a better life. Take into account that the prices of timeshare resale units are as low as 30% to nearly half the cost of the new units. You should be able to do the research on internet auction sites like eBay and bidshare.com. If you are buying through a dealer you can ask the broker to show a comparative analysis of prices.

The bigger the unit, the better the value and prospects of exchanging. Most people are happy if they buy big units as it also accommodates big families and friends and likewise big gatherings. Also don't forget to ask the vender the grounds why they're selling their units. It can be as a result of some problems linked with management or inconvenience. This facts will be crucial to you as you can be able to gauge whether you are able to handle those issues later on or not.

Hotel or timeshare resort . . . which is better?

The outdated image of the retired American timeshare couple faded years ago. Young families with school age children are finding that timeshare ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to everyone getting a good break. As leading developers build new resorts in Britain or “winter warmer” destinations like South Africa, Dubai and to an extent Turkey, it's location, build, amenities and service that will shape the future of a new resort.

It's those things that matter, like room service (even if it's just pizza delivery on the occasional night in) or being able to pop in for a fresh breakfast baguette at the onsite mini-market. The fun kids club to keep the little ones happy, the medical clinic in case they pick up a bug, and a spa for mum to escape to.

With more families choosing timeshare as their preferred holiday option, these are five main reasons it makes sense to buy timeshare.

1. Economy. Averaged out as “cost-per-night”, timeshare offers excellent value over the long term; your self-catering suite can accommodate extra “friends and family” – and you can eat in! As hotel room rates rise in coming years, pre-purchased timeshare will become even better value by comparison.

2. Amenities. Convenient and time-saving, quality resorts will have a number of these on site: restaurants, shops, cafés, concierge service, onsite car rental, live entertainment, pools, gym, beauty salon, spa, kids club, tennis and golf coach, sports facilities, DVD library, newsagent, a medical centre and more.

3. Choice. Go where you want, when you want. Exchange programmes like RCI and Interval International offer an à la carte menu of destinations year round. It could be Christmas in the Caribbean, spring in Spain, summer in Cornwall, autumn in Austria...from classic beach holidays to more adventurous escapes.

4. Accommodation. Offering more of a home-from-home feeling than a hotel room, resort accommodation offers that bit more - whether it's the contemporary equipped kitchen or a terrace jacuzzi for moonlit cocktails.

5. Location. A country estate in the Highlands? Or a spa in Sri Lanka? Whatever the sought-after location, amenities should be part of the package.

Dean Gitter refuses to walk away from his $400 million Bellayre golf and condo project even after 11 years of battling bureaucrats and regional opponents.

"I don't intend to (die) until I've seen the completion of Belleayre Resort at Catskill Park," Gitter said Thursday, speaking at the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting.

His plans call for two hotels, 55 separate lodging and 84 timeshare town houses. It will feature ski trails and an organic golf course.

The plan could provide the region the lift it needs, Gitter said. Construction will provide 4,000 construction jobs and 700 full-time positions, he said.

As for building during a period of economic slowdown, Gitter said, "I'm comforted by the fact that Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building were all begun and completed in the depths of the Depression."

Also, he wants the project to be environmentally friendly. Designers will blend the project with the texture of the hillside to limit development on step slopes, and lessen stormwater runoffs.

Still, environmentalists and local businesses continue to oppose the project.

"What he is proposing is big and will take away business and resources from the hamlets," said Kathleen Nolan of Catskill Heritage Alliance.

Those challenging the $400 million plan were concerned that local businesses and the environment will suffer. Lack of specifics for the time frame was another point made at the end of the meeting.

"It's all fluff," said Nolan after Gitter finished his talk. "The plan is not realistic."

To lend support and aid to victims of the earthquake in Haiti, Timeshare Relief, Inc announced that it is organizing an employee-matched contribution effort for the Nourish the Children initative involved with Haitian disaster relief. Timeshare Relief wishes to continue to demonstrate its commitment to make a significant difference not only for timeshare owners, but also in the lives of those in the local community and around the world.

"In times like these it's so important to get involved and act quickly to help those who need it," said Cindy Martin, Timeshare Relief co-founder and Vice President. "The Haitian people are going through turmoil that we cannot even begin to imagine, and making this donation to Nourish the Children is the least we could do. Nourish the Children is an outstanding initative and we fully support their efforts to lend aid in this time of tragedy."

Nourish the Children provides VitaMeal to starving children around the world. VitaMeal is specifically formulated to meet the needs of malnourished children. Each $22 donation provides a month of nutritious food for one child. The goal is to provide as many meals to as many hungry children as possible.

Timeshare Relief is matching the donations made by company employees. "Our employees have expressed their concern for the people of Haiti, and we are very pleased to be in a position to assist in the global relief effort," said Marcus Gillette, Senior VP of Timeshare Relief, Inc.

"We are providing thousands of meals and provide much needed relief to children in need," explained Gillette. "This is going to require a sustained humanitarian effort from all of us who can give, and Timeshare Relief will be here to do our part to aid in the rescue and rebuilding process."

About Timeshare Relief, Inc.

Timeshare Relief, Inc. opened its doors in 2004. The company has proudly established an excellent rating from the Better Business Bureau through its focused approach to assist over 32,000 now-former timeshare owners transfer 41,000+ timeshare contracts.

Timeshare Relief is not a listing company, and guarantees their clients a clean exit strategy out of their timeshare contracts. Timeshares must be paid in full, and maintenance fees must be up to date. Other qualifications may apply. For more information, please call 1-866-797-0535.

About Nourish the Children

Nourish the Children is a provider of meals to people in need around the world. They distribute VitaMeal, a prepackaged vegetarian and non-dairy meal, which allows for the easy addition of ingredients to fit every taste and culture. Each VitaMeal package contains 30 child-sized meals, or enough food to provide a child with one nutritious meal each day for a month.

Dying to go on vacation but short on funds? Consumer Specialist Ric Romero says renting timeshares can offer bargains.

Timeshares are a great way to vacation with the whole family since many of the properties have great amenities such as space and kitchens. But when ABC7 teamed up with Consumer Reports, we found that you don't need to buy one to enjoy one.

Caryn Alexander says the vacation timeshare she and her husband purchased has allowed her family to take some great trips together.

"I like to try different experiences. I think that's what makes vacation fun," said Alexander.

But Consumer Reports ShopSmart says these days, you don't have to buy in order to enjoy the amenities many people like about timeshares like resort facilities, a lot of room with a kitchen and living room and their exotic locations.

"In this economic downturn, timeshare owners are anxious to rent. So you can negotiate a really good deal. We found some as low as $400 a week and many in the $600 to $1,200 range," said Mandy Walker of Consumer Reports.

Some good Web sites to check are My Resort Network, which is free, as well as Timeshare User's Group and Red Week, which charge membership fees of $15 a year for full access.

"The sites we checked out have plenty of rent-from-owner listings and are categorized by location and even activities, like skiing or golf," said Walker.

Be sure to check out reviews of the resort where the timeshare is located, either on the rental sites or on free travel sites like TripAdvisor and Travelocity.

"Keep in mind that most timeshares require at least a weekend and sometimes a week-long booking," reminded Walker.

But with a few clicks of the mouse, getting in a getaway this year just may be within reach.

When you're looking for a timeshare rental, Consumer Reports says to check out prices for comparable properties. That puts you in a better position to negotiate. Also, don't forget to ask the owner about what amenities are available, including restaurants, and if you have to pay extra for housekeeping.

Airflights.co.uk, the discount flight specialists, has warned British holidaymakers against making last minute car rental reservations this summer season.

Many travellers have a tendency to book flights first, then hotel accommodation. Car rental and ground transportation details are often vaguely researched but often never booked until days before required. This results in frequent shortages of not just vehicles but extras such as GPS systems and baby seats.

However, last summer’s unexpected rush on hire cars, which left thousands of travellers stranded in popular destinations line Spain. The late influx also led to substantial price increases as rental companies imposed stricter fleet management controls. With signs that the travel industry is slowly showing signs of a recovery the shortages experienced are likely to be seen again this holiday season.

The message to travellers the is simple, book your vehicle well in advance and consider also your parking options – your rental company can give you up to date transport information. Those families searching for larger vehicles are especially encourage to reserve early as 7-seaters and four-by-four models are in high demand.

Airflights specialises in parking, car rental and flights to the popular city and beach locations such as Malaga, Alicante in Spain, Paphos and Larnaca in Cyprus and historically attractive Nice, Gerona, Corfu, Prague and Amsterdam amongst many others. Traditionally British favourites like the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Barcelona and Malaga also have a comprehensive of travel options – all available to book online.

Timeshare owners travelling to the Caribbean have suffered delays becuase flights have been disrupted across the Caribbean after a volcanic eruption on the British overseas territory of Montserrat.

The Soufriere Hills volcano, which first erupted in 1995, returned to life on Thursday, spewing ash up to 6 miles (10km) into the sky, the Montserrat Volcano Observatory said.

On the French archipelago of Guadeloupe, about 50 miles south of Montserrat, the airport remained closed yesterday and fire engines were used to try to clear a thick layer of ash from runways. About 300 travellers were reported to be stranded in Guadeloupe.

“The continued ash hanging in the atmosphere presents a risk to planes and to the security of passengers,” Guadeloupe police said in a statement.

The ash also forced Liat, the Caribbean’s biggest airline, to halt flights in and out of Antigua.

The airline said that the “continued presence of airborne ash clouds over Dominica and Guadeloupe” had forced it to suspend all remaining flights to both destinations.

Flights to other islands, including Anguilla, St Kitts and Nevis and St Martin were also disrupted.

Until the eruption in 1995 Soufriere Hills had been dormant through recorded history. The island’s capital, Plymouth, was almost fully buried by the eruption and two thirds of Montserrat’s population had to flee. The city is now an exclusion zone, described as a modern day Pompeii, and can be visited only with organised tours.

Construction has been completed on the first of the fractional ownership cottages at Machrihanish Dunes in Scotland, and the developers are offering two-night “ Discovery Packages” for prospective buyers.

The try before you buy deal includes two nights' accommodation and a round of golf on the resort's renowned links course, for the promotional price of £139, subject to availability.

This offer is only for people who are genuinely interested in learning more about owning a 4-week fraction at Machrihanish Dunes. There are qualification criteria attached to the offer and people taking it up agree to attend a short sales presentation.

The development company explains: “Unlike timeshare, freehold fractional ownership gives you a valid heritable title that will be registered in the Land Register of Scotland. The title is freehold and is yours forever and can be sold or passed on to your family. Freeholds are being sold in 4-week fractions, which will be made up from a week in each season. Owners, friends and family will have full use of a cottage for those four weeks. Owners who do not wish to use their entire four weeks can lease some of their time through the management company to obtain a return on their cottage by accommodating visiting golfers. A fixed rental letting scheme offering a seven percent return is available to those interested in purchasing for investment.”

“The resort - which has attracted worldwide media attention - has been called ‘the next great golf experience’. Built from the outset in a sensitive and protected place, it has been conceived as a uniquely environmentally-conscious enterprise. A flock of black Hebridean sheep graze the fairways - an attraction themselves and the course offers the experience of golf in a relationship to its natural context that is at once traditional and very new,” says the company.

www.machrihanishdunes.com

While some people who enjoyed the finer things in life in the economic boom are offloading their big-ticket purchases, others are looking at lowering expenses through joint ownership of private planes, holiday homes and yachts.

Almost 50 years after the idea of timeshare was introduced in the French Alps to help a group of friends buy a holiday home by pooling their money, it is undergoing a revival in the Emirates.

“The main attraction is the cost sharing,” said Wael Hussein Amer, the deputy general manager for financial and administration affairs at the Dubai timeshare company Arabian Falcon.

“Take an example of people who maintained holiday homes in Dubai. They would only use the homes a few times in a year but they would bear full purchase and maintenance costs of the properties.

“With timeshare, they can still have their holiday a few times a year at a quality property, paying a fraction of the cost of holiday-home maintenance.”

After the global financial crisis, many luxury goods buyers have found themselves with less cash. To some, the timeshare is a viable alternative that can enable them to maintain their luxury lifestyle within constrained budgets.

There is also a question of risk. At a time when people are losing money, they are more cautious about their investments. Instead of buying a Dh3 million (US$816,000) property, they would now prefer to pay Dh100,000 or less for a timeshare, Mr Amer said.

Following the trend in other parts of the world, the idea of timeshare in the UAE is growing beyond property to luxury items such as yachts.

“We are going to start a yacht time-sharing in the first or second week of March,” said Sam al Abbasi, the managing director of 4Yacht Arabia. “We will have three or four yachts for time-sharing in the UAE.”

4Yacht will have timeshare options ranging from a few weeks to several months.

Perspective Magazine, the leading monthly publication for the shared ownership industry has again created another industry first – a standalone social networking platform based on the most popular features of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter all on one site.

Perspective Forums (http://www.perspectiveforums.com) has been created to encourage communication between developers, marketers and suppliers of the timeshare and fractional ownership industry on a global scale providing opportunities for forging new alliances and collaborations, discuss pertinent issues and learn what’s currently working best in the sales and marketing arena.

With features that include creating or joining and participating in groups and forums, extended profiles, adding friends, avatar and gravatar enabled, email notifications, rss feeds for favourite topics, private messaging, status updates, member directories and blogs included in the first release alone, the site is expected to become a smash hit with industry professionals looking to network with others in their marketplace.

“We created this free to use networking platform to encourage our extensive magazine readership to interact with each other and discuss useful topics relating to our industry” Said Paul Mattimoe, CEO, Perspective International. “With all content site-wide exclusively related to the shared ownership industry, we expect it to become popular, and as it grows will add even more functionality to remain at the forefront of available technology.”

Perspective Magazine is no stranger to industry firsts – they were the first to create an independent global industry publication, the first of the shared ownership industry publications to adopt page turn technology for their digital editions, the first to adopt front cover sponsorship for unrivalled exposure of select clients and the first to offer a suite of online advertising and branding free of charge to its advertisers.

Perspective Magazine

Now available in two versions; North America and International, Perspective Magazine continues to extend its lead as the largest monthly publication for the shared ownership industry, currently reaching more than 21,000 registered subscribers (print and online) and distributing to all delegates at 18 conventions and events around the world each year.

For more information on advertising and editorial opportunities visit www.perspectiverates.com or call +1 407 792 2343 (USA) or +44 191 250 3501 (UK) or email advertising@perspectiveinternational.com

Diamond Resorts International® (DRI), a global leader in the vacation ownership industry, has today announced the donation of its current inventory of custom designed island wear to assist the women of Haiti with a basic necessity.

"We had to do something," said Stephen J. Cloobeck, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Resorts International®. "The world is responding to the people of Haiti and as I watch the images of destruction bring this tragedy into my home, creating a reality of suffering in so many aspects, I knew that we had to do something. And that something had to make a difference."

Launched just three years ago, the Diamond brand is a young company emerging through one of the most challenging economic times in recent history. Cloobeck struggled with finding an avenue of relief that would help the people of Haiti. "We are a hospitality company that makes a difference in the everyday lives of our owners and members -- we're not a healthcare or financial services provider -- but I knew there had to be some small difference we could make for the people of Haiti. And then I saw the women washing their children in the streets, hanging the only clothes they survived with over fences and makeshift tents and I realized that we could do something. We could give the women a basic necessity and hope to restore some of their dignity. The Haitians are a resilient culture -- a proud people -- and if Diamond could provide some small gesture of hope and care to the women of Haiti, we would be humbled to do so."

Working with the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti, Diamond has arranged to ship more than 2,400 custom designed dresses and 3,800 silk scarves to the island nation. Originally created for resort staff uniforms at resorts in St. Maarten and Hawaii, Diamond Resorts International® owns and operates timeshare resorts in a variety of destinations throughout the world. "I contacted our executive staff and said 'pull the stock off the shelves and ship our women's apparel to Haiti.' As is typical of my team members worldwide, they immediately began coordinating this relief effort. It's what we do at Diamond. We are a family and we respond to the needs of our customers every day. And today, the people of Haiti are our customers." As the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti schedules medical supplies for transport into the devastated nation first, they are appreciative of the gesture and, according to Aline Lauture, Executive Director, our "generous donation of beautiful dresses and silk scarves is yet another way we can help our Haitian women dress up to feel good about themselves after such a terrible tragedy. On behalf of the Haitian people, once again we extend our thanks."

Bulgaria and Andorra are great places for timeshare owners to enjoy some good value skiing as they are said to be two of the cheapest destinations in Europe for the activity.

They are great places to go for those timeshare owners who are new to skiing, according to Anthony Chenery, travel expert at Teletext Holidays.

For those with a little more experience, the bigger resorts in Austria, France and Switzerland can cater for intermediate or advanced skiers, he said.

Timeshare owners can get great value in these destinations as well, particularly if they are willing to go over last minute, Mr Chenery added.

Indeed, there are some excellent deals to be had on skiing holidays in general, he stated.

His comments come after the Bulgarian National Statistics Institute revealed that 357,100 people visited the country from abroad in December 2009.

It also recently emerged that the fractional ownership model is being taken into Bulgaria by property consultants OOD (BPC).

The OFT and Trading Standards have launched a campaign to raise awareness of scams by encouraging people to drop scam mail they have received into ‘Scamnesty’ bins located at public places around the country between the 1-26th February 2010.

It is also possible to report bogus web sites, telephone calls, emails or even text messages through the Consumer Direct website. This has an online function for consumers to log/ forward scam emails and websites.

The OFT reports that nearly half of the UK adult population has been targeted by a scam, and more than three million adults - one in 15 people - fall victim to scams, losing a total of £3.5 billion every year. And according to RDO (Resort Development Organisation), which works closely with enforcers both in the UK and Spain, holiday clubs and bogus resale firms are increasingly targetting British timeshare owners, with the average loss per person at £3,000¹. Typically, people respond to advertisements to sell timeshare or are cold called but are then sucked into signing up for a holiday club membership they did not want in the first place. Frequently, the timeshare remains unsold.

The Scamnesty campaign, which comes with the support of RDO, is part of the OFT's ongoing work to build awareness of scams, increase consumer empowerment and equip people to spot a scam.

Members of public wishing to report holiday club or resale scams may also contact RDO on info@rdo.org. Go to its web site on www.rdo.org for further information and advice.

Vacation exchange provider RCI is set to tee off the 2010 American Resort Development Association (ARDA) Convention & Exposition on March 14 by hosting the ninth annual RCI/AIF Open at the award-winning Bear’s Best Las Vegas course.

Proceeds from the tournament will go to support the ARDA International Foundation and its research and development of education programmes to help enhance the public’s knowledge of timeshares. Bear’s Best has been named one of the “Best Places to Play” by Golf Digest and was customized by Jack Nicklaus, who selected the plans for the 18 holes from more than 270 course designers from around the world.

The tournament is open to sponsors of the ARDA Convention & Exposition, and registration for golfers from the general public is taken up to the day of the tournament, with priority being given to ARDA sponsors. Tee-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

The ARDA Convention & Exposition will be held from March 14-18 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas and will provide industry professionals the opportunity to network, increase visibility in the global marketplace and display the latest innovations within the vacation ownership and resort development industries.

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The devastation that occurred in Haiti earlier this year has been on everyone’s mind and has affected people all around the world. Many organizations are doing their part to help by providing much needed food and supplies. In efforts to help Haiti, many companies in the hospitality industry, including the timeshare industry are implementing programs that will allow their customers to help without directly asking for money.

Timeshare companies, such as Marriott, Starwood, and Wyndham are offering their members an opportunity to donate their timeshare points to provide relief to victims in Haiti. Not only are timeshare and hotel companies offering their members a way to help, but other companies, including American Airlines and Delta, are offering their customers an opportunity to donate their frequent flier miles towards cash credit to the Red Cross.

Whether you own a Marriott timeshare, a Sheraton timeshare, a Hilton Timeshare, or a Wyndham timeshare, you can donate your timeshare points to help provide relief in Haiti. Below is information pertaining to specific timeshare companies and how they are providing opportunities to help Haiti.

Marriott reward members can donate 10,000 points, which will equal to a $25 cash donation to the Red Cross. A 18,000 point donation will equal to $50 and 180,000 points will equal to a $1,000 donation. In addition to offering members the opportunity to donate reward points, Marriott is sending $500,000 to the Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund, as well as using their Marriott properties in San Juan, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic as staging areas for relief work, since there are no Marriott hotels or timeshare in Haiti.

Sheraton or Starwood is also offering Preferred Guest members the opportunity to donate Starpoints to the American Red Cross. With only 4,000 points you can make a $50 donation and with 8,000 points you can donate $100. A 12,000 point donation equals to $150 and 16,000 points equals to a $200 donation. Starwood is also matching point donations made through February 15, 2010.

Wyndham is offering members an opportunity to donate their points to over 100 national charities including the American Red Cross, AmeriCares, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Magan David Adom. A donation of 5,000 points equals to $25, 10,500 points makes a $50 donation, and 20,500 points equals to a $100 donation. In addition, Wyndham is using the Wyndham Montreal Airport hotel as a staging area for Haitian victims arriving into Canada.

Hilton is offing a $25 donation to the IFRC and the Red Crescent Societies for every 1,000 points donated from members. Hilton HHoners members must specify “Haiti Relief Efforts” when making their donations.

By everyone donating some of their points, we can make a difference to the Haitian victims. Please consider making a donation using your timeshare or frequent flier miles points today.

A new timeshare resort at National Harbor in Prince George's County has been opened, with over 75 per cent of units already sold out.

The Wyndham Vacation Resorts National Harbor features 250 rooms and the official opening ceremony will take place in early February.

Officials expect that the timeshare property will create around $48.6 million for the local economy as well as provide hundreds of new employment opportunities.

The resort will be the only newly-built property to be opened by Wyndham this year.

As part of the opening, Wyndham has also announced a new partnership with The Fishing School, a non-profit afterschool education and enrichment initiative.

The deal will see the timeshare and hotel organisation give $25,000 (£15,413) to the programme and Wyndham will also have a student and their family stay at the resort four times a year for a three-night holiday.

The company recently announced that the Apollo Hotel Amsterdam had become part of the Wyndham Hotels and Resorts brand.