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Aruba contributed its views on the role of timeshare during the annual convention of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), held earlier this month in Las Vegas.
The Aruba delegation consisted of timeshare executives from Playa Linda, La Cabana, Paradise Villas and Divi resorts, who attended different seminars and workshops, in addition to attendance at the trade show. Jan van Nes, chairman of the Aruba Time Share Association (ATSA), and Jim Rosen, vice-chairman of the St. Maarten Timeshare Association (SMTA), were also featured speakers on “Timeshare Development in the Caribbean Region”, along with fellow speakers from the US Virgin Islands, Jamaica and the Bahamas. ARDA features a Caribbean chapter as a result of the growth of timeshare within the Caribbean region.
Among Caribbean islands, Aruba and St. Maarten stand out with a substantial amount of timeshare units. On St. Maarten timeshare tourists account for up to 70% of total stay-over guests, where the number in Aruba is close to 45%; a significant number which has made timeshare on the two islands a very important component of the tourism industry. Together, Aruba and St. Maarten make up about 50% of the amount of timeshare units in the Caribbean. Both Jan and Jim made a strong point for hotel associations and tourism authorities not to spend every dime on marketing, but also dedicate and lobby for island governments and businesses to spend on their Product. Both speakers also made a call for timeshare developers to include Aruba and St. Maarten in their development plans, as timeshare has proven a successful concept. Jan van Nes emphasized the benefits timeshare has provided Aruba. He also voiced the need for the Caribbean to work on security, product as well as the perception of being overpriced. He explained that timeshare associations can contribute to the overall tourism industry, such as in Aruba, where ATSA was instrumental in self-assessing the industry an additional 2 percent tax, with funds dedicated solely to upgrading the island Product. Jan mentioned several projects which have already materialized, and others that are in the pipeline. ARDA is the Washington D.C.-based trade association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries (timeshares). ARDA has almost 1,000 corporate members ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded corporations with extensive experience in shared ownership interests in leisure real estate. The membership also includes timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, industry vendors, suppliers, and consultants; as well as owners through the ARDA Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC). ARDA promotes the growth and development of the timeshare industry through a variety of capacities. In addition to the 1600 resorts located in the United States, many ARDA members have resorts around the world, including the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia. With the addition of sophisticated exchange systems, we offer timeshare owners almost unlimited international destination choices.
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