What are Timeshare Promotions?

Timeshare promotions are marketing strategies aimed at allowing interested parties to spend time at a timeshare resort, in hopes that the experience will motivate guests to buy into the resort. While guests are provided with time to enjoy the amenities of the resort, they also spend a portion of the vacation learning more about the resort and what opportunities are available for buying a timeshare. The idea is to generate enough interest on the part of the guest that he or she chooses to purchase a timeshare before the end of the vacation.

One common approach to timeshare promotions is to offer what is known as a timeshare vacation. This is essentially a timeshare rental that is offered at greatly reduced rates, although some marketers will arrange for a short vacation of a few days at no charge for qualified guests. During that time, the guests are often encouraged to participate in sessions where they can learn more about timeshares in general, and how to go about buying a timeshare in particular. The sales strategies eventually focus in on timeshares for sale within the resort, stressing the fact that those prices are only available for a short period of time.

As part of the timeshare promotions process, it is not unusual for the promoters to provide some type of incentive for current timeshare owners to refer friends and relatives as possible buyers. Assuming that the referral meets the qualifications for potential ownership, such as gross annual income, there is a good chance that an invitation to vacation at the resort will be issued. The amount of the discount applied to the standard or published timeshare rental rates will vary, depending on the policies and procedures of the resort. During off peak seasons, the possibility of receiving an invitation to spend time at the resort at no cost is usually much greater.

Many timeshare promotions are perfectly transparent to guests. They understand up front what is required in terms of entertaining sales promotions during their visit, and may even have some idea up front of what it would cost to buy into the timeshare. The best of these timeshare promotions will often allow interested parties a period of ten days to a month after the vacation is over to buy into the timeshare resort at the prices extended during the tours. Other timeshare promotions tend to use more aggressive strategies, and may attempt to coerce the visitor into making a commitment before the vacation is over, often by offering purchase prices that are only good for the current day or for the next twenty-four hours.

Timeshare promotions are excellent for allowing potential buyers to investigate a given timeshare resort, both in terms of inspecting the accommodations offered and talking with people who already own accommodations at the resort. Best of all, the right timeshare can become a source of income, as owners may rent or lease their timeshare for a portion of the calendar year. Typically, the operators of the timeshare resort offer support in the timeshare rental process, including the collection of rental fees, using a schedule of charges that allows both the resort and the owners to receive some return from the rental.