Bring Your Vacation To Life
October 26, 2009 by Timeshare & Fractional News · Leave a Comment
VacationBetter.org Announces Winners for 2009 Photo and Story Contest
As part of an industry effort to promote the power of travel during National Travel and Tourism Week in May, the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) launched the “Bring Your Vacation to Life” photo and story contest. Contestants were asked to share a memory of a timeshare vacation that impacted their family, health, or enjoyment of life.
American Express gift cards were awarded to first- and second-place photos and one first-place story. The highest award went to Sally Lessig for the photo “Al Relaxing” and the story “Thru the Years”. Second-place photo prizes were awarded to Alexis MacDonald for “Lexie & Dan Love Myrtle Beach” and to Tracy Dunn for “For My Next Act”.
ARDA recognizes the need for vacations and the long-term benefits associated with taking regular vacations that contribute to better health, relationships, and job performance. In these tough economic times, the large number of entrants reflected the real value of timeshare ownership and how pre-paying for future vacations, guarantees that owners get away at least once a year.
According to ARDA, timeshare owners continue to travel to their timeshare destinations. The ARDA International Foundation (AIF) reported occupancy rates are at 81.6% in the State of the Vacation Timeshare Industry: United States Study, 2009 edition.
Owners are encouraged to share their stories, photos, and videos by visiting www.VacationBetter.org/Vacation-Scrapbook.
About VacationBetter.org
The American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) on-line resource informs consumers of the importance of vacations and the overall health and wellness benefits of enjoying one – regularly and economically – through timeshare. VacationBetter.org gives vacationing families and consumers a way to learn about traveling better with vacation ownership.
For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com
Email this postVacations Can Actually Make Kids Smarter Research Shows
September 23, 2009 by Timeshare & Fractional News · Leave a Comment
Study Shows Link to Academic Achievement in First Graders
As the nation’s children settle in for another school year, many parents and teachers wonder how the summer break affected their children’s academic achievement. Analysis of a U.S. Department of Education study found that children who travel over summer break — whether to a beach, historic site or a national park — did better in reading, math and general knowledge than their peers who didn’t vacation.
“The data is clear — and gives hard-working parents another reason not to put off a summer vacation trip,” said Dr. Bill Norman, Clemson University. “Providing kids with the experience of travel broadens their horizons and opens up their minds to learning.”
A series of analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between summer vacation travel and academic achievement in children entering first grade. Specifically, the study explored whether going on a vacation, the number of days spent on a vacation and places visited were linked to academic achievement in the areas of reading, mathematics and general knowledge. The results revealed a significant difference in academic achievement and taking a family summer vacation trip. Children that traveled with their family over summer vacation scored higher on academic achievement assessment tests than those who did not travel. The days spent on family summer vacation trips had a modest significant relationship with academic achievement. Lastly, children who visited plays or concerts, art or science museums, historical sites, beaches or lakes, national or state parks, and zoos or aquariums had significantly higher academic achievement scores than those who did not.
“To date there has never been a study that plainly shows the correlation between travel and academic achievement,” says Jessica Parker, researcher, Clemson University. “It was interesting to see the impact on a child when they spend vacation time away with their family.”
Over three-fourths (75.2%) of the participants responded that the child had taken a family summer travel vacation prior to starting first grade. For those children that took a family summer vacation trip, the average number of days spent traveling was 11.8 days.
“The timeshare industry has always touted the importance of regular vacations for health and wellness,” says Howard Nusbaum, president and CEO, American Resort Development Association (ARDA). “This study gives families yet another strong reminder that taking vacation has benefits beyond the actual week or two of vacation.” (Research Shows Vacations Make Kids Smarter Video)
This research study of how vacation impacts childhood learning used the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of the Kindergarten Class database from the United States Department of Education. The database contains information on 21,600 children followed from kindergarten through fifth grades. This year study examined children’s early school experiences as well as family and life experiences, such as summer activities. The parents of a subsample of 5,047 children were asked about summer travel. Academic achievement was measured with a series of standardized test in the three areas of math, reading and general knowledge.
Although the results indicate that summer vacation travel and academic achievement are linked, other factors such as income level, parent’s educational level and language spoke at home may influence these findings.
About VacationBetter.org
The American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) on-line resource informs consumers of the importance of vacations and the overall health and wellness benefits of enjoying one — regularly and economically — through timeshare. VacationBetter.org gives vacationing families and consumers a way to learn about traveling better with vacation ownership.
For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com
Dear Mr. President, Americans Need A FAMILY Stimulus Plan
June 23, 2009 by Timeshare & Fractional News · Leave a Comment
Nearly Half of Recent Survey Respondents Feel Time with Their Families Lacking
While Americans patiently wait for the country’s economic stimulus plan to take effect, it’s clear that a separate plan is needed to spur recovery in another area – the amount of time enjoyed with family. The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) recently surveyed visitors to its VacationBetter.org website to determine if they have enough quality time with their immediate and extended families. Nearly half of the respondents felt quality time spent with the family was lacking and a stimulus plan was the solution.
“Unfortunately vacation is one of the first things people give up when times get tough economically, and with that goes some of the best quality time you can get with your family,” said Howard Nusbaum, ARDA president and CEO. “Tough times are when people need connect to their families even more, and it can be done very economically.”
In hopes of counteracting the failing tradition of quality family time, ARDA has created the Family Stimulus Plan. As part of this package, ARDA is providing tips and suggestions on how to take time away to renew and rejuvenate with the family on its VacationBetter.org consumer information website. “The Family Stimulus Plan”, provides travelers with helpful hints on planning a successful family vacation with either your immediate family or an extended family reunion. It contains event-planning tips, including managing invitations, selecting a location, ice-breaker games, decorations and ways to stay in touch all year long.
Another way to stimulate your interest in a family vacation is to hear from the health and wellness experts. It’s a proven fact that people who spend time away reap health benefits far beyond that week or two of vacation. Vacations are not a luxury, but a necessity for good health and well-being.
Owning your vacation with timeshare has shown to be a sure-fire way of guaranteeing that you won’t find excuses not to vacation and in fact, will reap all of the benefits of having pre-paid your vacation – quality resorts, family-friendly accommodations and regular getaways. In fact, according to an ARDA study, timeshare properties are experiencing an 82 percent occupancy rate despite tough economic times.
As we all focus on the economic stimulus, ARDA encourages us to remember an even more important plan we can enact on our own — The Family Stimulus Plan. To download a customizable package, visit www.VacationBetter.org/Family-Stimulus-Plan.
About VacationBetter.org
The American Resort Development Association’s (ARDA) new on-line resource informs consumers on the importance of taking a vacation and the overall benefits of enjoying one – regularly – through shared vacation ownership. VacationBetter.org is a comprehensive, educational tool for consumers to learn about this travel option and to demonstrate a way for travelers to vacation better.
About ARDA
The American Resort Development Association is the Washington D.C.-based professional association representing the vacation ownership and resort development industries. Established in 1969, ARDA today has over 1,000 members ranging from privately held firms to publicly traded companies and international corporations with expertise in shared ownership interests in leisure real estate. The membership also includes timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, and owners through the ARDA Resort Owners Coalition (ARDA-ROC).
For information on advertising and editorial opportunities with Perspective Magazine & Owners Perspective Magazine; the leading independent B2B & B2C magazines for the timeshare and fractional ownership industries visit www.perspectiverates.com
