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companies. The negative publicity

hurts the industry’s reputation

nonetheless.

I have also learned that it is not

uncommon for an elected official’s first

exposure to timeshare to be associ-

ated with a constituent complaint,

which are largely unsubstantiated.

Is there a regional

component to that?

Does their understanding

of timeshare depend on

where they’re from?

Location is an important factor.

Timeshare development and owner-

ship thrives in popular leisure destina-

tion markets in states such as Florida,

Hawaii, South Carolina, and Nevada.

Consequently, ARDA and

ARDA- ROC

spend more time and energy on

more in-depth industry education in

these states. The good news is, it is

easier to educate an official about the

mechanics when he or she under-

stands the positive impact the

hospitality industry has on the

economy of that political district. This

is an advantage.

That said, while elected officials may be genuinely receptive to

industry education, timeshare is a multifaceted product based on real

estate, hospitality, and finance, and is governed by various laws and

regulations that have an impact on developers, owners, HOAs, prop-

erty managers, and exchange companies in different ways. Moreover,

each state has a different set of laws and rules. With this in mind, we do

our best to stay out of the weeds and focus the education on factors

such as economic impact, jobs, taxes, etc., and the impact a particular

piece of legislation — positive or negative — will have on the industry.

We focus on the principles of Timeshare 101, not Timeshare 501.

Timesharing has been around for 50 years.

Why is it taking so long for it to become

understood among these legislators?

That’s a great question. From a business perspective, timesharing is a

relatively young industry. It is also an industry that has evolved tremen-

dously during the last 40-plus years — and since the 1980s in particu-

lar. Given its limited market penetration, the vast majority of travelers

have yet to experience the many benefits of timesharing. In addition to

a lack of national timeshare brand marketing campaigns, the industry is

still shedding its colorful history, and it is not a sought-after product.

While shared ownership has become more mainstream, people don’t

wake up in the morning and say, “I want to buy a timeshare today.”

People do, however, wake up and say “I need a vacation.” Therein

lies the challenge and the opportunity.

There are other reasons why leg-

islators do not better understand the

mechanics of the industry. Consider

the impact of attrition and term limits.

Imagine the institutional memory lost

when these officials leave office. The

turnover has created a content vac-

uum for all industries and interest

groups that participate in the political

process. As a result, the educational

process never ends.

How do you build a

relationship with

a new elected official?

It depends on how present timeshar-

ing is in the district and its particulars

in that location — such as number

and average age of resorts. It also

depends on whether the legislator is

supportive of business. But gener-

ally speaking, if we are starting

from scratch in a particular jurisdic-

tion, we pursue the following steps:

First and foremost, we engage

owners, developers, property man-

agers, board members, and other

key stakeholders to determine their

legislative and regulatory priorities.

Then, working with our local lobbying and legal team, we begin

building individual relationships with the governor, members of his or

her administration, the attorney general, real estate regulators, and key

elected officials — who preferably have timeshare or other tourism

interests in their district. We work with key chairs and members of per-

tinent committees to educate them about ARDA and ARDA-ROC,

introduce our local lobbying team, and demonstrate the economic

importance of the industry to the state.

We also forge strong partnerships with related hospitality industry

associations in hotel and lodging, attractions, restaurants, retail, car

rental, airlines, and cruise ships. Industry partners need to know who

we are and how our issues affect the hospitality economy as a whole.

It’s in all of our best interests to work together.

ARDA and ARDA-ROC representatives also attend a variety of leg-

islative and regulatory conferences and events involving political par-

ties, legislative leadership, governors, attorneys general, and regulatory

agencies. We attend and support these events, as they provide a

unique opportunity to develop one-on-one relationships with elected

officials.

It’s about being strategic. It’s about knowing the issues and how

the political environment may shape these issues. And it’s ongoing.

Regardless of political affiliation, elected office, or location, we strive to

get to know legislators personally, which takes time, travel, and effort.