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e have officially entered what can best be
described as the dawn of vacation ownership’s
action-packed amenities phase. Since timesharing
first began, developers and property managers have been on a
continuous quest to be right on the cusp of whatever the next big
resort trend might be. On-site restaurants. Organized activities.
Dedicated children’s play areas. Wireless Internet access.
It’s a tough gig, because today’s travelers are more savvy and
more worldly than ever. And, quite frankly, they demand more. Simply
put, a swing set — even one with a second-story fort and firefighter’s
pole — and the special Wednesday-afternoon bouncy house by the
pool aren’t enough to excite kids and parents whose life to-do lists
might include a bungee jump, mountain climb, or ride on the world’s
steepest roller-coaster.
Those exhilarating activities, of course, are beyond the scope of
most resorts, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to provide an
outlet for the adrenaline that fuels them — and to do it right on-site.
Which is where omes in.
“We’re the world’s largest manufacturer of high-action attrac-
tions,” says Bob Craycraft, Extreme Engineering’s executive vice
president of resorts. “That includes zip lines, rock-climbing walls, and
in-line bungee jumpers.” And when Craycraft says high-action, he
means it. Participants on the in-line bungee jumpers, for instance,
can get as high as 35 feet in the air and flip around completely inverted
if they desire.
“It allows you to have the sense of free flight,” Craycraft adds. But
it does so in a very safe and controlled environment. In fact, a big part of
the appeal is that it provides some of the same thrills as bungee
jumping, mountain climbing, and so on without the inherent risks. These
truly are family-friendly activities, suitable for virtually any age group.
Going to the Extreme
Extreme Engineering got started in 1995, but the company’s timeshare-
related work has been a more recent phenomenon. “As the industry
continues to evolve, certain properties can look a bit under-amenitized,
and others — ones that may even already have a good range of ameni-
ties — see us as a way to appeal to an even broader spectrum of
consumers,” says Craycraft. “The main thing developers are looking at
is how the resort can have more appeal to owners and guests.”
“So they’re very aggressively trying to up their game with more
food and beverage, more activities, more outdoor recreation, more
retail — and we fit right in to that movement.”
Simply fitting in, however, may be a bit of an understatement. The
Extreme Engineering team has identified four major benefits these
adventure units provide vacation ownership properties. The first is
straightforward: “Guest and owner satisfaction scores are improved,”
says Craycraft.
Secondly, he says, these activity features are pay-to-play pursuits,
so they also create a fresh revenue stream that, for the most part, does
not cannibalize other alternative income flow at the resort. “Number
three,” Craycraft continues, “they generate new tours, and instead of
giving tickets to nearby attractions to your prospective buyers, you’re
giving them tickets to your own attractions. That keeps money on
the property, and makes consumers say, ‘Wouldn’t this be a great
place to own? We could do this all the time and just walk right to it.’”
Finally, the on-site climbing walls, bungee jumpers, and zip lines
These activity features are pay-to-play
pursuits, so they also create a fresh
revenue stream that, for the most part,
does not cannibalize other alternative
income flow at the resort.