Big names boost timeshare

Big hotel chains are likely to lead the growth in the timeshare market as the industry shakes off its poor image, leisure consultant Peter Yesawich said at the Berlin conference last week.

He said: "The mainstream effort will clearly be driven by the recognised brands. People want to buy brands because they have a certain amount of comfort associated with them."

This reassurance was particularly important in timeshare, which had suffered from sharp practices in the past.

Less than 5% of the timeshare market in the USA is run by branded operators, a situation that Yesawich likened to the hotel industry in 1967-68. But already major players such as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt had built up lucrative timeshare businesses, he pointed out.