Resort Timesharing:

Abstract

This article traces the growth of resort timesharing to its present position as a major element in the tourism field. It documents this growth in spite of an unfavorable public image produced by unethical and insulting sales practices common to some in the industry in its formative years. The author draws from several surveys of timesharing buyers and the public conducted by Ragatz Associates, a Eugene, Oregon, survey and research firm prominent in the resort development industry. He suggests that the trend in "vacation ownership," as timesharing is now being called, is away from fee simple ownership of a specific timeshare week to more flexible concepts providing more affordability and use options.