5 sublime holiday destinations that are unavailable to timeshare owners

The world of holiday choices is much smaller to a timeshare owner. We examine why, and look at some of the exciting destinations not available through holiday ownership systems.

Systemic limitations

Timeshare owners can all recall that day, years ago when they first signed up. A shiny brochure or website was reverentially presented by an equally shiny sales person boasting up to 4000 available resorts in up to 100 countries (depending on the exchange system used.)

"You're not likely to have another 4000 holidays are you?" joked the sales rep, implying that this amount of resorts is more than enough choice. In fact, by that reasoning, all but a tiny percentage of those resorts are redundant. How many holidays will you really take in the rest of your life after all?

The logic is flawed of course, and deliberately so. 4000 resorts is an impressive number, as is 100 countries but regular holidaymakers can access those same resorts, and everywhere else too. They can go to those 100 countries, or opt for any of the remaining 95.

They can go where they want, and when they want. Websites like booking.com make it "click-and-book" simple.

Even the resorts advertised to the timeshare member are seldom available when wanted. Complex, inefficient exchange systems requiring long notice periods, and inventory being rented out to non owners mean that owners rarely get their first choice of destination.

Here are some diverse destinations that timeshare owners can only dream about. Unless they bite the bullet and pay extra money for holidays outside of their membership of course...

Maldives:

The Maldives. It is difficult even to say the name out loud without feeling almost physically uplifted up by images of aquamarine seas, white coral sands and gentle palms. The quintessential luxury beach resort consists of a chain of 26 glorious atolls basking in the warm embrace of the Indian ocean. Think: snorkelling and diving around colourful reefs, and after sunset watching waves set ablaze with magical, phosphorescent blue plankton.

They might be 750km south of Sri Lanka, but the Maldives are a universe away from a rainy European town centre on a work day...


Iceland:

"Land of fire and ice" might be a cliche, but try writing about Iceland without using it. Oh and let's not forget otherworldly landscapes; snowmobile tours; volcanic hot springs you can luxuriate in (in air temperatures of -20°) on the edge of ancient glaciers while the Northern Lights twist and shimmer overhead; quaint yet modern towns and villages and friendly, beautiful people.

This tiny, proud Scandinavian country is steeped in Viking history and their language has changed so little since Leif Erikson's time that they can still read original sagas written over a thousand years ago without translation.


Madagascar:

Madagascar has it all. The biggest island in the Indian ocean has nightlife, whale watching, pristine beaches and rainforests. But the big thing, the HUGE thing about Madagascar is that it is a glimpse at how our own world could easily have turned out. The island split from Africa 155 million years ago. It is big enough and isolated enough that its biology developed independently from the rest of the world. All of the same evolutionary niches were filled, but in fundamentally different ways (think lemurs vs monkeys).

With more biodiversity than anywhere else on earth, Madagascar is an alien world. But with prices less than those in regular European destinations, it is accessible to everyone.


Romania:

Romania personifies everything sophisticated and exciting about Europe. Thousands of years of history, breathtaking verdant and muscular nature, charming medieval cities with castles and towering architecture.

Dracula's actual Transylvanian castle nestles in the Carpathian mountains. The big city nightlife and restaurants are vibrant and welcoming, and compare very favourably to prices in Spain. An inexpensive restaurant meal will set you back €7 a head (the same costs €12 in Spain) and a draught beer is €1.62 compared to €2.50 in Spanish bars. Romania even competes for coastal tourism, with picturesque Black Sea beaches reaching 35° in the Summer.

Tibet:

Tibet is not your beach holiday. There are no coastlines in the world's highest country. There are however sacred mountains, holy lakes, endless grasslands, historic temples, and an intense devotion to Buddhism. The latter manifests in shrines, hypnotic chanting and brightly coloured, high energy festivals and rituals. This is a destination for the rambler, the outdoors lover, the spiritually minded and the seeker of experience. From the Potala Palace to Everest Basecamp the country is all beauty, mysticism and legend.

Accommodation is priced lower than European resorts, as is food and drink. Once you are there, the holiday gives an unmatched ratio of adventure to cost.

Want to expand your horizons?

Timeshare was a smart, luxurious and intelligent choice at the time when most people bought it. However the rest of the travel industry has evolved at a far faster rate, leaving timeshare behind in the dust. Appealing new destinations are opening up, and innovative ways to holiday that timeshare systems just can't keep up with.

Recent, devastating cost of living increases also mean that holidaymakers need more flexibility, either in destination choice, length of stay and even departure dates for the best priced flights. Flexibility that timeshare memberships just don't offer.

"The idea of timeshare has had its day," agrees Andrew Cooper, CEO of European Consumer Claims. "Over the years travel trends have changed drastically. Much more of the world is now more accessible, and travel to exotic and niche destinations has become fashionable and popular with a broader spectrum of the population.

"People no longer want the commitment or limitations of resort membership."

To explore your options regarding relinquishing an unwanted timeshare membership, or claiming compensation over an unfair contract, get in touch with the team at ECC for a free, no obligation consultation.