The vacation ownership and exchange industries have fared well in recent years, particularly considering the tough economic headwinds faced in the US and Europe.

One of the benefits of the vacation ownership model is that owners are guaranteed a vacation each year, so many people were able to travel using their timeshare who may not have been able to take a vacation any other way.

As a result, according to RCI, an established entity in the vacation exchange industry, last year timeshare units had an average occupancy of more than 80%, compared to 60% for hotel rooms.

RCI has the largest available exchange network with more than 4,000 affiliated resorts around the world. The company has updated its exchange system to make exchanging flexible and transparent for members (more than 3.7m in total) in recent years.

“There are many positive signs of growth – capital is freeing up, meaning more expansion and sales, and consumer intent to buy is up from two years ago,” says Gordon Gurnik, president, RCI. “I also believe mobile and online technology will continue to be important for growth in the industry. For us, this next year will be about building on this positive momentum.”

According to Gurnik, growth is happening around the world as the industry continues to develop quickly in certain regions, particularly Brazil, China, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa.

EyeforTravel’s Ritesh Gupta talks to Gurnik about making the most of vacation ownership, and how the experience can be improved with mobile devices.

EFT: How has RCI managed to grow its community of timeshare owners worldwide in the last year or so?

GG: I believe the quality of our affiliated resorts attracts timeshare owners. When the option to exchange for other high-quality units is available through an exchange system like RCI, travellers are more likely to join the community of timeshare owners worldwide. And, most recently, our updates to our exchange system have made the process easier and more fun. 

EFT: Can you elaborate on how has RCI focused on enhancing the overall experience of members in order to make the most of vacation ownership?

GG: Over the last few years we have made significant changes to how exchanging works to create more flexibility and options for our members.  For instance, we made Trading Power, the value a member has to exchange in the system, transparent to our RCI Weeks members. Now, when a member deposits a week into the exchange system, they get a Trading Power value to help them understand what the week will exchange for in our system. From there, they can exchange for a week of equal value, exchange for a week with lesser trading power and receive a credit for a future exchange, or combine deposits to access exchanges they may not have been able to see previously.  This has opened up the possibilities members have when they exchange. In fact, we now have an exchange guarantee that ensures members have more than 35,000 choices each time they go to exchange.

We also have created options for searching our resort directory and exchanging on smartphones and tablets, added recommendations when searching to allow members to explore choices they may not have thought about previously, and have created RCI TV, a video network of our affiliated properties. This allows member to experience their possible resort choices in High Definition video.

RCI Platinum is a premium-tier membership level that offers members exclusive exchange privileges and lifestyle benefits, including opportunities for room upgrades, ‘first look’ access to vacation inventory, preferred rates at premier ski destinations and discounted green fees at many golf courses.

EFT: What role do smartphones and tablets play in enhancing the overall experience in this category?

GG: There is huge potential for smartphones and tablets to make the vacation planning process easier and more convenient. At RCI, we have already begun to move in this direction with exchange. We now offer mobile apps for members and affiliates, allowing them to access information previously available only on a computer. Members can even transact from their mobile devices, making the vacation planning process easier and more convenient for them. Through these apps, they can read Endless Vacation magazine, our travel magazine, and also watch RCI TV, our online database of videos with clips showcasing many of our affiliated resorts, which allow members to experience the options available to them before they travel.

EFT: What sort of distribution trends is RCI witnessing in this category? How are your members’ preferences evolving?

GG: Online bookings are growing quickly. Members now prefer to transact online or through their mobile devices, which RCI has made easier than ever with new technology. We are seeing that many members prefer these booking methods to over-the-phone bookings, though that is always an option for members as well.

EFT: What is key to strengthening loyalty of subscribing members in today’s business environment?

GG: I believe the value of an exchange programme speaks for itself, and with our system updates, members now understand the process even better.Specific to today, consumers expect high levels of customer service and a personal touch, which we offer over the phone and online, and they want the ability to transact wherever they are, whenever they want, which we have given them with our new apps.

We also have an extremely active social media team that is interacting with members constantly, and we have seen great engagement this way.

EFT: How has RCI Points points-based exchange system evolved in the last year or so?

GG: In addition to enhancements to our Points and Weeks exchange systems, we have also streamlined the vacation planning process for RCI Points members through updates including a streamlined search process, new search filters, and improvements to the RCI Points Partner programme, which allows members to exchange a portion of their Points for discounts on travel products and services such as hotel stays, airfare, rental cars etc.