The timeshare industry is to take tips from ABTA about how to raise its profile and drive awareness amongst owners in the UK and Europe.
The Organisation for Timeshare in Europe (OTE) decided to follow ABTA’s lead after a survey revealed a lack of awareness among timeshare owners about the organisation and its role within the industry.
At its conference in Manchester, OTE communications council chairman Robin Mills told delegates that ABTA had gone through restructuring and had effectively communicated the changes to the industry.
“We can look at what ABTA has done. It has gone through some changes and a restructuring. People ask me why we have changed things but we have to change and develop alongside consumer trends and wishes.”
OTE’s recent survey of 15,000 timeshare owners showed 58% did not know whether their timeshare resort was a member of OTE and 70% did not know whether membership was important.
The UK represents the largest numbers of timeshare owners in Europe, around 500,000.
Sue McNicol, head of OTE UK, said: “We are younger than ABTA and have a long way to go to raise the profile and make sure people know who we are and what we do.”
OTE’s European Timeshare Business Forum, scheduled to take place from November 9-12 in Cannes, will be themed around ‘The Challenge of Change’.
By Bev Fearis
