Classic Holidays Members Benefit From More Choice as Holiday Ownership Industry Grows

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED STATES - November 5th, 2013 - Classic Holidays, Australia’s largest privately owned Resort and Club Management company, has witnessed a remarkable increase in members choosing to holiday to new and exciting destinations in the last 12 months.

The multi award-winning company has booked Australian families on over 71,000 holidays to date in 2013, with members embracing the expanding choice of overseas destinations and cruises now available through their membership.

Classic Holidays’ Chief Operating Officer Carole Smith said while demand for traditional timeshare destinations around Australia remained exceptionally high, the increase was most notable across other sectors.

“Over the past year, we’ve witnessed a growth in demand from our members to travel to different and exciting locations – making the most of the choices available to them through their Classic Holidays membership.

“Following the strong Australian dollar, many of our Classic Escapes members have booked holidays overseas to new and exotic destinations, and we’ve seen double the number of members this year compared to last taking to the seas through our fantastic Cruise offerings.”

Ms Smith added domestic tourism was still trending strongly, with the Gold Coast remaining a stand-out holiday destination, delivering near-full occupancy year round across the many accommodation options available.

The results highlight the wider economic and membership benefits that flow on from timeshare ownership, in line with the recent Economic Impact Study into the Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Industry commissioned by the Australian Timeshare Holiday Ownership Council (ATHOC).

Compiled by AECgroup, the EIS revealed that occupancy rates among timeshare units were 90.4% compared to the general tourism industry’s occupancy rate of 70.9%, and visitor expenditure of timeshare and holiday owners had increased 11% from 2009 to 2012, as opposed to just 1% for the rest of the industry over the same period.

“At Classic Holidays we are proud to be leading the timeshare industry through its strongest period of growth,” said Ms Smith. “There has never been a better time to join what is now one of the most stable tourism sectors in the country, producing consistent results for both members and industry.”

According to the Economic Impact Study, timeshare owner satisfaction across Australia is high, with approximately three quarters of owners surveyed indicating they were either very satisfied or satisfied with their timeshare purchase.

“By putting customers first, our membership model has evolved into a simpler, more flexible product that delivers the kind of holidays the average Australian family wants to take.

“As a result, Classic’s member satisfaction rate goes above and beyond, with 95% occupancy at Classic Managed Resorts year round, and 90% of our guests saying their overall experience with Classic Holidays exceeded their expectations.”  

###