A different way to holiday

Research shows that holidays are not just important for health and well being, they also make kids smarter. The holiday moments we enjoyed as children remain embossed in our minds as precious memories -  noses painted with zinc, skin glistening with salt water and the elaborate sandcastles built.

We remember riding on Dad’s shoulders, ice cream dripping down arms, the excitement of catching that first fish and the sweet scent of the beach bakery with pies and bread warm from the oven.

Most vivid are those feelings of happiness, connectedness, discovery, laughter and love.

Holidays bring defining moments to our lives and allow children and parents time to relax, to dream, to break from routine, to play, discover and bond with friends and family.

A recent study from the U.S. Department of Education found that children who travel over summer break – whether to a beach, historic site or a national park – did better in reading, maths and general knowledge than their peers who didn’t holiday.

“The data is clear,” said Dr. Bill Norman, Clemson University in South Carolina, “providing kids with the experience of travel broadens their horizons and opens their mind to learning.”

Closer to home, Tourism Australia’s ‘No Leave No Life’ campaign promotes the importance of holidays to Australians.  ‘No Leave No Life’ research tracked annual leave accrual in Australia since 2005 and revealed that Australian employees have stockpiled a staggering 123 million days and $33.3 billion worth of unused annual leave. Over a third of these Australian ‘leave stock-pilers’ have dependent children at home.

Vacation Ownership (what used to be called time share) is a way to plan and pay for tomorrow’s holidays today.  Basically, buying a membership of a vacation club entitles the purchaser to a certain number of points each year, based on the buy-in price.

These points are used to book resorts on offer through that club, subject to availability. Unlike traditional time shares, which meant returning to the same resort every year, in vacation clubs points can be used at any resort and they can also be saved. 

To get the best benefit from vacation clubs, planning ahead is ideal. Many Australians are turning to this particular type of timeshare, as offered by Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, as a means of holidaying affordably, regularly and in quality accommodation.

“The timeshare industry has always promoted the importance of regular holidays,” says Barry Robinson, CEO, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific. “These studies give hard working parents a reminder not to put off holidays any longer - to take time out not only for our own health but for the wellbeing and development of our children.”

“Many families see their only affordable holiday option as camping, which is fun, but doesn’t really give parents a break,” says Barry Robinson. “Our Club Owners enjoy spacious, self-contained apartments and a wide choice of destinations and ways to holiday here and abroad.

“One of the major advantages of Vacation Ownership is the ability to stay in spacious, self contained apartments and also to choose a different location each time they stay.”

”Life before the Club was one-star camping trips or staying with friends and family on their living room floors!” says Cheryl Devenish of Brisbane, who has been an owner for 10 years. Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific holds regular presentations throughout Australia to showcase the resorts, destinations and holiday options available through WorldMark South Pacific Club. 

A 90-minute group presentation outlines how the share club operates; existing WorldMark owners also speak and this is then followed by a one-on-one consultation to explore options that best suit a family’s holiday needs.

By the end of the session, prospective owners should have all of the information necessary to determine whether this type of holiday concept will suit. This kind of direct marketing seminar is not for everyone – and has been tainted in the past by ”hard sell’ techniques, but there is no obligation whatsoever to sign on any dotted line.

Vacation clubs and timeshare schemes are heavily regulated under ASIC in Australia. As a sponsor of the Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council, Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific abides by its code of practice and ethics. Time share clubs also stand by the word of their club owners as testimonial for their product – and there are more than 43,000 WorldMark Owners and their families in the Asia Pacific region.

“Becoming Owners gave us the chance to explore locally, interstate and overseas in comfort. We’ve enjoyed arriving, putting on the kettle and the kids in the pool before even unpacking. We have loved exploring new places, visiting family and friends and always going back to a wonderful, comfortable apartment … turns out it (Vacation Ownership) has been the most rewarding thing in our lives,” says Cheryl Devenish.

“We have had lots of fantastic memories from all of our holidays, we have stayed in Cairns, Port Macquarie, Hunter Valley, Tasmania, Ballarat and Nelson Bay,” says Yvonne Bodey, a WorldMark South Pacific Club Owner since 2000, “we have found all the venues fantastic.”

As a special invitation to Australian Family readers  - spend some time with one a Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific Consultant to find out how Vacation Ownership can enrich your life,  freecall: 1800 807 097 (quote A017FM ) or visit: www.wyndhamvrap.com/holiday.

The Contract

The contracts of ATHOC Members shall always be clear and comply with Australian Regulations. The printed agreement or contract will include all your rights and obligations. ATHOC Members must ensure that buyers receive in writing all information which a purchaser would reasonably require to make up their mind.

A full description

You will receive a full description (Product Disclosure Statement) of the product, resort and any services provided, which forms part of the contract you are signing. The contract should show your legal rights and obligations, including details of the Management Company and annual fees for the maintenance and management of the holiday product. In addition to the main contract you sign, you must also be given additional documentation for any services related to your purchase, such as for example exchange services.

Reflection period

Australia law requires that a purchaser has the protection of a minimum 7 days cooling off period.

About Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific

Wyndham Vacation Ownership, a member of Wyndham Worldwide’s (NYSE: WYN) family of companies, is the world’s largest vacation ownership business, as measured by the number of vacation ownership resorts, individual vacation ownership units and owners of vacation ownership interests.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its three primary consumer brands, Wyndham Vacation Resorts, WorldMark by Wyndham, and Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific.

As of January 1, 2009, Wyndham Vacation Ownership had developed or acquired approximately 150 vacation ownership resorts throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and the South Pacific that represent approximately 20,000 individual vacation ownership units and more than 830,000 owners of vacation ownership interests.

Wyndham Vacation Ownership is headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and is supported by approximately 13,800 employees globally.   Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific offers a network of 20 resorts at locations including: Denarau Island, Fiji; Cairns, Marcoola Beach, Caloundra and Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia; Coffs Harbour, Hunter Valley, Port Macquarie, Port Stephens and Sydney in New South Wales, Australia; Ballarat and Lakes Entrance in Victoria, Australia; Dunsborough and Perth in Western Australia; Seven Mile Beach in Tasmania, Australia; and Rotorua and Wanaka in New Zealand.