According to a recent worldwide omnibus survey, on average South African shared vacation owners spend 6.5 more days on vacation than their non-owner counterparts. This was revealed by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) International Foundation (AIF), who conducted their 2016 survey in 18 countries that spanned across 6 different continents.
The study, which was conducted among 1 000 consumers in each country, found that in South Africa shared vacation owners benefitted from on average 20.6 days on holiday a year, while non-owners only experienced a shorter 14.1 days. Furthermore, the study found that owners of shared vacation products were more likely to invest in rejuvenating themselves and spending quality family time on vacation than their non-owner counterparts.
“We are encouraged by the results of the AIF omnibus survey as it affirms the fact that this is a R3.5 billion per annum industry that not only forms an integral support structure for the tourism and leisure sectors, but that the unique product offering of retaining a quality future vacation lifestyle at today’s prices makes financial sense to a growing 500 000-member database,” explains Alex Bosch, Spokesperson for the Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA).
Looking back at the 2016 festive season, the Beekman Group reported a busy booking period and recorded sending approximately 15 000 people on holiday for the period 9 December to 13 January, which further supports the findings of the survey. Established in 1971, the Beekman Group is considered one of South Africa’s leading players in the leisure sector.
“When considering that the most respected international players such as Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott as well as local companies that include Tsogo Sun and Sun International lead the industry, it is evident that the growing trend towards the benefits of shared vacation ownership will continue to carve a path for consumers to enjoy quality vacations more often,” added Bosch.