About the Timeshare Industry
A $10 billion dollar industry servicing hundred of thousands of owners worldwide, the timeshare industry has a relatively short, but very productive history. Timeshares first begin in the early 1960's at a ski resort in the French Alps. At this time there were two timeshare companies who began purchasing other resorts properties around Europe giving their owners a choice of multiple vacation destinations. By the late 1960's, timesharing appeared in the United States in Hawaii, and by the early 1970's, timeshare quickly gained popularity in Florida when existing condo developments turned to the timeshare resort model.
Hyatt was the first major brand to offer deeded ownership. As the timeshare industry continued to expand in Florida, Resort Condominiums International (RCI) was founded in 1974, giving timeshare owners the flexibility to exchange weeks between different resorts across the U.S.
In the late 1970's and throughout the 80's, the timeshare industry continued to grow at leaps and bounds. Timeshare was seen as an affordable way to enjoy a lifetime of great vacations...at incredible destinations across the country and world. In the early 1990's, timesharing was a common word in vacation travel with major brands such as Marriott, Sheraton, Ramada and Hilton and even Disney all offering some form of timeshare ownership. Today, the timeshare industry is a multi-billion dollar industry spread all across the world. Seeing unprecedented growth year over year for the last ten years, timesharing is poised to grow even more in the years to come.
