Nesenās karalienes Elizabetes otrās bēres visā pasaulē vēroja aptuveni 4 miljardi cilvēku, ar tādu aicinājumu bija lolotais Lielbritānijas monarhs. Globālais pārklājums radīja negaidītu, bet apsveicamu stimulu nomocītajai Lielbritānijas ekonomikai. Paredzams, ka tūrisms uz Britu salām uzplauks gadiem ilgi, pēc tam, kad pasaules uzmanība tiks pievērsta mūsu sērojošās tautas iespaidīgajām ceremonijām.
Patricia Yates, chief executive for the UK’s national tourism body Visit Britain expects people to “come and see our world-renowned attractions, our culture, heritage and history for themselves and, as we look ahead to the coronation of King Charles III, to be part of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you can only have in Britain.”
More than history
Britain has over 2000 years of history visible everywhere in our islands, But people are discovering that there is much more on offer than palaces, castles, spectacle and tradition. The expected tourism boost is not only visitors from other countries. Native Brits are falling back in love with holidays at home.
“You are so used to wanting to go abroad that you forget what we actually have right here on our doorstep,” says Jim, a 55-year-old property specialist from Yorkshire. “We have the Highlands, the Dales and the Lake District. Our beaches and countryside are glorious. Our cities are vibrant and fun.”
“Just as importantly my pound goes a lot further right here in the UK. I really don’t see myself paying out to fly abroad again anytime soon.”
Sea change, but only for some
Many other Brits are expected to follow suit. Holidays abroad are having less and less appeal. Inflation, real-terms-income-loss, and the pound’s loss of value have coincided with this rekindled love affair with our native shores.
Modern holidays have evolved to the point where people can go where they want, when they want. They can specify a budget and choose the length of stay. They can design exactly the holiday they want via apps and booking sites. In short, they have perfect flexibility… unless they own a timeshare.
Resort members are legally committed to a system designed in the 1960s, with minimal improvements since. There have been much hyped changes, such as exchange mechanisms, “floating weeks” or the Points System. But all of these are widely acknowledged to be ineffective, while costs have risen at an alarming rate.
Timeshare exchange systems do exist but with owners often struggling to find the availability they want and having to register their exchange so far in advance, many have given up. They have learned to accept that on the whole they have to holiday in their home resort, usually for a fixed amount of weeks, and they are forced to pay every year, whether they use it or not.
Of course there are a number of timeshare resorts based in the UK, and owners at these resorts may in fact benefit from the increased demand for UK based holiday accommodation but this only represents the minority of UK timeshare owners with the majority owning in Spain.
Help at hand
The good news is that although timeshare contracts are designed to prevent members leaving the club, it is possible with expert help. “Holidaymakers need flexibility more than ever before,” explains Andrew Cooper, CEO of European Consumer Claims. “They won’t accept the cookie cutter packages that satisfied previous generations. “They want to be able to go (for example) to Niagara Falls, next week, for eleven days, seven of those in a hotel and three in a motor home.
“They want their holiday to provide the experience they are looking for, to match their budget and to fit their time preferences.
“Timeshare owners are seeing that other holidaymakers have this freedom, and they want it too.”
