The promotion of the timeshare industry under the slogan: “Future vacations at today’s price”, represents an advantage for the tourism and safeguards the destination during lower seasons.
A driven and creative hard-working woman who is committed to the destination. This is how we describe María de Lourdes Ayala Ochoa, president of the Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay Timeshare Developers and Promoters Association. In our interview with her, she shared some interesting anecdotes surrounding the history of vacation ownership in the region and the way it has impacted the economic development in the Bay. Currently, besides being Chair of the Board at ADEPROTUR, she is also the project manager at the Garza Blanca Preserve Residence Club.
- Well, remembering the story for me is fascinating. The first development was Costa Vida. Later, we’re talking around 1986, the only two major companies involved in the sector were Vacation International and Villa del Palmar because the timeshare boom was happening over in Hawaii. However, when Night of the Iguana triggered the boom in Puerto Vallarta as paradise on the Pacific, the entrepreneurs of the time, such as the Vallarta Torre development, understood the language of timeshare that was being used in the United State and began to market the innovative industry in the city of Vallarta.
What did this mean? Well it was a wonderful challenge for all of us in sales or promotion, we understood that we were lucky to be around during the time that this incredibly product fell into our laps: future vacations, at today's price.
This was an opportunity to invest in a fixed unit, or week, throughout the year in our destination. Over time, we learned to market the product and through this we realized that we were actually forming a part of the wellness sector: we were selling vacation time!
Back then, there were these Jeep rides that were being offered mainly to foreign couples, because we weren’t selling to Mexicans yet. And there were those little places in the walls that looked like niches – these holes in the wall where the OPC, trying to shelter themselves from the sun, would provide information to the tourist. We used the word "Güasa" to define the place where we would be ... (laughs)
It is worth mentioning that OPC means: “Outside Public Contact”. The mission was to invite a couple to a breakfast to explain everything about this new product. Then you offered them a boat trip on the Bora Bora, or the Sarape, which were the local boats back then; there were definitely not the array of tours that exist today. The sales team would then be in charge of showing them all the advantages there were to investing in their vacation time by becoming a member of the wellness club. So of course the happiest were the wives and the children, who thought, that at least once a year, they would have incentive to go on vacation as a family!
That's why I emphasize that timeshare is a part of the wellness industry, because it encourages family unit and downtime in a culture where we don’t often have time for fun or leisure. Going on vacation is taking a breather from life. It’s a refuge; we sell the breather.
- Look…in reality, we were really lucky. Puerto Vallarta was the first city that started with timeshare, and foreigners already had an idea of what it was, because it arose in the United States. Which was fortunate because our main starting market were Americans and Canadians. However, for us, it was a new product. This demanded our utmost preparation, and as a result, ADEPROTUR was founded in 1986.
Our organization, was created in order to begin regulating the sales model of this brand new product. So really what happened was that it was the tourists themselves who contributed to the evolution of the industry because they began to make the important decisions, and began to try to get the most out of the offer. This began the trend that opened the door for vacation clubs that had the greatest flexibility, float time, seasonal flexibility, etc. And from there came the timeshare exchange companies, like RCI for example.
Besides, the timeshare industry has an important differentiator that over time has been noticed and more in Mexico. The service, facilities and the possibility of planning the investment in vacation time as a member has all already been taken care of. People get to vacation because they already have their stay financed. Therefore, the money with which the family travels, is used to eat in restaurants, go shopping etc. Because they no longer have to pay for lodging, it provides a fantastic contribution to the providers of other tourism services.
- No, of course not, it is a complementary product. Why do you think that practically the majority of hotels in the region also work under this modality? Because it is a different service. The member comes to vacation in a planned manner. Therefore, it does not compete with the other type of tourist that travels seasonally. Timeshare owners strengthens businesses in the off-season. It has other benefits too. The timeshare partner becomes a natural promoter of the destination, because they go and make comments to friends, refer them, and then seeks to increase or improve their package, because the family grows and their membership improves.
- After 32 years, the stigma around timeshare has been changing, which has to do with the professionalization of the industry: the improvement of the service, offer clarity, honest processes, and respecting what is sold and what is offered. We have evolved as companies and the Association has contributed a lot to this. On the other hand, now with the technology that we have, the client has the opportunity to find all the information they need right in the moment. They can see the photos of the destination, the facilities, everything; they simply book their trip before making the purchase. We are not selling mirrors to anyone. We promote timeshare, by the motto: "Future vacation at today's price", and represent an advantage that does not compete with hotels, but forms a part of a complementary product that safeguards against the low seasons.
- Vacations are the best gift you can give to yourself and your family. We sell vacation packages divided into weeks, which you can enjoy anywhere in the world and with the best infrastructure and service. The client wants you to treat him as a partner of the vacation property, and of course he enjoys the privileges, benefits, personalized treatment, services and amenities. When you're on vacation you want to perpetuate that moment, that's when you really give the value to the escape. The vacation ownership industry represents a welfare service for all. Happy partners are your best allies to promote the destination.
"Vacations contribute to generating more resilience to face the challenges of life. That's the timeshare industry. " Lourdes Ayala finalized.