July 2026

Customer Awareness Feature

Insights from AIRDA’s FAQ series - Part 01

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Vacation Ownership
This feature highlights questions often raised when customers explore vacation ownership options. These have been chosen from social media posts, emails to AIRDA and its member resorts, and customer interaction sessions during resort presentations. We cover contract duration, mixed-use models, maintenance fees, transferability, and the points systems offered by resort managers.

By addressing them directly, AIRDA reinforces its role as an independent advisory body - guiding resorts and customers with clarity, ethics, and transparency. Our focus remains on sustainability, fair value, and balanced benefits for both resort operators and end customers. This is part of an ongoing series, where future articles will continue to explore similar themes and provide insights for the vacation ownership community.

Why is “long-term” in timeshare commonly understood as 25 years? Traditionally, timeshare contracts were designed for 25 to 30 years to ensure financial sustainability and fair ROI for resort developers, while offering customers an inflation-proof holiday product. However, some of our members also offer shorter membership options - typically five and ten years. This provides flexibility for customers who prefer short-term commitments while still enjoying the benefits of vacation ownership.

How do member resorts handle booking loads during peak seasons? Peak seasons often bring high demand, and AIRDA member resorts manage this through allocation systems that balance fairness with flexibility. Confirmations are provided to members within established reservation windows, while cancellations return inventory to the available pool for re‑booking. Resorts also communicate clearly on advance-booking policies, helping customers plan better and reducing overlap during high‑traffic periods.

Are resorts moving toward a mixed‑use model for room inventory?
Resorts are increasingly adopting mixed-use models that balance committed timeshare ownership with flexible room inventory for short-term guests. This approach improves occupancy, diversifies revenue, and makes operations more sustainable, while still preserving the exclusivity and benefits enjoyed by long-term members. Over time, such models are expected to align more closely with global tourism networks and embed sustainability as a core principle.

Can resorts be more flexible with the maintenance fees they charge?
The actual configuration of maintenance fees depends on facilities and the quality of service at the resort. It is useful to remember that there are multiple cost and expenditure heads that resorts need to budget for on a monthly and annual basis. This includes general upkeep, maintenance, and administrative costs shared across members. At the end of the day, funds also need to be set aside to build reserves and meet cyclical investments in upgrading the resort.

Is it possible to transfer an individual membership to someone else?
Individual memberships at member resorts are generally not transferable in the conventional sense. Policies may vary across resorts, and while outright transfer of ownership is often restricted, members do have the option of booking vacations for friends, family, or even office teams under a slightly different pricing structure. This flexibility allows members to share the experience without compromising the integrity of ownership rights.

Could a points-based system work here, like in other timeshare markets?
Your home resort may package the points system in unique ways, and details are usually shared at the time of signing up or as part of ongoing membership communication. Over time, points can also be combined with other benefits, allowing customers to tailor their vacations to changing preferences - whether that means shorter breaks, longer stays, or exploring different resorts within the network.

It’s always useful to stay informed about these options because they can add significant value to your vacation ownership experience.

This feature is part of our ongoing effort to address customer questions on vacation ownership. Future articles in the World of AIRDA series will continue to explore similar themes - offering clarity, guidance, and insights that help both resorts and customers navigate this evolving space.

The terms timeshare and vacation ownership are used interchangeably in this article, referring to the same model within the hospitality industry.

The All India Resort Development Association is a self-regulated, independent advisory dedicated to the timeshare and vacation ownership industry. AIRDA’s primary members are resort owners, who benefit from AIRDA’s constructive sharing of ideas and strategies on the running and promotion of timeshare. All members are governed by a common Code of Conduct - AIRDA works closely with member resorts to cut a clean image in the industry and offer fair value to end customers.