Baby Boomers and Empty Nesters Lead in Vacation Ownership

The study of 938 recent timeshare buyers was conducted by Ragatz Associates and will be officially released in August.

The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) International Foundation has released preliminary results of the new 2006 Timeshare Resort Owners: Who They Are Why They Buy study. The study of 938 recent timeshare buyers was conducted by Ragatz Associates and will be officially released in August.

Of recent buyers, only 18.5 percent are under 40, whereas 30.4 percent are 60 and over (and 8.8 percent are 70 and over), according to the study. Another 23.0 percent are in their 40’s, and 28.1 percent are in their 50’s. By comparison, among all owners, 9.3 percent are under 40, 40.2 percent are 60 or over (15.5 percent are 70 or over), 21.0 percent are in their 40’s, and 29.5 percent are in their 50’s.

Only 31.4 percent of recent buyers have children under 18 years of age living at home. For all owners, this proportion is even lower at 24.9 percent. This figure is down from 36.4 percent for those purchasing in 1996 and 34.3 percent of those purchasing in 2002, in accord with the aging baby boom generation.

The study showed a dramatic increase in the number of single females as recent buyers with the proportion of single females increasing from 8 percent in 1996 to 12.7 percent in 2005, a 58.5% increase. At the same time, the percentage of single male buyers has remained fairly consistent, with 4.1 comprising new buyers in 1996 compared with 4.3 percent in 2005. Overall, nearly one in five new buyers is single (17%).

The study also showed:
• 83.0 percent are couples, whereas 17.0 percent are singles;
• 31.4 percent have children under 18 living at home; and,
• 41.5 percent are in their 40’s or younger, whereas 30.4 percent are in their 60’s or over.

“With the profile of the average timeshare buyer becoming increasingly diverse across population segments, this study underscores the flexibility and value of vacation ownership products for a broad range of consumers and lifestyles,” said Howard C. Nusbaum, ARDA’s president and CEO. “This study will be of great interest to those in the industry in terms of how timeshare is marketed and to whom. The owner base is shifting in accordance with the general population with an increasing number of empty nest couples and single women.”

...these timesharing trends are very interesting survey...

Study: Baby Boomers, Empty Nesters Lead in Vacation Ownership

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