The timeshare market in Asia Pacific is considered the youngest. Historically, it was developed and refined for European tourists, who were invited there by European timeshare sellers. One of the pioneers in the region was the Royal Resorts group, which is now part of the Karma Group empire. Founded by an enterprising entrepreneur who climbed the timeshare sales ladder in Tenerife, from a street consultant inviting tourists to presentations to a sales director who invested all his money in a resort in Goa, India, it is now the most well-known group of resorts in the region. These resorts are located in India (Goa, Kerala, Bangalore, Jaipur, in the North), Thailand (Phuket), Indonesia (Bali, Lombok, Java), Australia, as well as in Germany (Bavaria), Italy (Tuscany), the United Kingdom (London, Isles of Sicily, Birmingham), Greece (Crete, Mykonos), and France (Saint-Tropez, Normandy).
After Goa, timeshare resorts appeared in Thailand and almost immediately in Bali. The timeshare industry in Southeast Asia in the late 90s resembled Tenerife in the early 80s, not only in terms of market uncontrol but also because the new market attracted the same players who were pushed out of Europe by the strict legislation introduced at the time. However, the market did not turn wild because local entrepreneurs in these countries actively entered the industry. And as it is known, order is quickly established under such conditions.
One feature of most Asia Pacific resorts is that foreigners cannot own land, and therefore timeshare resorts, by their legal structure, are either limited membership clubs or long-term leases for up to 35 years. Such a shorter form of timeshare has also formed different resale requirements. The point is that many timeshare owners, after active use for 15-20 years, if for various reasons they had to stop using the timeshare, do not spend time selling the remaining 10-12 years of use and simply abandon it or write it off to the resort. Moreover, unlike timeshares that qualify as real estate (in Italy, France, partially in Spain), club membership type does not accumulate multi-year dues and then collects them but simply excludes from membership due to non-payment of one or two membership dues and does not chase after anyone.
This does not apply, of course, to very valuable and expensive Asia Pacific resorts. Memberships such as Marriott, Absolute... Karma, which cost from €15,000 to €20,000 per week on the primary market. They are not abandoned but an effort is made to return some of the money. They are very popular on the secondary market because there are those who really liked these clubs but who are sorry to pay the full price for them.
And here in resales, the same ubiquitous English agencies dominate, among which we highlight as the most successful Travel & Leisure Group Ltd (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.co.uk ) and Timeshare Online (https://www.timeshareonline.eu/index.php ). There was actually no expansion into the Asia Pacific market. The main buyers in the region are the English, Australians, and Europeans, who are fluent in English. When Indians started actively buying timeshares, the situation in the resale market did not change, as English is practically the first language for the middle class in India. There is a high level of trust in English companies in the region. This prevented local timeshare sales agencies from competing. Especially since it is always difficult for young companies to compete with those that have over 20 and 30 years of experience in the market, which have a clear strategy and responsible approach.
But this is also a wonderful opportunity for timeshares from this region to gain access to international buyers worldwide, but primarily to Europeans.
It is also worth noting that timeshares from Southeast Asia are practically not popular in America. This is understandable, for regular travel, Americans choose Florida, California, Mexico, and the Caribbean, where air travel is well established and very cheap. And to the fabulous Bali, Thailand, Goa, and Vietnam, you can go through exchange.
We deliberately put two regions in parentheses in Asia Pacific - China and Japan, where timeshares are quite developed and popular but which are very closed markets and are aimed both at their compatriots and their own resorts, thereby falling out of the interest of foreign buyers and timeshare owners.
In Conclusion: If you own a timeshare in India, Thailand, Australia, Vietnam, in Bali, etc., it is reasonable to resell it through English agencies, of which we currently highlight Travel & Leisure Group Ltd (https://www.travelandleisuregroup.co.uk ) and Timeshare Online (https://www.timeshareonline.eu/index.php)
