Very simply, vacation ownership is the fastest growing segment of the World's largest business: travel and tourism.

Why now?
With millions of baby-boomers preparing to enter the "leisure phase" of their lives, the demand for recreational properties and other leisure-related products are currently experiencing an unprecedented explosion in growth. This demand is not only expected to continue, it is expected to increase dramatically as an army of affluent boomers reap

  Over 6.7 million people Worldwide (3 million in the US alone) have already embraced vacation ownership.
  Worldwide sales totaled over $9.4 billion in 2003.
  US annual sales increased from $2.2 Billion in 1997 to 5.5 Billion in 2003. (150% increase in 6 years)
  Sales increased 14.58% from 2002 to 2003
  Total market penetration is less than 1.5%. (12% is predicted.)

the rewards of their investments, receive their parents' inheritances, and downsize their homes to reflect their empty nests. Very simply, baby boomers have (or will soon have) all of the time and resources in the world to enjoy the retirement of their dreams.

Adding to this phenomenon is the ever-growing middle classes in India and China, including their newfound appetite for the "good life". With a base of over 2 billion people, these two countries are anticipated to inject over 200 million global leisure consumers to the market in the next 10 years. In fact, experts predict that India and China will be the two leading economic powers in the World by 2050.

Additionally, there are various political and economic factors. For example, many foreign currencies are now performing much stronger against the US dollar, providing all their consumers with much greater global purchasing power. Other nations are now enjoying new freedoms that allow them to travel outside their borders for the first time in decades.

High Demand for Future Development
The flip side of the "demand coin" is that there is a relatively finite supply of prime land for future development. As an example, popular resort areas such as Banff (Alberta), Vail (Colorado) and large parts of Costa Rica now have complete moratoriums on any type of future development! Other areas (such as Whistler, B.C.) are allowing only very limited development, and the prices have been impacted accordingly - the average price of a condo in Whistler is now well over $900,000. Even in Canmore (home of Sunset's newest resort) building lots are now being offered and sold for over 1 million dollars each.

Very simply, the world isn't building any new beaches! The mountainsides are filling up and the finest golf courses are now dotted with deluxe villas and homes. Demand for these experiences is rapidly increasing, and yet the opportunity for the development of present (and future) resort areas is increasingly limited…

In short, high demand + limited supply = a great product to represent!