M.A. (Geography) / The timeshare industry is one of the least researched segments of tourism accommodation or lodging. In the international scholarship the existing writings are mostly focussed on marketing, consumer behaviour and management issues. Within existing writings on timeshare most material relates to timeshare developments and the industry in either North America or Western Europe, the two leading regions for timeshare in the world. Outside of these areas only a limited amount of work has been done on timeshare. An important gap relates to the evolution and development of timeshare in particular countries and of the role of timeshare as part of tourism development. This research contributes to the limited body of literature and knowledge concerning the evolution, organisation and challenges of the timeshare industry in South Africa. The study contributes to international scholarship on the timeshare industry as one of the first detailed investigations which has been conducted in an important timeshare destination in the global South. Three core themes run through this study. First, the research analyses the evolution of the timeshare industry in South Africa from its inception in the late 1970s to the present-day (2012) and analyses its critical challenges and issues that have shaped and re-shaped its development. Second, the research maps and interprets the evolving geography of the timeshare industry in South Africa and situates the current position of the timeshare industry within the African and global context. Finally, the research seeks to understand also the changing position and importance of timeshare as part of a changing South African tourism economy.

D.Com. (Business Management) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The purpose of the study is to examine the impactof the timesharing concept on the resort industry in order to determine the industry's familiarity with timesharing and the industry's conception of the present and future effects of timesharing. The study utilizes two methods of research, primarydata and secondary data, to examine the concept of timesharing. This section includes information on the different forms of timesharing, the legal aspects, the marketing, management, finance and future of timesharing in order to educate the public about the concept. The primary data takes the form of a survey thatquestions hotel/motel operators in the Fort Lauderdale Beach area to determine their attitudes towards the impact of timesharing on the resort industy.

M.Comm. / The purpose of this study is to determine the tax implications of sectional title, shareblock and timeshare schemes and to establish whether any of the schemes is more beneficial to the taxpayer than the others.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Timesharing is one of the sectors of the tourism industry that has grown at a tremendous rate in the recent past. In South Africa, after adverse publicity and severe internal conflict in the early years, the timeshare industry is growing as this way of holidaying becomes more popular. Much is also expected of the tourism industry as a major contributor towards improving the socio-economic situation in this country. It is therefore essential that geographers and more specifically geographical information system specialists get involved in research on timeshare and related topics. This thesis investigates the potential use of geographical information systems (GIS) in the timeshare industry in South Africa. The main focus of the research is on the development of a timeshare information system (TIS). The TIS was developed by using the ArcView GIS programme and Avenue programming language and it incorporates the points system as the most popular timeshare type in South Africa. The main aim of the TIS is to find possible holiday resort destinations within South Africa that will satisfy the timeshare owner's holiday needs, at the touch of a button. To produce these results the user is asked a series of questions and he/she is expected to make some selections. This information is then processed to make it possible for the scripts that have been compiled to extract the correct results from the destination database. This comprehensive database has been compiled from existing sources. The final results are then shown to the user on regional maps of South Africa. These maps have been compiled beforehand for use during the programming phase, but also for the purpose of doing location and spatial analysis. In conclusion, the results have been tested by means of a case example. The results produced by the TIS have been verified as being correct. Although the TIS is not ready for the timeshare market at this stage it could, with slight adjustments, be of use and is a positive step in the right direction and is in line with modem trends in the industry. Keywords ArcView / Avenue / Exchange companies / Geographical information systems (GIS) / Graphical user interface / Points system / Resort Condominium International (RCI) / South Africa / Timeshare destination database / Timeshare industry / Timeshare owners / Timeshare resort facilities / Timeshare resorts / Timesharing / Tourism geography / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Eiendomstyddeling is een van die sektore van die toerisme-industrie wat tans wêreldwyd die meeste groei toon. In Suid-Afrika waar eiendomstyddeling aanvanklik gekniehalter is deur swak publisiteit en interne konflik, toon die bedryf besondere groei soos dié manier van vakansie hou, meer gewild raak. Baie word van die toerismebedryf verwag om 'n beduidende bydrae te maak tot die verbetering van sosio-ekonomiese toestande in die land. Juis hierom is navorsing oor tyddeling en verwante onderwerpe besonder belangrik. Geograwe en meer spesifiek geografiese inligtingstelselspesialiste kan in dié opsig belangrike rolspelers wees. Hierdie navorsingsverhandeling speur die gebruiksmoontlikhede van geografiese inligtingstelsels (GIS) in die tyddeelindustrie in Suid-Afrika na. Die hoof fokus van die navorsing val op die ontwikkeling van 'n tyddeelinligtingstelsel (TIS) met behulp van ArcView GIS programmatuur en Avenue programmeertaal. Hierdie TIS poog om die keuse van 'n geskikte vakansiebestemming in Suid-Afrika vir die tyddeeleienaar en potensiële koper te vergemaklik en inkorporeer in die proses die puntestelsel as tyddeeltipe. Die program stel aan die gebruiker 'n reeks vrae en seleksie opsies, waaruit dan 'n resultaat van oorde wat aan sy/haar vakansiebehoeftes voldoen, aan hom/haar voorgehou word. Hierdie resultate word getrek uit 'n omvattende tyddeelbestemmingsdatabasis wat uit bestaande bronne saamgestel is. Hierdie databasis word op verskeie stadiums deur die loop van die gebruiksproses deur die opgestelde programkode ondervrae. Tesame hiermee word die resultate ruimtelik en nie-ruimtelik aan die gebruiker vertoon. Hierdie ruimtelike komponent hang nou saam met die kartering van die tyddeeloorde in Suid-Afrika, 'n proses waartydens die ligging en verspreiding van hierdie oorde ook aandag kry. Ter afsluiting word die resultate aan die hand van 'n toetsvoorbeeld geverifieer. Die TIS lewer bevredigende resultate en hoewel dit nie in sy huidige formaat gereed is vir die tyddeelmark nie, is dit 'n positiewe stap en in lyn met moderne neigings in die industrie. Trefwoorde ArcView / Avenue / Blybeurtbedryf / Geografiese inligtingstelsels (GIS) / Grafiese koppelvlak / Puntestelsel / Resort Condominium International (RCI) / Suid-Afrika / Toerismegeografie / Tyddeelbelang / Tyddeelbestemmingsdatabasis / Tyddeeleienaars / Tyddeelindustrie / Tyddeeloorde / Tyddeeloordfasiliteite / Tyddeling / Uitruilondernemings

The ongoing pursuit of understanding how consumers’ expectations can be achieved or exceeded has long been an area of interest for academics and practitioners alike. A multitude of measures of satisfaction have been developed, applied, and adopted with the end goal of understanding how satisfied individuals, or groups of individuals, are with a given product, service, or specific attribute of a product. And, while both academic and practical research has identified and focused on explicit attributes relevant to particular products or services, the general consensus appears to support the thinking that higher satisfaction is better. But this may not hold true when one considers that not all attributes are equal in terms of their effect on overall customer satisfaction or that different customer segments may value product attributes differently. From this premise, the current research proposes a model that may be used to classify product and process attributes within the services industry, and augments the traditional method of data analysis in an effort to improve the efficacy of the information gathered. The theoretical foundation of the study is based on a modified Kano Model, a research model that has been widely applied across a variety of industries and products. Responses from 3,231 consumers were collected in a nationwide survey conducted in the United States. A random sampling method was used with the intention of achieving sufficient heterogeneity among the study participants. This study provides a comprehensive review of literature related to the Kano Model that has also been summarized in a tabular form (Table 3), providing the readers with a robust synthesis of literature (1984-2010) to include authors, publication dates, sources, titles, research contexts, etc. Further, since the Kano Model was initially developed more than 20 years ago in iii 1984 with a focus on manufacturing and durable goods, this study introduces a Modified Kano Model that may be better suited for evaluation of attributes related to services. In the Modified Kano Model, the attributes of the original Kano Model (Attractive Quality, One-Dimensional Quality, Must-be Quality, Reverse Quality, and Indifferent Quality) have been modified to better reflect the intangibility and other distinctive characteristics of services. The revised attribute categories have been titled as Desirable Attributes, Positive Attributes, Critical Attributes, Negative Attributes, and Zone of Indifference. The study also provides an extensive discussion of conjoint analysis techniques, historical evolution, and a review of application of conjoint analysis across various industries; including research within and beyond the hospitality industry. Essentially this study delivers a primer on conjoint methodology. Related to the conjoint analysis components for this research, this study employs Sawtooth Software as the platform for the web-based questionnaire, as well as the data analysis. Sawtooth Software’s products are the most widely used conjoint analysis systems in the world providing a variety of solutions from traditional full profile conjoint analysis to more advanced adaptive choice conjoint analysis techniques. This study employs the Choice-Based Conjoint technique; one of the most commonly used techniques in academic research. Choicebased conjoint provides respondents a series of set choices from which they express preferences for specific attribute combinations. Choice-based conjoint analysis is widely used due to its ability to simulate consumer behavior in the marketplace more precisely. Through the use of the Modified Kano Model and choice-based conjoint analysis, this study assessed the role of process and product attributes in consumers’ willingness to pay for and utilize products in the vacation ownership industry. The current study has identified product and process attributes that are preferred by the customer, categorized the attributes according to their iv anticipated effect on customer satisfaction, and quantified customer preferences of each in order to establish customer attribute preferences within the vacation ownership industry. In a twopronged approach, this study explored two distinct aspects of the consumer’s vacation ownership experience: the purchase process and the use of the lodging product. Since it has been shown that the Kano Model is effective in categorizing attributes according to the anticipated effect on customer satisfaction in a manufacturing environment, a modified version of this model was extended to a service sector, the vacation ownership industry. This Modified Kano Model was used to determine consumers’ preferences for the vacation ownership product during its use, as well as throughout the purchase process. In addition, the Kano methodology was augmented through the use of Fong’s test of statistical significance and Conjoint Analysis in an effort to improve the quality of the information gathered, and advance the efficiency and applicability of the instrument. This study identified attributes of the vacation ownership product that are positively related to customer satisfaction. Specifically, the following attributes were categorized by the respondents as being positively related to their product satisfaction: 1) a sales executive to guide the prospective purchaser through the sales process, 2) a purchase incentive, 3) resort-like hotel services, i.e., concierge, 4) affiliation with an exchange company, 5) resort amenities, i.e., fitness center, 6) ability to trade for hotel program benefits, and 7) a vacation counselor to assist with vacation planning. In the Modified Kano Model they are described as Positive Attributes based on the relationship to product satisfaction. Perhaps equally as important as understanding the positive effect of attributes is understanding which attributes have no incremental effect on product satisfaction. In this study, the majority of the respondents categorized the availability of a finance package and the presence v of onsite activities as attributes that neither added to their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the product. These attributes are termed as Zone of Indifference in the Modified Kano Model since they neither add to nor detract from overall product satisfaction. In an effort to quantify consumer preference for particular attributes, this study employed conjoint analysis to test the presence/absence of the study attributes in a series of simulations. Two fixed choice sets and a “none option” were also employed to improve the reliability of the results. The result of the conjoint simulation revealed that willingness to pay for the vacation ownership product varied based on product features, and it also varied across respondents. Possibly the most imperative outcome of this research is that this study uncovered attribute preferences that have a significant influence on satisfaction or price paid for the vacation ownership product. The findings of the research were consistent with previous literature in that it was found that attributes of the product could be classified using the Modified Kano Model, and that consumers are satisfied with the product purchased. However, this research goes beyond previous studies in that it specifies the anticipated effect on satisfaction and consumer willingness to pay at the attribute level for both the purchase and use of the vacation ownership product. Further, while this research identified that consumers’ basic needs are being met and the industry is delivering on expectations related to attributes that contribute to overall satisfaction, it also uncovered opportunities for product development and pricing strategies that may assist in attracting new customers and expanding the vacation ownership segment of the lodging industry. In addition to an explicit discussion of the results, this dissertation provides specific practical implications based on the findings. This research could be considered unique as it is a comprehensive view into customer satisfaction and willingness to pay related to both the vi purchase and the consumption of a vacation product. As a result, an additional contribution could be the establishment of a benchmark for future studies.

This study created a model using factor analysis and structural equation modeling to investigate the relationship of service quality, word-of-mouth recommendation and price sensitivity of individuals who experienced a timeshare mini vacation at a branded timeshare resort. The constructs of service quality were developed by creating a survey tool. A total of 4,797 surveys were electronically sent resulting in a total of 1,275 of the individuals surveyed who met the criteria of staying at a branded hotel or resort during their mini vacation. Six different variables were created from the ordinal level questions on the survey: Resort Accommodations, Sales Gallery, Sales Presentation, Resort Activities, Resort Staff and Brand Value. These were then used in an exploratory factor analysis to identify latent factors after which structural equation modeling was used to define the relationship between the factors and the independent variables. A total of 44 models were explored and evaluated based on goodnessof-fit metrics. The model that had the best level of fit was a first-order two-factor model. This model was created with an 80% subset and confirmed with a 20% subset of the sample. The factors found represent the Vacation Experience Promise (VEP) and the Vacation Experience Delivery (VED). There was a positive correlation for both VEP and VED with word-of-mouth recommendation and price sensitivity. The research also posited 24 hypotheses of the relationship between the service quality constructs, word-of-mouth recommendation and price sensitivity with the demographic characteristics of guest type, gender, stay type, age, marital status, gross income, timeshare ownership and the number of presentations attended. There was not enough information to support a relationship between the service quality constructs, word-ofmouth recommendation and price sensitivity with regards to gender, gross income and marital iv status. There was a difference in the scores for the service quality constructs and the varying categories within the age, stay type, and timeshare ownership demographic variables. There was a difference only in the VED scores and the varying categories within the guest type and presentations attended demographic variables. There was also a difference in the scores for the word-of-mouth recommendation construct and the varying categories within the age, guest type, timeshare ownership and number of presentations attended demographic variables. Lastly, there was also a difference in the scores for the price sensitivity construct and the varying categories within the guest type, timeshare ownership and presentation attended demographic variables. The research discusses the business implications associated with these findings and proposes next steps for future research.

Univ., Diss.--Basel, 2000.