Crackdown on Aggressive Timeshare Marketing Practices

Local authorities and regulatory agencies in San Pedro, Belize take action to stop the overly aggressive marketing tactics of some timeshare operators.

January 12 2006 - The Belize Tourism Board heard one complaint too many about the aggressive timeshare marketing practices of some timeshare operators on Ambergris Caye. They decided to take action to protect the laidback serenity of San Pedro, the quiet Caribbean town that is the major settlement on the one-mile wide, twenty-five mile long island strip.

Members of the San Pedro Town Council, including Mayor Elsa Paz, the Belize Tourism Board, and the San Pedro Police Department met on December 8, 2005 to address the problem. Present at the meeting were representatives of six major timeshare properties on Ambergris Caye.

The results were two ordinances, both effective immediately. The first requires, “all timeshare operators cease and desist from soliciting timeshare sales in public areas.”

The second required that timeshare operators obtain trade licenses for their booths or kiosks through the San Pedro Town Council, by December 31, 2005.

Tourism dollars from Belize’s nearly quarter million annual visitors, account for 15-20% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of Belize, according to published statistics of the Belize Tourism Board. Undeniably, timeshare dollars make a significant contribution to this income, but high-pressure timeshare tactics and intrusive sales people benefit neither the timeshare industry, nor tourism in San Pedro.

Jason Tremblay, CEO of Sell My Timeshare Now, LLC. says, “when local governments get involved in regulating the actions of overzealous or unscrupulous timeshare operators and off-property agents, the timeshare industry across the board reaps the benefits. Ethical timeshare sellers want to see people purchasing timeshares because they recognize it as an investment in a lifetime of vacationing, recreation, and relaxation—not because they are victims of strong arm timeshare sales tactics.”