The U.S. timeshare industry has consolidated behind a few major brands: Hilton Grand Vacations, Marriott Vacations Worldwide and Travel + Leisure. The industry has evolved significantly from its notoriously scammy origins, having much higher standards and using more flexible points-based systems. Executives say the bait-and-switch days are behind timeshares and have rebranded them as “vacation clubs,” offering a wide range of accommodations and experiences. But there are still issues and scams to look out for when getting into a timeshare.

WSJ explores how timeshares became a $35.7 billion dollar industry, how they work and how issues still persist in the industry.

Chapters:
0:00 The timeshare industry
0:36 Timeshares, explained
2:42 Issues with the industry
3:49 Exit scams

The Economics Of
How do the world’s most successful companies generate revenue? In this explainer series, we’ll dive into the surprising stories behind how businesses work–exploring everything from Costco’s “treasure-hunt” model to the economics behind Amazon’s AWS.

#Timeshare #Travel #WSJ