Australia and South Africa Enjoy Amazing Growth in Tourism

"Come and say G'day" is the invitation to visit Australia that often leaps out from our Television sets. Paul Hogan's character Crocodile Dundee some years ago invited us to "put another shrimp on the B.B.Q." There seems little doubt that advertising campaigns run over the last few years are paying off big time - and that includes the time-share industry also!

I recently attended the International Time Share convention here in Las Vegas for the American Resort Development Association.

According to the latest information to reach me from my Australian colleagues, Australia is the most sought after holiday destination in the world today!

If my source is accurate, and I've no reason to doubt it, the timeshare exchange companies decline over 40,000 exchange requests to Australia due to lack of inventory each year! Thankfully that situation is rapidly changing.

The problem was largely due to the fact that of the thousands of time-share owners down under, many were not members of an exchange company. I recall that when I bought my first time-share in the Blue Mountains about an hour's drive from Sydney back in 1979, no mention was made of any exchange possibilities. Australians might argue that when you own a timeshare in Australia "who'd want to go anywhere else?"

This is little consolation to the thousands of owners worldwide who'd like to come and "say G'day"

Another interesting fact that emerged from that ARDA convention was that the largest and fastest growing middle class is (would you believe) in South Africa! The country as a whole it was reported suffered the least from the recent world wide recession. South Africa boasts some remarkable resorts and some of the most magnificent scenery in the world. If your budget allows I highly recommend a visit.

On an entirely different subject a friend I met at the convention brought home to me a very great truth, shared with me by a fellow radio personality in Australia a few years ago. His name is John Laws, and the comment he made has stuck in my mind as one of the great truths that affect our lives.

John was asked if he attributed his success to being in the right place at the right time?

John replied "that everyone was in the right place at the right time at sometime in his or her lives - the true secret of success was in recognizing the fact that you were there!"

I was Associated Press's photographer in Malta at the time that an international dispute broke out between the government of Malta and the British government. More importantly I was the only international journalist on the spot. The morning following the outbreak of riots my pictures appeared on the front page of every daily newspaper in the world! My total compensation back in 1957 was under $100.00.

I dare say the Associated Press photographer who entered the Florida home and caught the chilling shot of a machine gun in the face of the young Cuban Elian Gonzalez would comfortably be able to retire on the proceeds.

Enjoy your travels.
Dr. Peter J. Shield PhD