The heat is on. Will Brits holiday further north?

PRESS RELEASE – 26 SEPTEMBER 2022
Will hotter summers mean less demand for Spanish timeshare holidays?
UK temperatures are rising. Blue skies and summer sunshine are becoming more and more reliable and many Brits are choosing to holiday on and around their own islands. At the same time summers in the Mediterranean are heating up to uncomfortable levels.

We ask: Will Spanish timeshare ownerships become defunct?

Temperature rising
Hot weather records are being broken almost on a weekly basis all over Europe. For those of us in northern climes, the transition to what was traditionally ‘Med weather’ can seem welcome in the short to medium term. Spain on the other hand is now regularly reaching temperatures previously associated with the Middle East, and becoming too hot even for the locals.

Summer 2022 in Spain has been the hottest for decades and the discomfort for tourists has been exacerbated by a widely decried government decree forbidding businesses from setting air conditioning at less than 27 degrees Celsius.

Brits choosing to stay local
For Brits the reported perfect summer’s day temperature is 21 degrees. Reliable weather makes many of us want to stay and enjoy all that Britain has to offer. “Our islands are so varied,” says Barry, a 53 year old office worker from Yorkshire. “I believe our beaches, scenery, history, and culture rival anywhere in the world. It was only ever the weather that made me fly to Spain. We’ll be holidaying in Britain now, as long as we can count on decent weather.”

Owners committed to Spain
Around 600,000 British families holiday through timeshare memberships, and well over half of those own at a home resort in Spain. These owners have little choice but to return to that home resort every year, for the remainder of their contract. In some cases this means for ever.

“Being trapped in a timeshare membership means that timeshare owners in Spain don’t have the flexibility to make their preferred choices,” says Andrew Cooper, CEO of European Consumer Claims. “While the vacation landscape has changed, the structure of timeshare memberships has not adapted with it.”

What can be done?
There is hope for Brits looking to slip the clutches of avaricious timeshare companies. “Despite the best efforts of the resorts to make their contracts inescapable, an expert claim and relinquishment firm can usually find a route to freedom,” says Cooper. “Every case is different and it is important to have your individual case assessed by an expert.