ARDA Releases Recommended Re-opening Guidlines for Resort Developers
May 28, 2020
We are seeing statements from Diamond Resorts and now ARDA about best practices for resorts to follow when they reopen their hotels. Maybe Vidanta will follow some or all these guidelines too so we all will know what to expect.
ARDA & ARDA-ROC Release Best Practices & Recommended Guidelines for Resorts
WASHINGTON (BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 2020
The American Resort Development Association (ARDA) and the ARDA-Resort Owners' Coalition (ARDA-ROC) today released their recommended guidelines to help define the role of the timeshare industry in promoting the health and safety of owners, guests and employees. These recommendations are developed based on COVID response leading practices and are intended to complement, but not replace, those of state and local authorities.
“It was wonderful working with our members to put together best practices and guidelines for resorts and timeshares to promote the health and safety of owners, guests and employees,” said Jason Gamel, president and CEO of ARDA. “These recommendations will likely evolve and be updated as the nation moves through different stages of reopening, the science and data become more robust, and the efficacy of certain practices become clearer. Safety cannot be guaranteed but it can be a focus and a mutual objective of an industry that works together.”
The specific recommendations by ARDA are organized as follows:
Transmission Barriers
The guidelines note that the transition to reopen operations requires a re-imagination of resort practices including sales and marketing centers. ARDA specifically focuses on the implementation of new signage and communication, physical barriers, the use of personal protective equipment, and the creation of new contactless solutions to re-establish a safe hospitality environment.
Enhanced Sanitation
The guidelines note that protecting against COVID-19 requires heightened sanitation practices, encouraging member resorts to revisit and revise their procedures. Specific alterations may vary from one location to another, and each resort will continue to tailor procedures to its own operating environment while aligning with leading state and local health authority guidelines.
Health Screening Practices
Resort employees, owners and guests are encouraged to implement appropriate health screening practices, such as monitoring, reporting and self-isolating to prevent the spread of the virus.
Food & Beverage Service Guidelines
Food and beverage service is an essential and ubiquitous part of the hospitality that the timeshare industry provides. Resort operators are encouraged to refer to industry best practices and guidance from state and local authorities to ensure their continued role as an essential service.
Owner & Guest Expectations: A Shared Responsibility
The guidelines emphasize that an effective response to COVID-19 requires both joint and individual efforts from resort operators, timeshare developers, owners and guests. This guidance particularly reflects the essential role that owners and their guests must play to help promote the health and safety of the entire timeshare family.
To view the guidelines in full, please click here.
ARDA is the trade association for the timeshare industry. ARDA’s membership comprises over 500 companies (both privately held firms and publicly traded corporations), which house 5,000-plus individual ARDA members. ARDA’s active, engaged members have extensive experience in shared ownership interests in leisure real estate. ARDA’s work — including proactive advocacy — touches every role within the timeshare industry. Developers, exchange companies, vacation clubs, timeshare resellers, timeshare owner associations (HOAs), resort management companies, industry vendors, consultants, and legal and regulatory experts are all part of the ARDA network. For more information, visit ARDA.org.
ARDA-ROC is a 501(c)4 non-profit entity funded by over 1.5 million individual timeshare owner's voluntary contributions. ARDA-ROC is dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing vacation ownership through smart policy and sensible regulation. ARDA-ROC advocates for local, state, and federal policies that enable the vacation ownership industry to thrive and provide consumers with an enriched vacation ownership experience. For more information, visit ARDAROC.org.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200528005676/en/
Catherine Lacey [email protected]
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: VACATION OTHER TRAVEL LODGING DESTINATIONS TRAVEL
SOURCE: ARDA and ARDA-ROC
Copyright Business Wire 2020.
PUB: 05/28/2020 12:21 PM/DISC: 05/28/2020 12:21 PM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200528005676/en
Vidanta may reopen on July 1, 2020. We will see if proposed guidelines will be followed. Stay tuned....