FREE BRANSON MINI VACATIONS AND SHOWS

Free shows and mini vacations are alive and well in Branson, MO. That is, if attending a 90-minute timeshare presentation in order to get these gifts qualifies them as "free".

The subject was raised at a Pubic Hearing in the Branson City Hall in December, where various concerns were voiced as to the propriety and legality of such actions.

According to available statistics, on any given night any one of a number of different organizations selling Timeshare, also known as Vacation Ownership, in the Branson area offers free lodging or show tickets to qualified sales prospects who are willing to participate in such a presentation. Typically these offers are extended either through direct mail, phone solicitation, booths and contact points (OPCs) in the Branson area or on the Internet through sites such as http://www.freegetaway.com/ to eligible sales prospects. The consensus is that to the extent that up to 90 minutes of one's time is worth 2 or three nights lodging or the cost of the show tickets offered, it would appear that they are "free." And it would seem that there is no shortage of takers.

A representative of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA) stated that the Branson area is one of the top three timeshare areas in the United States, both in terms of number of units and in popularity.

Several representative of the various timeshare resorts in the Branson area pointed out that they spend huge amounts on marketing trying to find, approximately, the one out of ten for whom timeshare is right.

The minimum eligibility requirements, (the offer at http://www.freegetaway.com/ for example, requires little more than that married spouses must both attend, they must have some form of photo ID, a checkbook and/or credit card, and make at least $35,000 per year-- quite liberal eligibility requirements within the industry) the large number of timeshare resorts in the Branson Area, and the fact that Branson is such a major tourist destination create the type of situation that is conducive to this type of offer.

In many other markets developers and marketing companies are trying less expensive, more profitable ways of attracting potential tours-- but in Branson it looks like the "Free" Mini Vacations and Show Tickets will be a part of the scene indefinitely.