As a timeshare owner, one of the challenges you might face is exchanging through Interval International. One reason for this challenge is not having the right expectations. We’ve discussed this in another article, which explains mistakes Marriott Vacation Club owners may be making when exchanging their weeks. Understanding demand for when and where you are planning to travel is important. As you understand the demand for the week, you are looking to deposit. Maximizing the demand for the deposit while searching for weeks with lower demand is paramount to confirming an exchange.
What is the Travel Demand Index
Travel Demand Index, also known as TDI, was created by Interval International to help members gauge the relative demand for a given week in a specific travel region. TDI ranges from 50 to 150.
- 50 – Low Demand
- 100 – Average Demand
- 150 – High Demand
The chart above illustrates the Interval International Travel Demand Index for the Orlando Area.
Understanding where locations and periods fall in terms of demand is important for understanding travel demand.
Traditional Low Demand Locations & Dates
- Spring and fall in the mountains. It is sometimes also referred to as mud season.
- Winter in locations where there aren’t many winter activities.
- Beach locations when the weather is cold.
- Hilton Head Island or other mid-east beach resorts in the winter.
- Midwest or northern resorts in the winter.
- Florida coastal locations during hurricane season.
- Caribbean and Mexico during hurricane season.
- Palm Springs or Phoenix (desert locations in the summer when temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit).
- The time between US Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Low Demand – Generally speaking, this refers to times of the year that are off-season. This may be in highly seasonal locations where fewer people travel during that week of the year. These may not be the best times of the year to travel if you want to enjoy the beach or the pools in regions outside of the south. They can be great times for easy trades and saving money on other travel expenses. Think of the times of the year when school is in session, families aren’t traveling, and people aren’t thinking about travel.
Traditional Average Demand Locations & Dates
- Springs and fall in Florida
- Summer in the Caribbean
- Spring and Fall in Hawaii
- Spring and Fall at European resorts
Average Demand will be higher in the shoulder seasons. The weather is still great for using the pool or the beach, but these activities will generally occur during times of the year when children are in school. Savings on other travel expenses can still be found.
Traditional High Demand Locations & Dates
- Winter in Florida, the Caribbean, or Hawaii
- Summer in Hawaii and other beach locations
- Ski season at ski resorts
- Most locations during holiday weeks like July 4th, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, or Spring Break
High demand is another term for peak or prime season. These will traditionally be the busiest and most expensive times of the year to travel. Expect more people to be trying to exchange through Interval International during these times of the year and for these destinations. Other travel costs, such as airfare and car rentals, will also be at a premium.
How to Read the Travel Demand Points Chart
What do the numbers associated with the region mean?
Each chart contains a number in the upper left. Looking at the example chart above for Orlando, it is 5. Ignore that number! It has no impact on travel demand. This number is simply the region’s assigned identifier and is provided by Interval International. Many people wonder if a higher number indicates greater demand than a lower one. Negative. Each number is simply a number associated with the chart for that region and nothing more.
Each week on the left is associated with a week number on the timeshare calendar. Each box represents an increment of five from 50 to 150. The box furthest to the left represents 50, the second box represents 55, the third box represents 60, and so on. The white column in the middle represents 100, and the box on the far right is 150. Colored squares indicate the TDI number for that week. The Travel Demand Index may vary from year to year, and different colors are represented by colors associated with each year at the bottom.
Examples from the chart above;
- Week 45 has a TDI of 95
- Week 47 has a TDI of 105
- Week 50 has a TDI of 100
- Week 52 has a TDI of 150
How to use TDI when selecting a week to deposit to Interval International
Generally, the higher the TDI on the chart, the more demand there is for that week. With more demand, usually comes more trade power. When making a reservation for a deposit with Interval International, you want to reserve a week with a TDI as close to 150 as possible. Although any week with a TDI over 100 is generally sufficient to provide enough trade power for decent exchanges.
The further right the colored square, the more relative trade power your deposit should have. Keep in mind, though, TDI isn’t the only determining factor that Interval International uses to determine trade power for a deposit.
How to use TDI when selecting when to travel
You can also use TDI to maximize the likelihood of confirming an exchange through Interval International. Traveling in those weeks where the colored square is further to the left will significantly increase your chance of a confirmed exchange. Another thing to consider is that traveling during times of lower demand may also result in resorts with lower occupancy, less wait time at local restaurants, and travel costs can also be lower.
In Conclusion
Setting your expectations and understanding travel demand will increase your chances of a successful exchange through Interval International. Successful exchanges mean more vacations using your timeshare. More vacations result in you being a happy timeshare owner.
