A national effort by the U.S. Department of Justice to eliminate certain types of business by denying access to banking.  Travel clubs named specifically as a targeted business.  TRIP has joined with other industry associations in opposing Operation Choke Point and is educating key legislators about the benefits of travel clubs.  

Pennsylvania has proposed legislation, House Bill 884, that would allow judges discretion to deem a contract unconscionable, thus making it voidable at any time.  TRIP has been in contact with Rep. Tim Briggs, the sponsor of the Bill to oppose it and show him how it would harm our industry.  Pennsylvania is looking to craft specific legislation to regulate travel clubs; TRIP will continue to monitor and participate in this process.

Tennessee has a legacy statute (TN Code Title 66 Chapter 32) that refers to “Vacation Clubs” as a timeshare product and thus subjects “Travel Clubs” to the same rigid regulations as timeshare, including a 10 day sales rescission period.  TRIP is working with the TN real estate commission to define “travel” club as distinct from “vacation” club and exempt “travel clubs” from the current statute so that only a three day rescission period would be required.   TRIP has identified several other states where the same scenario exists and will be working for resolutions there as well.

New federal agency with an unlimited budget designed to regulate unregulated businesses—they are looking closely at the timeshare trade in sellers and travel clubs as fertile territory for federal regulation.  TRIP is and will continue to monitor and provide comments on any proposed regulation.

Requires clubs to go through expensive registration even if they are using a third party telemarketer.  TRIP will continue to work to educate the legislators and find a path for language exempting travel clubs from registering as telemarketers if they do not actually take calls.

Nevada has just committed to hiring 13 investigators to police the vacation resort sales industry.  TRIP is monitoring this closely to determine if it is a foundation to new regulation and stricter standards for the industry.