Vacation ownership industry insiders – who gathered in Orlando earlier this month to honor best performers with prestigious awards and take stock of the industry's situation – reportedly came away feeling optimistic about the future.

That is because timeshares tend to follow the same trends as the wider tourism industry in that people consistently report vacation is among the last bits of discretionary spending they scale back on when economy becomes tough.

It is also consistent with many studies conducted over the years which suggest that vacations are a necessity rather than luxury, and they boost work performance, life satisfaction and overall health.

Lifestyle expert Joe Robinson suggests that for overworked and "under-played" Americans taking a vacation is particularly important during these stressful times.

This is what timeshare experts put their hope in, and they cite the consistently high rates of satisfaction with the product among owners who value the ease and quality of timeshare vacations at a fraction of the cost of vacation home ownership or luxury hostels and resorts.

In addition to that, travel forecast surveys for 2009 predict a stable travel and leisure market despite the rough economy.