More First-Time Buyers – and 3 Other Takeaways From the Largest Timeshare Companies

Timeshares are holding up, but only with more help from first-time buyers and loyalty perks.

The three largest timeshare companies, Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV), Travel and Leisure, and Marriott Vacations Worldwide, have reported first-quarter earnings. Together, they brought in nearly $2.85 billion in revenue.

Here are four things we learned from their results:

Hilton Grand Vacations and Travel and Leisure said average spending per guest rose in the first quarter, even as fewer people took sales tours.

For Hilton, that measure - called volume per guest – jumped 15% to more than $4,100, while tour volume fell 4%. Travel and Leisure's volume per guest rose 6% to $3,212, with tours down 1%.

However, Travel and Leisure CFO Mike Hug said the company saw signs of recovery later in the quarter. "We saw year-over-year tour growth