Club Med Gears Up For Growth
Club Med is continuing with its plans for growth, set to open 16 new resorts by the end of 2023; including the opening of four new resorts this year — La Rosière (French Alps), Seychelles (East Africa), Lijiang (China) and Québec Charlevoix.
It is also anticipating exponential growth in Canada and continues its strong investment in the market by recruiting 25 new employees at the brand’s headquarters in Montréal, hiring over 350 staff at Club Med Québec Charlevoix, launching new digital tools to support more travel agents and opening its first travel agency in the heart of Montréal this fall.
Club Med’s first-ever all-inclusive property in Canada, Club Med Québec Charlevoix will open its doors this December, adding to its current portfolio of 20+ mountain resorts.
Located just 90 minutes from Québec City, the one-of-a-kind mountain experience will become the new go-to destination for international travellers all-year round.
The resort features an unparalleled waterfront panorama in a preserved natural landscape, ideal for an amazing vacation experience along with a full roster of activities for every season. Designed with packages, services and accommodations for families, couples, singles, friends and meetings & events groups, the 4-Trident resort features 302 rooms, including an Exclusive Collection space (5-Trident) with 25 Suites.
The new destination will offer ample activities and amenities any time of year for an outstanding experience filled with adventure and relaxation. The region offers a plethora of all-inclusive activities including mountain bike trails to explore, skiing and snowboarding, mini golf, skating, aerial silk and hoops. A la carte activities are also available including dogsledding, kayaking, snowmobiling, rafting, ice-fishing and more. Plus, with a 23m long heated pool, the property boasts many wellness products that include a waterfront spa with pathways inspired by the Nordic therapies, massages and meditation.
The brand’s growth objective is to attract nearly 70% of all guests, in the resort’s first year of operation, locally from within Canada.
Club Med is also expanding its Canadian footprint. Calling Montréal home since 1970, the brand employs over 70 people in its Canadian headquarters. By the end of the year, Club Med plans to recruit 25 additional employees to its sales team. Additionally, the brand will hire over 350+ staff to fill various positions including hospitality, restaurants, maintenance and childcare at Club Med Québec Charlevoix.
And Club Med will lay down even more roots by opening its first Canadian travel agency in the heart of downtown Montréal. Anticipated to open in fall of 2021, the brick-and-mortar location will offer first-class service to help guests reignite their passion for travel, help make up for lost time and build a meaningful connection with the brand.
This tactic further amplifies the campaign for peace of mind when travelling while increasing brand awareness and helping to attract local customers.
With guidance from Travel Experience Designers, the agency will provide personalized services and customer care that is not experienced in a digital world. These key individuals can help curate vacations for a variety of travellers including clients planning dedicated family vacations, to guests seeking luxurious experiences at Club Med’s Exclusive Collection resorts, where all-inclusive convenience is seamlessly blended with elevated services. Setting its sights to the future, Club Med hopes to expand its agency offerings to additional markets in Québec and Toronto.
Vincent Giraud, vice president, managing director of Club Med Canada and North America Sales Operations, observed: “With vaccination rates continuing to rise in Canada, people want to travel and reconnect with their family and friends, and we believe Club Med is the best place to do so.”
And Giraud added: “We are thrilled and very proud to be contributing to the Charlevoix region by opening the first Club Med Mountain resort in North America and the first Club Med in Canada.”
For more than 70 years, travel advisors have been an essential part of the brand and the backbone of the industry. As Club Med resorts welcome back guests globally, the company continues to demonstrate its appreciation for its trusted partners as the future of travel continues to look bright. Club Med has invested in new digital tools that will help advisors create a seamless experience.
The brand is launching a new and improved web portal that allows travel professionals to access an array of dedicated Club Med resources designed to save advisors time and put clients’ plans at ease.
This includes product information, a new booking engine, client history access and vacation customization and comparison. With the Club Med Travel Advisor booking engine update, Club Med strives to ensure that travel advisors have the support they need to fulfill their clients’ dreams.
Club Med will also launch an e-learning tool called Club Med University that is easy to use and interactive. The program was created so travel advisors can be well-versed on all things Club Med, including details on resort destinations, booking platforms and more.
Jacinda Lowry, national sales director of Club Med Canada, pointed out that: “With our strong sales ambitions and growing portfolio of upscale global resorts, our travel partners will be key to our continued mutual success.”
Lowry continued: “2021 has started off very strong for Club Med with double-digit growth over 2019. As reservations continue to climb and Canadians continue to seek all-inclusive vacations to incredible destinations, we stand confident that Club Med will be top of mind in 2022.”
Club Med Québec Charlevoix, opening this December, will be the brand’s third resort opening in 2021. In March, Club Med opened a sun-destination resort located in the Indian Ocean, Club Med Seychelles. Later in June, it opened Club Med La Rosière in the French Alps. The property is also a mountain resort and will have its first winter season this year. Prior to the pandemic, Club Med opened its first Exclusive Collection resort in North America, Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda in the Dominican Republic.
With the objective to open 16 new resorts by the end of 2023 and renovate 10 existing properties, Club Med continues to move upmarket with its developments at key emblematic resorts such as Club Med Peisey Vallandry, Club Med Pragelato, Club Med Albion and Club Med Marrakech. With impressive growth planned for the year ahead, Club Med continues to show its strength as a travel industry leader in Canada and across the world.
Go to www.ClubMed.ca for more.
